Recap: SNL (Charles Barkley, Alicia Keys)

Having a sports figure as a host is almost always more miss than hit, but if you get a guy with enough charisma involved, you can occasionally have some sketches. For example, Peyton Manning's fake United Way commercial was a rose among thorns. So this episode, we have the former basketball star, Charles Barkley, ready to weave us through the sea of mediocrity that is SNL. The teaser didn't help. It was essentially the benchmark of hilarity they were trying to reach and save for a few minutes, it was just like Barkley said, "Some sketches are good. Some sketches we're going to do anyway."

The Good
Monologue: Okay, it was like watching your kid go up and do his lines for the first time in his first school play. For someone who has been spending the last decade being in front of the cameras and showing up for his second stint, it should have been smoother. Yet, he was fairly honest and hit his lines. I couldn't help feeling like a proud dad behind the video camera giving a thumbs up.

Reel Quotes: What do you do when your guest can barely move and looks entirely scared? You set him up as a game show contestant where he's supposed to be incredibly out of touch anyway. This sketch for the most part feels like a flop, but Charles' performance made it okay.

Alicia Keys: I fast forward through the performances usually. They're usually not that great and can never equate to seeing them live anyway so why bother. I decided to watch her in hopes that it would be better than the show. Wait, that's a lie. I watched her because my DVR caught up to the performance and I couldn't fast forward. She ended up being the best thing about the episode. Her performance was solid and it just felt like she was comfortable and just enjoying being there. Does this mean I'll stop fast forwarding through the music? Hell no. It just means I will be smarter about it and start watching it later.

Weekend Update (James Carville): Not the best one, but still decent. Bill Hader has an impeccable grasp of the lunacy that is James Carville.

The Ones They Did Anyway
Ski Retreat: Kristen Wiig does good crazy lady but it seems to be ALL she does. On top of that, this is where reading off the teleprompter isn't helping. Sorry, Charlie.

Peepers Insurance: It's sad when you get the joke and yet, it's still not funny. It should have been. There's nothing funnier than stalkers except for say child molestation, grizzly murders, and the deaths of loved ones in the military. Oh wait, no. They're not funny either. I'm not really that stuck up. I just think there are better ways to execute this joke. Blutovsky would have done better.

Barkley Golf: I don't care. It's golf. Sucking at golf should be an honor.

Overall Grade: Between a strike out and a grand slam, I give this episode a slow grounder to first base.