Ricky Gervais’ previous award show-hosting gigs set the bar pretty high, and it looks like he failed to hit that bar last night at the 69th Annual Golden Globes.

Much of Gervais’ routine remained intact from last year: the celebrity bashing, the NBC bashing and the ever-present glass of beer. But his opening monologue felt tame, and besides a well-placed joke about actress Jodie Foster’s “beaver,” Gervais failed to push the buttons and stir up the controversy that many expected from the popular comedian.

Much of the Twitter reaction bemoaned this year’s innocuous Ricky Gervais, complaining about his lack of screen time and wanting a sharper tongue when he was on camera:

Check out his opening monologue and decide for yourself:

If Twitter reaction is any indication, Gervais’ night might have been trumped by one joke made by presenter Seth Rogen:

We’re not quite sure if Ricky Gervais’ toned-down Golden Globes performance was his decision, or has something to do with network pressure. Maybe he just wasn’t on air enough to make his usual impact – he did have some pretty impressive lines when he was on air. Either way, many in the online community feel that they wanted more from a guy who has become the king of the Hollywood send-up.