CLASS OF 2012
While it is still relatively early in these young SNL Careers, the world is beginning to get a look at who is going to break out and who is going to disappear before the next season. Here are their first year performance reviews.
Cecily Strong - Receiving by far the most air time out of any of the newbies, Strong has earned her way into the spotlight with hilarious characters, a wide range, and outstanding comedic timing. Her break out performance was her "Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party" character, featured on "Weekend Update." She completely nailed down a character that I have never seen acted out before, but have seen a million times in real life; the should-be goal of any SNL cast member.
Aidy Bryant - This is where we start to get into the unknown. With such a lack of exposure to the audience thus far, it is impossible to truly and fully judge Bryant's performance. On one hand, she has made me laugh on more than one occasion; on the other, it may have been the writers and not the actress who were truly responsible for the humor. If Aidy doesn't step up to the plate with a unique character or reoccurring sketch soon, she may become 2012-2013's one-and-done cast member.
Tim Robinson - Like Aidy Bryant, Robinson has had little television exposure as a rookie cast member. Unlike Bryant, I feel like he has made the most of it. He has been involved in some of the funniest moments of the season, however he is usually a role player, rather than the star of said moments. Nevertheless, I feel as if he could break out at any moment. He just needs that career defining sketch that fans can't get enough of. I look forward to seeing more of Tim Robinson in the future.
Kate Mckinnon - Mckinnon is by far the cast member I'm most hot and cold on. SNL has put her in more sketches than any of the rookies with the possible exception of Cecily Strong. At times she is very funny, like in her role as mediator for the "Vice Presidential Debate", but at other times I find her downright irritating. I'll admit, I felt the same way about Vanessa Bayer before she turned my opinion around, so I'm not going to give up on Mckinnon just yet. Plus, it seems as if she'll be around for a while.
CLASS OF 2010
The last incoming class of SNL cast members were introduced to the world back in 2010. While not all of the former newbies have lasted the past few years, three have survived and prospered. Here are their performance reviews.
Vanessa Bayer - Initially my least favorite cast member from this incoming class, Bayer has come a long way in three years. She is not only on-par with the rest of the class, but at times, she even outshines her costars. It took me a little while to get used to her style, but once I did, I have become a big fan.
Taran Killam - Taran Killam is not only my favorite new cast member, but he is second in line behind my current front runner, Mr. Bill Hader. A unique ability to make the audience erupt with a simple facial expression or one liner, Killam has natural talent combined with great timing and range, and it shows through. Nick Cannon and Amanda Bynes would be proud.
Jay Pharoah - With spot on impressions of Denzel Washington, Will Smith and others, Pharoah quickly rose to widespread popularity very early in his SNL career. Unfortunately, I feel as if he became too reliant on the impersonations that made him famous. It wasn't until his "Attention teachers and students!" bit that was tucked in at the very end of an episode that I began to see his potential. Since then, Pharoah has been a much more integral part of the cast, finally earning the role of President Barrack Obama, the next man in a long line of iconic presidential SNL characters.
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