SNL's Amazon Go sketch was one of its most realized of the season

The Atlantic

"The show’s fake commercials tend to excel when they suddenly (and absurdly) eschew expectations or defy them from the very start, like previous standouts 'Totino’s”' and 'Wells for Boys,'" says Amanda Wicks. "Instead, 'Amazon Go' adhered to its product premise, building to a climax that anticipated a Jordan Peele–esque horror twist. 'Alexa!' Redd shouted as he wandered the aisles. 'Search "Amazon Go store Black man trapped."' And rather than skewering and upending stereotypes, as sketches such as 'Mid-Day News' and 'Black Jeopardy' preferred, the comedy punched up, highlighting Amazon’s shortsightedness—and the larger inequities that would make its high-tech retail experience far from a simple 'grab-and-go' for Black consumers." ALSO: The Ohio State University Marching Band had no idea it would be the focus of an SNL sketch starring Bowen Yang.