Saturday Night Live review: Steve Martin makes a surprise appearance as Roger Stone

Saturday Night Live had yet another great episode with James McAvoy as the host. Plus, Steve Martin made a special appearance during the cold open.

Well, Saturday Night Live, I’m a teensy bit bummed. You had James McAvoy there on stage, and you could have done an X-Men parody, but you didn’t. McAvoy’s also fresh off of promoting Glass and you could have done a parody of that… and you didn’t. Yet still, you delivered a hilarious show that featured a different parody of one of McAvoy’s more iconic roles, so I’m satisfied. (See more on that down below.)

And if there’s one thing that really worked out for SNL that night, it was making sure they used McAvoy to his full potential. Not only is he a great actor, but he’s a master at accents. So luckily for us, throughout the show, we got to hear a little bit of everything.

Below, we’ve got the best three sketches from McAvoy that night and then some. Plus, you’ll want to watch the cold open for Steve Martin’s spot-on Roger Stone impersonation.

Cold Open

After last week’s strong cold open (where Donald Trump appeared on Deal or No Deal), this week’s opened a bit soft. But I’ll cut them some slack since they went all out last week. This week, they parodied Fox New’s Tucker Carlson Tonight —  with Cecily Strong doing one scarily amazing Jeanine Pirro impersonation, and all-star SNL alum Steve Martin making a surprise appearance as the man of the week, Roger Stone.

Monologue

Here’s all you need to know: James McAvoy. In a kilt. Like most other monologues, this one was nothing spectacular, but at the very least, you can enjoy hearing James McAvoy’s natural Scottish accent. Oh, and McAvoy is reminding us to please not mistaken him for Ewan McGregor. Duly noted, McAvoy.

Weekend Update

One cast member who really stands out to me is Chris Redd, who’s shown that he has a commitment to making great characters, making great sketches, and doing some great impressions. You don’t usually see that from the younger talent, and that really sets him apart. All that said, amid the usual “Trump-this, government shutdown-that” on Update, Redd came on as Soulja Boy to take a crack at the whirlwind of a time the rapper’s been having recently. This is just another hilariously great performance from Redd.

Three must-see sketches

Air Traffic Control

Does anyone remember the scene from Ralph Breaks the Internet where Merida was talking among the princess, and nobody had a clue what she was talking about? Well, that’s exactly what this sketch is, and it’s absolutely hilarious. As McAvoy’s character tries to help land a plane, he gives the instructions in his thickest Scottish accent. Props to anyone who can understand 80 percent of what he’s saying.

Mr. Tumnus

This sketch goes out to all the fangirls who had quite the awakening thanks to The Chronicles of Narnia. Let’s not forget James McAvoy actually did play the faun, Mr. Tumnus, on screen, and this sketch perfectly encapsulates what would happen if those fangirls tried to meet him (years later) in real life. I like that we can always get some good fangirling moments out of Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong on SNL, so please keep it up!

New Orleans Vacation

And now, the Breaking Character Award of the night goes to… James McAvoy! This sketch has been done before with another couple, but I don’t think I enjoyed it half as much as this one. McAvoy plays half of a couple who went to The Big Easy on vacation, and have been enjoying their “authentic” experience ever since. The best part of this is tied between McAvoy’s New Orlean’s accent and him completely breaking character in the middle of the sketch.

Viewers are in for a treat on the next episode of Saturday Night Live. They’re taking a week-long break, but on Feb. 9, singer Halsey will be the host and the musical guest.