Russell Brand hosted Saturday Night Live last night, reminding everyone that he’s an animated, enthusiastic, physical comedian, first and foremost. He also informed the audience that he’s much more famous in England. It was the Russell Brand Experience. The Internet was mixed, as it’s wont to be. HitFix noted that Brand “in some ways harkens to the earliest days of the show when comedians could perform their own material for prolonged periods throughout the show without sketch accompaniment.” Entertainment Weekly gave him a thumbs-down, calling it “a pretty bad week.” Movieline asked, “Did Russell Brand just host the best show of the season?” (But Movieline has already posed that question about someone else this season.) Chris Brown was nearly as notable as Brand, with his Michael Jackson–inspired dance moves and D’Angelo-esque songs about sex. Herewith, the highlights:
Best Effort
Brand came prepared, and we appreciate any monologue that doesn’t revolve around promoting the host’s upcoming movie. Plus, he spilled some gossip about his unglamorous marriage to Katy Perry.
Most Anticipated Return
Joke That Will Probably Never Go Away
Most Accurate
Most Difficult to Ignore
Chris Brown took what could have been a fairly typical synthesized club hit and turned it into a pretty epic dance performance. His other number — “No BS” — was downright creepy. But his unabashed effort on “Yeah,” a song that’s pretty easy to like, won us over. Those moves at the end are amazing.
