Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
DREAM DEBATE
Bob Dole (NOM) dreams of debating Independence Day president (host)
— Hmm, another Dole debate preparation cold opening, for the second episode in a row.
— During the bed scene, you can tell Norm has a suit hidden under his pajamas, for the debate scene that follows.
— I love Dole’s line regarding Clinton’s performance at a debate: “That damn hillbilly whipped my ass again.”
— Pretty interesting dream sequence with Dole debating the president from “Independence Day”.
— Very odd how this is the closest this season would get to doing a “real” debate sketch this entire season. I believe this is the only time during Lorne’s years as producer that SNL goes through a whole election year without doing a traditional presidential debate sketch.
— I like Tim’s casual reveal of “Oh, I was impregnated by the alien.”
— What’s up with Tim’s fake right hand? I know he’s using a fake hand because his real right arm is hidden in his fat suit (for something he’s going to do at the end of this cold opening), but his fake right hand looks oddly skeletal, and also looks like it’s backwards.
— I love Don Pardo doing the voice of the alien who bursts out of Tim’s chest to say “Live From New York…”
STARS: ***½
MONOLOGUE
(no synopsis available)
— Wow, this is ending already? A very short monologue that contained nothing noteworthy or special.
STARS: **
HOME SECURITY DECOYS
make criminals think you’re already a victim with Home Security Decoys
— Mark finally gets his first lead role of the season. And even here, it’s just a role that he has to play very straight. Three episodes in, and SNL has yet to give Mark ANY actual comedic roles in season 22.
— Very funny concept of an intimidating-looking burglar decoy causing comfort for people.
— I got a good laugh from the talking decoy saying in a very mechanical, muffled voice “I’m gonna put my evil inside you!”
STARS: ****
AT&T OPERATORS
AT&T operators Janice (WIF) & Kelly (CHK) chat & grouse between calls
— Trying to be the new Gap Girls, are we?
— Chris is merely recycling the exact same voice he used as Kippy Strug from just two episodes prior. Okay, that sorta worked for you once, Chris, but…
— Will, on the other hand, is using a voice I’ve never heard him use before or since. He’s disguising his voice well here. If I were listening to audio of this sketch without being able to see it, I’d probably have a hard time telling which cast member was playing Will’s character.
— Boy, something tells me I’m not gonna be too crazy about this sketch.
— Yep, I was right. I’m now a few minutes into this sketch, and from my perspective, it’s been practically nothing but a whole bunch of unfunny incomprehensible high-pitched screeching.
— Okay, I did get a laugh just now from Will’s line “When my blood sugar drops, I turn into the devil!”, just because it’s such a perfectly Will Ferrell-esque line.
STARS: *½
TIC TAC TOE
obvious strategy & cumbersome game board make for dull show
— I love the inexplicable concept of Norm as a grizzled stagehand having to hammer each letter onto the big board.
— Very funny lengthy part with Norm taking a long time setting up the nails for an “X” he’s about to hang up.
— The dry nature of this sketch is great, and Norm is perfect for it.
— I like Mark demonstrating the home version of the game, which is just a miniature version of the gameshow’s big board that you inexplicably still have to hammer the letters onto.
— Yikes, Bill’s performance as the gameshow host is not working for me AT ALL. I understand he’s going for a “cheesy gameshow host” characterization, but he’s trying WAY too damn hard.
— Great cutaway to a silent, stone-faced angry Norm after Cheri picks her letter spot.
— While Norm’s hammering an “O” onto the board, there’s a funny unscripted blooper in which the “X” hanging right above him falls off and hits him on the head.
— The speed round is hilarious.
STARS: ****
THE RULES SHOW
(ANG) & (MOS) lay down guidelines for want-to-be brides
— Quite a lot of female-oriented talk show sketches this season so far.
— I wonder if SNL intended this to become a recurring sketch for Ana and Molly. We end up never seeing this sketch again.
— Ana and Molly’s performances as the hosts are giving me a bit of a Nora Dunn/Jan Hooks flashback. It wouldn’t be fair to compare this sketch to Attitudes, though, because if I do, this is going to pale badly in comparison. Attitudes is untouchable in my eyes.
— Some pretty funny rules from Ana and Molly.
— I almost thought the first caller’s voice was Julia Sweeney at first, until recognizing it as the voice of Paula Pell.
— I like the “Oh my god, where’s my ring?!” bit with Ana.
STARS: ***
TV FUNHOUSE
“Fun With Real Audio” by RBS- liabilities of Bill Clinton & Bob Dole show
— The caricature drawings of various figures are even funnier here than in the preceding episode’s Fun With Real Audio cartoon.
— This is freakin’ priceless so far. I love all the various things happening to Dole’s face during his speech.
— The caricature drawing of Hillary Clinton right now is particularly funny.
— I’m surprised this is over already. I wanted it to go on longer.
STARS: ****½
WEEKEND UPDATE
Harry Caray’s (WIF) World Series thoughts have little to do with baseball
— The debut of Will’s Harry Caray impression, which would go on to be very popular.
— Will’s Caray impression is more of a characterization than an accurate imitation, but it’s cracking me the hell up.
— Will’s overall commentary was good, though it doesn’t measure up to his later Harry Caray appearances where he famously asks absurd questions like “If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself?”
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest sings “Hit Me Off”
HOLLYWOOD PARTY
host meets gossipy sots Beatrice (MOS) & Sebastian (CHK)
— An out-of-the-ordinary-seeming sketch.
— Chris and Molly are doing accurate parodies of 1930s Hollywood types, and their chemistry is good.
— Hmm, this sketch hasn’t been working much for me. Despite my earlier praise for the accuracy and chemistry between Chris and Molly, I’m not finding myself being entertained much here. This sketch feels too self-indulgent for my likes.
STARS: **
THE QUIET STORM
soul deejay Chris Garnett (TIM) remains mellow on-air despite calamities
— The debut of a short-lived Tim Meadows recurring sketch.
— Tracy makes his ONLY appearance of the whole night in a silent role as a guy slow-dancing with his woman.
— A very solid characterization from Tim here.
— I love Tim saying “You son of a bitch, you can kiss my ass” in that smooth R&B radio announcer voice.
— Another line from Tim that comes off funny being delivered in a smooth R&B manner: “I just burned my hand with scalding hot coffee.”
— I like Tim smoothly narrating in real time the physical fight he gets into with his station manager.
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest sings “I’m Still In Love With You”
THE HEYWARD FOUNDATION
rich (host)’s literal “camel through needle’s eye” reading spurs research
— The Heyward Foundation’s asinine concept is fairly funny.
— I’m liking this sketch more and more as it goes along. I love the insanity of the company pureeing a camel into a liquid so they can pour it through the eye of a needle.
— Jim has seemed really invisible tonight. He’s barely appeared in anything.
— I like Bill telling the scientists that the tiny camels are “not small enough; have them destroyed.”
— An overall very solid oddball sketch. From my past viewings, I had remembered this being an insufferably dull sketch, but I’m glad to have come around on this.
STARS: ****
HIDDEN CAMERA
pranks of FRW & Adam McKay [real] involve hitting people
— This ends up being Fred Wolf’s swan song, as tonight is his final episode. I have no idea what the story is behind why he leaves after only three episodes this season.
— Two Upright Citizens Brigade performers appear in this as bystanders getting whacked with a wooden board: Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.
— Some pretty funny dumb silliness here.
STARS: ***
WOMEN’S KICK BOXING ASSOCIATION
women’s kick boxing is an opportunity to see females hit each other hard
— No idea what to say about this. Feels a little like pointless filler, and isn’t providing many laughs.
STARS: **
GOODNIGHTS
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Not quite the dud I had remembered it being, but this was still a somewhat “meh” episode. A few things really worked for me, a few things really didn’t work for me (two of them co-starring Chris Kattan, interestingly enough; and I usually have a higher tolerance of his early SNL years than most people seem to), and everything else can be filed under “not terrible, but forgettable”. This continues the odd trend this season of episodes that are unexciting and unmemorable. I don’t know what’s going on this season. Why are they having a hard time keeping the great momentum they gained in the homestretch of the preceding season?
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Lisa Kudrow)
a slight step down
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Well, things are looking up. Dana Carvey hosts, kicking off SNL’s “Distinguished Alumni” series of five consecutive episodes hosted by a former cast member.