Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
COLD OPENING
Robin Williams’ (MAS) ad libs makes Password difficult for his partner
— Martin’s Robin Williams impression is already cracking me up.
— Martin’s dead-on here.
— I liked the meta part with the SNL/Gilda Radner reference.
— Wow, this is over already? This might been too short for its own good and didn’t really go beyond its basic premise.
STARS: **½
OPENING MONTAGE
— The season 8 canned theme music that was used in the previous week’s episode has been changed to a new canned theme that sounds like it was made for this season.
MONOLOGUE
host gets a pre-recorded phone call from Ronald Reagan (HAS)
— Interesting shot of the audience at the beginning of this, where you can tell this isn’t Studio 8H. (screencap below)
— Bob’s story has some funny parts, but his delivery is a little too slow-paced for its own good.
— The return of Harry’s Reagan impression from season 5.
— Also, this is Harry’s first live appearance of this season, as all his appearances in the previous week’s season premiere were pre-taped.
— I liked Harry-as-Reagan’s line “I had to get ready for my disaster”.
— Not to nitpick, but it looks like it’s daytime outside the Oval Office window behind Harry, even though we’re supposed to believe this phone conversation is happening live.
— Haha, as soon as I pointed out the above, it’s revealed that Reagan’s half of the phone conversation was taped earlier that afternoon, much to Bob’s surprise. Funny reveal.
STARS: ***
SNAP, CRACKLE & POP
Snap (MAS), Crackle (CHG), Pop (BIC) perform their nightclub act
— Fairly funny concept of Snap, Crackle, and Pop as nightclub entertainers. I also like how they’re being played by three of the new ringers of this cast.
— Didn’t care for the reveal of Billy’s bride being a WAY underage little girl (who looks like the same child actress from the Grandpa Howard Cosell sketch in the last episode).
— Jim’s heckling is pretty funny.
— I’m loving Christopher’s heated-up rant to Jim.
— Funny line about how Kellogg’s was going to replace Pop with a black guy named Thud.
— Heh, whoa at Christopher pulling out a gun.
— Good sketch overall. I initially was expecting this to be kinda corny, but I like the dark directions it ended up taking.
STARS: ***½
AN AMERICAN PORTRAIT
Cyndi Lauper (PLS) musically salutes Dylan Thomas
— A decent if kinda exaggerated Cyndi Lauper impression from Pamela.
— This sketch is just plain weird so far.
— Overall, not sure this quite worked. Can’t say I laughed much during this.
STARS: **
LITTLE LEAGUE TRADE
a little league coach (host) trades his son (BIC) to another family
— Billy playing a character with his own first name…
— Bob: “Your mother and I made a mistake when we had YOU.” Heh, damn.
— Pretty funny reveal that Bob is releasing Billy from the family.
— I’m starting to notice tonight that Bob Uecker’s natural voice sounds kinda like John Goodman’s.
— Bob’s delivery isn’t working too great for this sketch. The dialogue itself is pretty good, but Bob is being too un-comically serious here.
— I liked the reveal that Billy’s being traded to Billy Martin’s family.
STARS: **½
L’S
Tom Brokaw (HAS) asks NBC news chief Lawrence Grossman (MAS) for less L’s
— A funny way of centering a sketch around Tom Brokaw’s distinctive pronunciation of L’s.
— I’m liking Harry’s Brokaw impression here.
— I’ve been enjoying how this sketch is going, though the studio audience is VERY quiet.
STARS: ***
THE MAMIE EISENHOWER CENTER FOR THE DULL
Dr. Troy Sorren (MAS) for the Mamie Eisenhower Center For The Dull
— I got a pretty good laugh from how even the Center for the Dull’s building has a dull design. (second screencap above)
— Ha, Bob Uecker’s “dullness” is being displayed by showing him doing the same speech he did earlier tonight in the monologue.
— Good spokesman performance from Martin here.
— A pretty solid commercial overall.
STARS: ***½
7X4
contestants ruin too-easy game show by repeatedly jumping the gun
— Already, right from the beginning, I’m getting the feeling this is our Andy Breckman sketch of the week.
— Considering how up until now, every sketch so far tonight has starred the new cast members, it’s nice to see the overlooked veterans (and Rich Hall) leading a sketch.
— I liked the joke with Rich, as a character named Andy A. Abbott, asking “Will we be going alphabetically?”
— I’m loving Gary’s growing frustration with the contestants’ over-eagerness in answering too early.
— Very funny sketch overall, and also featured a strong Gary Kroeger performance.
STARS: ****
NEGRO BASEBALL
Negro Leaguers (BIC) & (CHG) remember glory days; Yogi Berra cameo
— Uh……….
— Yeah, I’m speechless during this so far. No idea where to begin addressing what I’m watching.
— Okay, Billy’s “contact hitter” line made me laugh.
— Christopher looks and sounds absolutely unrecognizable in this. The only reason I know it’s him is because of comments and reviews I’ve read of this sketch over the years.
— I hate to admit it, but the dialogue in this is winning me over. There are actual funny lines in here that are tickling me (e.g. smelt night).
— Boy, this film has been going on for a long time.
— Christopher’s delivery of the “The Russians couldn’t stop us from gigglin’” line cracked me up.
— Overall, I’m very conflicted on this. I hated the blackface aspect as well as the fact that this is yet another in a long line of racial Billy Crystal roles, and it also doesn’t help that this film was so long, but the film was well-made, well-written, and featured lots of funny lines all throughout. I’m very torn.
STARS: **½ by default
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Lights Out”
SATURDAY NIGHT NEWS
Geraldine Ferraro (MAG) responds to Barbara Bush’s derogatory comments
Lew Goldman (BIC) gives the weather forecast for members of his family
— They’re still using the new Saturday Night News opening sequence that was introduced in the last episode, but they’ve inexplicably gotten rid of the new set and have brought back the old one from the last two seasons.
— Awkward beginning with Bob sitting in silence for a few seconds before finally saying his intro. It’s as if he were waiting for applause that never came.
— Unsurprisingly, Bob’s delivery is not working here as an anchorperson.
— Okay, I did manage to get a laugh from Bob’s nice save after misreading Barbara Bush as “Barbara Rush”.
— Mary’s whole commentary came and went without me caring for it at all.
— I groaned so much at Bob’s joke that all four of the celebrities in a displayed picture with their hands on their chests (for the national anthem) are having heart attacks. And I could SWEAR that SNL already used that same punchline for a similar photo in a Weekend Update joke from the original era.
— Now we’re getting MORE lazy picture-based jokes.
— Billy’s meteorologist segment as an old Jewish guy is okay. It helps that this was reportedly co-written by (then-new writer) Larry David, which would make sense as this IS kinda in his voice.
STARS: **
LOST & FOUND
naive cop (host) lets (CHG) lay claim to entire lost & found department
— Christopher’s obvious scheme is pretty funny.
— I’m still hearing John Goodman in Bob’s voice.
— Not caring for how this sketch has been turning out. This premise with Christopher feels like it SHOULD be working, but the sketch is way too slow-moving for its own good and is coming off very dull.
STARS: *½
TIPPI TURTLE
by Jack Zander- Tippi Turtle tries mailing a lighter-than-air package
— The debut of Tippi Turtle, who’s segments I’m well aware of, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen any of them until now.
— This may be the very first instance of SNL having an animated cartoon segment, unless I’m forgetting something from an earlier season (I’m not counting any claymation films).
— Very funny theme song.
— I love the laugh that Tippi Turtle keeps doing.
— An overall pretty solid quick segment with a funny prank.
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “I Need You Tonight”
SNL MAILBAG
letters reveal obsessed ex-con is coming to SNL to stalk JLD
— The reveal that the letter written about Julia’s looks comes from a prisoner is pretty funny.
— Even funnier with the creepier next letter revealing the prisoner is being released in three weeks despite being admittedly guilty.
— I’m liking the escalation this is taking, with the prisoner getting closer and closer to 30 Rock with each passing letter that Julia and Mary read.
— Decent ending with Mary romantically walking off with the prisoner.
STARS: ***
FRESH BASEBALL
host & (RIH) tout the nutritional value of fresh-squeezed baseball juice
— I like the ridiculous concept of Bob touting juice from freshly-squeezed baseballs as if they’re oranges.
— Great visual of the cup of baseball juice having red baseball seams in it.
STARS: ***½
NBC SPORTS UPDATE / GOODNIGHTS
Vin Scully (HAS) & Joe Garagiola (BIC) assess host’s performance on SNL
— I always like when SNL does this type of “sports commentators review a sketch that has just aired” piece.
— Nice change of pace for the goodnights.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS:
— A very average episode. Kind of a letdown after how strong the season premiere was, and it also didn’t help that Bob Uecker was underwhelming as a host. There were still things to like tonight, even if nothing stood out as truly great besides 7X4.
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (no host):
— a fairly big step down
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW:
Jesse Jackson