Saturday Night Live recap: Austin Butler hosts Cecily Strong's last episode with musical guest Lizzo
Welcome Coneheads to SNL in Review: Christmas edition. SNL has an illustrious collection of holiday-themed sketches. In fact, one might have mistaken last week's episode hosted by Steve Martin and Martin Short as the annual Christmas show. But no, it is technically (officially?) tonight's episode, headlined by Elvis' Austin Butler.
That might seem counterintuitive — indeed, the ratings from last week suggest viewers recognized the special nature of Martin and Short returning — but then again, Elvis was a genuine hit this year, and Presley the man has many classic renditions of holiday songs. I am joined tonight by former SNL cast member Patrick Weathers, who puts it best: "Elvis is Christmas to me."
Weathers is an Elvis aficionado. He's got the credentials: he played Elvis on Broadway, has toured as Elvis, and impersonated the King as part of how he got on SNL. He even saw Presley live in Las Vegas the year before he died — 15th-row center. His take on Butler? "I thought he did a really great job. The best of it, what I was most impressed with, was his athletics. His ability to move like Elvis, walk like Elvis, to even shift his weight like Elvis."
NBC Austin Butler hosts 'SNL'
I asked Weathers why people are still interested in Elvis decades after his death. He says: "It's an archetype, one of the greatest stories ever told. It's Biblical! Elvis Presley was one of the most charismatic, mesmerizing performers to ever appear on a stage." He says Elvis exceeds even the Beatles and Michael Jackson as a live act. Which brings us back to Butler, who maybe be the frontrunner for Best Actor at this year's Oscars. Will the show be able to tap into the charisma audiences were so drawn to this summer?
Meanwhile, breaking news confirms Cecily Strong is leaving the show. Kenan Thompson aside, she's our last link to that third golden age era headlined by the likes of Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis, outlasting her compatriots Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant by a handful of episodes. We will see how the show pays tributes to one of its anchors and which one of her characters will make their final appearance. Weathers observes: "Cecily is probably the strongest link in the current chain. At least cast members can one day boast, 'I was there during 'The Strong Era.'"
Cold open
It's a very special Christmas announcement from former President (and NFT legend) Donald Trump. He's "Better Than Ezra" — this is a close spoof of this week's video announcement about his virtual trading cards.
Mikey Day appears as his third least embarrassing child, Don Jr. He also welcomes Kimberly Guilfoyle (Cecily Strong). "Snore, what a waste of talent," says Weather. Agreed.
The rundown of Trump's Christmas list is the highlight of this cold open.
Monologue
Butler notes last year's holiday show was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. This year has a smart remedy: they stopped testing.
He talks about rumors his voice changed after playing Elvis. They show a clip from The Carrie Diaries. What a callback. He also namedrops iCarly. Some of his best childhood memories include watching SNL with his mom and impersonating Gollum from Lord of the Rings. This leads to a very moving moment — he overcame his crippling shyness as a kid and dedicates tonight's performance to his mom, who is deceased.
Weather says this monologue reminds him of "Bill Murray's 'This is for you, Dad' speech when he wasn't coming off on the show."
He notes: "He doesn't to me really look like Elvis. But after a while [in the movie], it doesn't matter, because the film is more of a cinematic feat. That's how I think of it, not a literal portrayal of Elvis. That'd be almost impossible to do." He says the production design of the movie was "miraculous," and very authentic and well-researched. "The selective realism really worked, and they really rolled the story together well," he notes. "The whole film was highly entertaining, the whole comic book element with Captain Marvel and the carnival element of it all."
The Phrase That Pays
Dan Smatter (James Austin Johnson) hosts "Wheel of Fortune, with no wheel." Nice to see JAJ in this kind of role.
One of the contestants, Troy (Butler), is strangely awesome at this game. Other contestants suggest he's cheating. "There's an X in that!"
Not a fan of the game show parodies, personally. Weathers says he thinks it's pretty good.
"A Christmas Epiphany"
It's Christmas Eve, and Rich is out getting tanked. This evokes It's A Wonderful Life. Butler does a solid Jimmy Stewart.
Drunk, he stumbles home talking to himself. He stares into a happy home, longing for what they have. Inside, they see him and are terrified. His presence drives a wedge in the family, tearing them apart.
Mikey Day's angelic bartender reunites Rich with his lost love, Denise (Chloe Fineman). Funny but slight. Weathers likes this Capra parody.
Marzipan
"You can almost taste the taste!" This is a funny riff on that strange holiday confection that consists of sugar, honey, and — mostly — ground almonds. "Yuck, it's perfect!" says the strange cook (Longfellow).
I love how specific and strange this is — it's silly and absurd and barbed. Love the accents, love Kenan, love calling out the weird ubiquity of this German treat. Check it out, especially if this was forced on you growing up!
"People are grabbing their remotes right now," comments Weathers.
Jewish Elvis
Butler is dressed up as a woman! We're at a retirement home, and everyone is jazzed for Jewish Elvis (Sarah Sherman).
This is a tour-de-force for Sherman. I recommend watching! "Ruin me, Jewish Elvis!" screams Butler.
If this is our future post-Cecily, I think we are in good hands. A total home run. Love Sherman basking in the anarchy.
Weathers counters: "That sucked, sorry. Davey Wilson used to say a music sketch or commercial parody died after 45 seconds… I used to do the Jewish Elvis. Elvis Aron Pressman, the Rabbi of Devon and Roll.
Lizzo — "Break Up Twice"
Lizzo turns off her alarm and slinks out of bed. The R&B-infused "Break Up Twice" is the seventh track on her sophomore album, Special. She does not want to break up twice!
Patrick Weathers loves Lizzo. "Loving this, wow! Bravo!"
Weekend Update
Colin Jost lays into Trump's NFT cards. Weathers likes the "mini-Madoff" joke.
Krampus (Bowen Yang) shows up. Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in Central and Eastern Europe folklore who, during the Advent season, scares children. The opposite of Santa. He's talking about shame, what his therapist says, and SZA lines that resonate with him. Uh oh, his horn fell off! "The demon was good," says Weathers.
Jost's Great Aunt Pat (Gardner) comes on to talk about holiday etiquette. "Manners are the glue that hold society together." They exchange a kiss. She orders a drink from Mikey Day — the actual, underused Mikey Day. They also smooch — this time, so she can apply lipstick. Aunt Pat has a funny line about calling Day and Jost "TV muppets."
I like this a lot. Weathers concurs! "The Aunt is funny. I know women just like her," adding it "is fresh and smart." He wants her to be a recurring character.
Yes! Cathy Ann (Cecily Strong) returns! I think we knew this might be coming, given it is her last show. She is here to say goodbye. She is going to prison! This is her first appearance on the show since January 2021. There's a cute moment where she mentions joining two friends in jail; they show an image of Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant. The character and Strong blur together, as she notes she once anchored Update opposite Jost. This is poignant, obviously — it's Strong saying goodbye. And yet it doesn't eclipse Strong's Jeanine Pirro swimming in wine — that was the right moment to go, and a fun, dramatic lasting image. Still, this was cute.
"That was a nice goodbye," says Weathers.
White Elephant
A white elephant gift exchange — a.k.a. Yankee swap — is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities. Sean (Butler) gets angry when his perfect gift gets stolen from him by Cecily Strong. Meh!
Mikey Day is back again as Santa. He notes if someone gets a gift they really love, let them keep it.
Jennifer Coolidge Gets Impressed by Christmas
Chloe Fineman displays her spot-on Jennifer Coolidge impression. Coolidge is having a moment due to White Lotus, and this is a funny way to joke about her persona. The show is clearly trying to give Fineman an opportunity to put her talents on full display. The accuracy is there, I just wish it wasn't as shoe-horned. Fineman continues not to feel fully integrated with the show.
Lizzo — "Someday at Christmas"
Lizzo covers Stevie Wonder. "This is really nice, Motown," says Weathers. "Love it. She modulated. [It's] real singing… They call it TALENT. She's lovely to watch."
Lizzo recorded this cover for Amazon Music. The song is featured exclusively on the music streaming platform.
Please Don't Destroy
Our boys are hanging with Austin Butler. They celebrate their successful creative brainstorming with some wine, which gets spilled. That leads to an overt pitch to Butler. The idea? Plirts, plastic shirts. Lizzo shows up, they want Butler to invest. He isn't convinced, especially when it's revealed the plirts cause baldness. Eh, fine.
Blue Christmas
Oh, um, another goodbye to Cecily Strong. That makes it, what, seven total? Okay, forgive the snark. We are at Radio Shack — a stand-in for Studio 8H — and manager Frank Lasagna (Kenan Thompson) toasts Strong's joy, talent, and tenacity. We will miss Cecily, I will miss Cecily. I am a little nervous about this show in her absence; we have finally turned a page. Lasagna welcomes special guest "casual Elvis" (Austin Butler) to serenade her with "Blue Christmas." And, for the second time in this episode, Cecily sings. Having her duet with (a fake) Elvis is a fitting final note for her, no? "They are both flat, DAMN!" says Weathers.
Other cast members join in, including Colin Jost. This evokes Kristen Wiig's last dance with Mick Jagger — it is cute and moving, but not sure it gets to that level. (Not to be a Grinch, just think this is a little indulgent, which has been a hallmark of late period Cecily. Still cool that we got to see Butler's Elvis in this episode.)
Final thoughts
—What did we think? Vote here or sound off below.
—Thank you again to Elvis expert Patrick Weathers. His Elvis bona fides go on and on — his aunt dated one of Elvis' openers! Weathers has also played the International Hilton that Elvis used to play; he's also been in the same hospital that Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) visits in the movie. He actually knew Colonel Parker, Jerry Schilling, Elvis' talent manager, as well as the same doctor that treated Elvis! Weathers also played a Colonel Tom Parker-style character in Pawn Shop Chronicles, giving him the distinction of — technically — playing both Presley and Parker at different points of his career. Full circle!
—If you are interested, check out Weathers' latest album, The Deplorables, on Amazon!
—If you want some content from me during break, check out this EW article on the best and worst SNL movies!
—Remember Tiny Elvis?
—Have a great holiday and start to 2023! Think of me until next time.
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