Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
COLD OPENING
after unsuccessful electrocution, Ted Bundy (DAC) discusses energy issues
— Excellent opening visual of Dana as a post-electrocution Ted Bundy.
— I like how he’s acting as an advocate for electricity.
— Good trick with the lightbulb turning on in his hand.
— Bundy: “As we head into the next decade… or as YOU head into the decade…”
STARS: ***½
OPENING MONTAGE
— For some reason, the rerun version I’m watching of this episode uses SNL’s 15th anniversary logo in the opening montage (screencap below), despite the fact that this is the FOURTEENTH season. SNL doesn’t start commemorating their 15th anniversary until the following season.
MONOLOGUE
host bypasses the jokes & goes straight to tap-dancing
— There’s the obligatory tap-dancing routine, which he precedes by admitting he knows it’s expected.
— Nothing else to say about this monologue.
STARS: **½
CARBON PAPER
— Rerun
DA WAR OF DA WOILDS
The Brooklyn Academy of Fine Art presents Da War Of Da Woilds
— As a New Yorker who spent most of his childhood in Brooklyn, I love this concept.
— Funny use of “fonkin’” as a fake swear word. I’m glad the old Comedy Central copy I’m watching of this episode isn’t the infamous censored version, which bleeps out all uses of the word “fonkin” because censors at the time felt it sounded too close to the real f-word.
— I like how all the characters are speaking in wiseguy accents, even the president and his aide.
— Funny how the exterior shot of a college is subtitled “Some big shot college” and then adding “where Einstein is at” in parenthesis.
— Ha, we even get a Brooklyn-ized Albert Einstein.
— Dana’s voice sounds like a bit of a variation of his John Travolta impression.
— During the Brooklyn-ized headlines about the martian invasion, I like the non-sequitur with one of the headlines reading “Mets Sweep Double-Header!”
— The map background on the news set that Nora is reporting from resembles Colin Quinn’s Weekend Update set that would later be used in seasons 24 and 25.
— Love the “joims” bit.
— All characters in unison: “Fonkin’ A!”
STARS: ****
JESUS CHRIST CELEBRITY
Jesus (PHH) & other famous prophets are spotted at a celebrity restaurant
— I like Jan and Victoria casually treating a random Jesus Christ sighting as just a normal celebrity sighting.
— The debut of Phil’s portrayal of Jesus, which would go on to make some very memorable appearances over the years.
— Jon showing up as the president of the Jewish Student Association is pretty funny, especially how he’s more excited to meet Moses than Jesus.
— I love Phil’s overly calm-and-collected delivery as Jesus.
— For some reason, I liked hearing Jon talking in real Yiddish at the end of his scene.
— I guess I still haven’t gotten used to Mike Myers now being in the cast, because I almost did a double-take when he showed up at the end of this sketch in a bit role as a busboy.
STARS: ***½
AS WORLD TURN
Tarzan learns that Jane (VIJ) has been seeing Frankenstein
— Nice use of Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein.
— Funny little gag with Tonto rhythmically knocking on Tarzan’s door to the beat of that “ooga chagga” tune.
— I liked Tonto’s angry “Wake up, smell coffee!” line.
— Very funny part with Frankenstein grunting in a high-pitched voice over the phone to pass himself off as a woman.
— Even though Dana’s just playing a normal character, Dana seems to be doing an unintentional Jay Leno impression. The voice is uncanny.
— For some reason, I loved Frankenstein saying “Fire… GOOD!” when pulling a huge gun on Tonto.
STARS: ****
MAYDENFORM
host onomatopoeically relates his thoughts on lingerie
— Tony’s sudden “Boom-bada-boom-bada-boom!” made me laugh just for its randomness.
— Okay, he’s staring to return to the “Boom-bada-boom-bada-boom!”s too often.
— I did like the “Forget her personality” line.
STARS: **
SING ALONG
Tonto, Tarzan, Frankenstein sing “Oh, Suzanna”
— Ha, good to see another one of these, even though I thought they only did these for holidays. Though now that I think of it, I just remembered they later do a rendition of “We Are the World” in the Quincy Jones-hosted episode from the following season.
— I like Tonto trying to make the whole audience sing along.
STARS: ****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Paper Thin”
STAKEOUT
during a stakeout, (PHH) remains undercover while being attacked
— Some good laughs from Kevin and Tony’s advice to an undercover officer, and their descriptions of what the suspect behind him is doing.
— Kevin, to the undercover officer: “Okay, he’s jumped up on your back. Don’t let on that you know.”
— Good part with the undercover officer entering the stakeout room while getting beat up by the suspect, leading to Kevin and Tony panickedly hiding their own faces with newspapers.
— I like Kevin and Tony’s “Ooh!”s whenever something particularly violent happens to the undercover officer off-camera.
STARS: ***½
PROPOSAL
(host) asks upper class woman (VIJ) to leave her husband (PHH) for him
— I loved the reveal that the girl who Tony wants to propose to is Phil’s wife of 15 years.
— Just when I was starting to think the sketch was fizzling out, we get a sudden funny twist with Tony turning out to be an escaped mental patient.
— Tony to Phil: “Just because I’m insane, that makes you better than me?!?”
STARS: ***
JOE MONTANA TRIBUTE
sincere guy Stu (Joe Montana) interferes with bone-jumping plans {rerun}
— Okay, it made sense when they did an encore presentation for Roy Orbison earlier this season, considering he passed away, and it certainly makes sense when they later do an encore presentation at the end of this season when Gilda Radner passes. But doing an encore presentation for the still-living Joe Montana just because he had a great NFL season and recently won the Super Bowl??? Really, SNL?
— Still, I guess I can’t complain too much about getting to see this classic sketch again, and it’s interesting to find out that even just two years after it originally aired, it was ALREADY recognized as a classic.
— If SNL really wanted to celebrate Montana having a great NFL season, they should’ve gotten him to host again. He’s one of the few athlete hosts who I wouldn’t have minded hosting a second time.
WEEKEND UPDATE
letter to a schoolkid shows Dan Quayle’s familiar with education problems
Jeane Dixon (NOD) makes some qualified predictions for 1989
some excerpts of small talk heard on the World Leader Chat Line
Stuart Rankin (MIM) is upset with Americans’ Scottish stereotypes
— About time Weekend Update showed up. I wonder why it was shoved into such an unusually late time slot in this Comedy Central rerun I’m watching.
— Dennis’ attempt at a Jimmy Stewart impression was very funny.
— Funny bit with Dan Quayle’s response to a child’s letter.
— Interesting voice on Nora’s Jeane Dixon. Sounds very different from Mary Gross’ Jeane Dixon impression back in season 10. I’m assuming Nora’s going for an actual imitation of Dixon’s voice, while Mary was probably just going for a characterization.
— Hmm, Nora’s Dixon addresses rumors of Don Johnson and (recent SNL host) Melanie Griffith expecting a baby. I wonder if that’s the same baby that turned out to be future actress and one-time SNL host Dakota Johnson.
— Some pretty funny name mix-ups from Nora’s Dixon, but the rest of her overall segment was fairly forgettable.
— The World Leader Chat Line segment reminds me of the Businessman Chat Line sketch from earlier this season (both logos are even written in the same font and style), though I guess they’re both a parody of the same real-life commercial.
— Mike Myers in his very first big role!
— The debut of Mike’s Stuart Rankin character. Rankin has a more generic look in this first appearance and is missing the gray hair and outfit he’d later have in the All Things Scottish sketches.
— I’m liking Mike’s anger here, as well as his mockery of Scottish TV personalities in America.
— A decent overall commentary from Mike, though the audience response was fairly lukewarm. The audience was probably thinking to themselves “Who is this new guy? Why aren’t we seeing Carvey or Lovitz out there doing a character?” Fast-forward to 1993 when Mike is one of the most popular current cast members, and the audience would spend an Update commentary from a newbie like Jay Mohr thinking to themselves “Who is this new guy? Why aren’t we seeing Myers or Sandler out there doing a character?”
— Fairly long Update tonight. Maybe that’s why it was buried so late in this Comedy Central rerun. CC used to annoyingly do the same thing to particularly long editions of Update (or “Saturday Night News”, rather) during the Ebersol era.
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Slow Turning”
WHAT
(host) & other diner patrons communicate via defensive-sounding queries
— I’m liking how all the dialogue is just “Whaddaya (insert rest of question here)?” questions.
— Interesting little sketch overall. I enjoyed the unique structure.
STARS: ***
GOODNIGHTS
— Tony: “Mike Myers had his first shot tonight; I think he did swell.” Interesting shoutout for our newbie. I know some SNL fans find Tony’s mention of Mike getting his first shot tonight to be confusing, as this is actually Mike’s second episode, but I assume Tony meant this was the first night that Mike got a big role that allowed him to show his chops. After all, Mike’s only appearance in his first episode was just a small straight role in the I Will Not Be Mocked sketch.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Fairly solid episode. The first half of the episode was especially strong, and I didn’t find anything weak in tonight’s overall episode except for the two solo Tony Danza pieces (monologue and Maydenform). Aside from those two pieces, Tony Danza was an okay host, even though there was a sameness to most of his roles (then again, he’s never been known to stretch as an actor).
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (John Malkovich)
a slight step down
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Ted Danson