Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
BAR
in a bar, Mitt Romney (JAS) says “Good Riddance” to vanquished GOP foes
— Bill’s Rick Perry, regarding once being the frontrunner in the republican primaries: “I might’ve won the darn thing if I didn’t take a deuce every time I opened my mouth.”
— Kristen’s entrance as Michele Bachmann actually gets pretty big applause from the audience. Another thing that reminds me we’re in the homestretch of Kristen’s SNL tenure, and that her popularity among the audience is getting a little too big for the show, which tends to happen to some beloved SNL veterans towards the end of their tenure.
— Okay, I’m seeing that some of the other cast members’ walk-ons as republican presidential candidates are also getting some audience applause, though not as much as Kristen’s entrance, so I still maintain that the big applause she received has partly to do with her popularity as a cast member.
— A fun and out-of-the-ordinary setting for a cold opening centered around the republican presidential candidates, and I like how this is summing up all the things each losing candidate infamously did wrong during their campaign. In hindsight, something about the mock-melancholy, reminiscent, end-of-an-era atmosphere of this cold opening involving key members of this SNL cast also feels fitting for what ends up being near the end of the Kristen Wiig/Andy Samberg era.
— A nice group LFNY at the end, back in the days when group LFNYs were actually rare, and thus, were more meaningful when they occurred. From what I hear, group LFNYs have become a weekly thing in SNL’s most recent seasons, which is something I’m not looking forward to when I reach those seasons in this SNL project of mine. It annoyed me enough when group LFNYs became a regular thing for one year in season 39.
STARS: ****
MONOLOGUE
host presents live clip from Men In Black III with JAP as Will Smith
— Believe it or not, this is Jay’s first live speaking role in FOUR EPISODES. Unfortunately, it’s just him doing his overplayed Will Smith impression. Still, at least they threw Jay a bone after how horrible his airtime had gotten lately.
— Nothing much to say about this overall monologue at all. It wasn’t awful, but it pretty much just came and went for me.
STARS: **
HBO FIRST LOOK
13 year-old boy (ANS) makes sure there’s enough sex in Game Of Thrones
— I’m not 100% sure, but I think I heard that this was written by Kumail Nanjiani, during a guest writing stint he had at SNL this week.
— Pretty funny concept with Game Of Thrones’ creative consultant being a typical immature 13-year-old boy. Andy can play roles like this to perfection in his sleep by this late stage of his SNL tenure.
— Another example of how odd it feels hearing the audience be hesitant to laugh at the then-new Kate McKinnon, when you’re aware in hindsight of what a huge audience favorite she’d later go on to be. In this Game Of Thrones piece, the brief bit with Kate saying “Adam says this is my good side” while having her arms above and below her breasts barely got a single laugh from the audience, when it would’ve gotten an easy laugh from them had Kate done that in her subsequent seasons.
STARS: ***
THE CALIFORNIANS
Angeleno soap opera drama centers on driving directions
— Hoooooooooooooooooo, boy. The debut of not only one of my absolute least favorite recurring sketches of this SNL era, but one of my absolute least favorite recurring sketches of SNL history. As if this SNL era needed yet another bad recurring sketch that’s going to regularly make me state “(*groan*)” at the beginning of my review of each installment. (I’ve long ago lost count of how many of this era’s recurring sketches make me do that, though I get the feeling a huge majority of them are recurring sketches that happen to star Fred and/or Kristen, or are recurring sketches written by James Anderson and/or Kent Sublette. And yes, I realize there’s plenty of overlap between the list of this era’s bad Armisen/Wiig-starring recurring sketches and the list of this era’s bad Anderson/Sublette-written recurring sketches.)
— Given how Kristen is one of the performers heavily associated with the Californians sketches (at least to me), it’s easy to forget that it actually debuted in the homestretch of her SNL tenure. After the two Californians sketches this season, Kristen’s only appearances in any subsequent Californians installments are when she hosts in season 38 and when a Californians sketch is performed in SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special.
— After Fred’s first comically-unintelligible delivery of “What are you doing here?”, the performers lose their composure and start breaking for the remainder of the first scene within this sketch. I have mixed reactions to that. The breaking is kinda making me chuckle, but at the same time, I feel too left-out, as something about this particular instance of breaking feels way too inside joke-y and self-indulgent for my likes, which is certainly nothing new for Fred’s later seasons.
— Ugh at the running gag with each character giving elaborate California-specific driving directions. Not remotely funny to me.
— Also not funny to me is the other running gag of this sketch, where we get various mock-dramatic sequences of the camera showing a close-up of each character mugging into the camera while a music sting plays. That’s also starting to give me vibes of another recurring sketch that spoofed soap operas, Besos Y Lagrimas, which makes sense, as one of the co-writers of these Californians sketches, James Anderson, also wrote Besos Y Lagrimas. At least Besos Y Lagrimas worked for me in its debut (and only in its debut). I can’t say the same for this Californians debut so far.
— And YET ANOTHER thing not funny to me is yet another running gag of this sketch, with how each scene within this sketch ends with the characters crowding around a mirror to admire their own looks. Yep, it’s safe to say this Californians debut is a big ol’ bust for me. And, from what I remember of subsequent installments of this sketch, it only gets even worse from here.
— A few minutes after the aforementioned bit with the performers starting to break, and Kristen’s still fighting her case of the giggles.
— At least I’m finding Kenan’s characterization somewhat funny and likable.
STARS: *½
AMERICA’S NEXT TOP EMPIRE STATE OF MIND PARODY ARTIST
Jay-Z (JAP) selects the show’s winner
— ls SNL aware that Weird Al Yankovic dropped the mustache and glasses many years before this point? Who knows, maybe SNL just felt that Andy portraying Weird Al with the mustache and glasses would be more comical-looking and more recognizable to viewers.
— Yikes, Kenan’s impression of the Chocolate Rain guy, Tay Zonday, is fucking wretched. He’s not putting any effort into imitating Zonday’s trademark deep voice.
— Speaking of bad impressions, I never liked Abby’s Ke$ha impression either. It’s surprisingly off for a performer who’s skilled at impressions.
— Okay, we at least get Jay’s always-dead-on Jay-Z impression, but, much like Jay’s Will Smith, SNL has done this impression of Jay’s to death by this point.
— I like Bobby’s dancing in the background during Vanessa’s singing of the chorus.
— I got a mild laugh from the bit with Fred’s redundant song getting impatiently cut off by Andy’s Weird Al.
— Meh, the concept of this sketch is starting to get a little old, despite the somewhat fun atmosphere. And there’s nothing I’m finding all that funny about how Jay’s Jay-Z gives each performance a perfect score.
STARS: **
LASER CATS 7
feline sci-fi mines Steven Spielberg’s [real] filmography
— Our seventh and final Laser Cats short, given the fact that this is Andy’s seventh and final season, and it’s been a tradition to do one Laser Cats short per year ever since Andy and Bill’s first season.
— A great evil villain accent from Josh.
— I love how this Laser Cats short is a comedic homage to Steven Spielberg’s filmography. And they way they’re executing it is fun.
— Bill, to an about-to-depart-from-Earth Andy: “What about your wife and kids?!?” Andy, after a long, pensive, dramatic pause: “F(*bleep*)k ’em.”
— The way this Laser Cats film ends with Andy’s character parting ways with Bill’s character by taking off in a spaceship is a fitting conclusion to this whole Laser Cats series. I wonder if this shows that Andy must’ve known at the time that he was leaving SNL.
STARS: ****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Kimbra [real] perform “Somebody That I Used To Know”
WEEKEND UPDATE
SEM asks North Korea “What Are You Doing?” regarding failed rocket launch
Garth & Kat throw together some echoic songs celebrating spring
— We get another variation of “Really?!?”, with Seth introducing a new segment titled “What Are You Doing?”
— Meh, Seth’s overall “What Are You Doing?” segment completely washed right over me. I didn’t get a single laugh. Very bland humor there.
— I always like Seth breaking out a comical German accent during a joke about Germany. You can tell he always has fun doing that accent.
— (*Garth & Kat appear, Stooge grabs the laptop he’s watching this episode on and chucks it straight through his closed bedroom window while the Garth & Kat commentary is still playing on the laptop screen*)
— Also, didn’t we already get enough self-indulgent Armisen/Wiig breaking during that Californians mess earlier tonight? Oh, geez, and now I just realized this episode contains TWO of my least favorite recurring pieces of both this era and SNL history: The Californians and Garth & Kat. (*Stooge regathers his now-smashed laptop from outside, brings it back into his bedroom, and re-chucks it out of the already-smashed bedroom window*) All we need next is a Vogelchecks sketch to make the Trifecta Of Suck complete. (My reaction to that would be me throwing myself out of my already-smashed bedroom window.)
— 40 minutes later, this Garth & Kat commentary is STILL going on. Fucking hell.
— This is the second consecutive episode with a short Update that only contained one guest commentary. Well, a relatively short Update in this particular case. I can never call a Weekend Update with Garth & Kat all that short, because of the insane amount of airtime Garth & Kat’s commentaries freely eat up.
STARS: **
PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT
Ice-T (FRA), Ozzie Guillen (host) & others speak out
— Jason has been fairly invisible in tonight’s episode. I remember, when this episode originally aired, I felt Jason came off like he was so ready to leave SNL. There were rumors heavily circulating at the time that he, Andy, and Kristen were going to be leaving at the end of this season. As we know now, out of those three, only Kristen and Andy leave at the end of this season. Jason returns for one more season, and we had to wait until literally just three or four days before that season’s premiere to find that out (I kid you not). He must’ve reeeeaaaaaalllly been on the fence regarding whether he wanted to stay at SNL or not.
— I love Jason’s reaction to finding out that Casey Anthony has not gotten thrown in jail for the rest of her life like he incorrectly assumed.
— The return of Fred’s Ice-T impression. I liked it the first time, but his impression has really slipped tonight. I keep hearing too much of Fred’s natural voice in there.
— Jay’s thankfully getting a lot of airtime tonight, and for once in this episode, we’re getting an impression of his that SNL hasn’t run into the ground yet.
— I got a really good laugh from Nasim-as-Kim-Kardashian’s upbeat delivery of “I’m a zero threat!”
— Why are we seeing the return of Andy as the Super Bowl Wire Dancer guy? It made sense to have him in the previous Piers Morgan Tonight sketch, as that was just a week after that year’s Super Bowl, but by tonight’s episode, two months after that Super Bowl, wasn’t the Wire Dancer’s 15 minutes of fame already over?
— Did Andy unintentionally cut off Taran’s line just now? Sure seemed like it, as Taran was in the middle of doing his usual “Wha…wha…wha…” stammering routine that he often does as Piers Morgan, before Andy suddenly started speaking over him.
— Kind of a meh sketch overall, especially compared to the first Piers Morgan Tonight installment from earlier this season.
STARS: **
WOODRIDGE HIGH
in one hallway of a high school, everything happens in slow motion
— Some good and convincing slow motion acting and effects during Taran and Nasim’s entrance, and I like the concept of this sketch.
— When this originally aired, I remember that song that kept playing throughout this sketch got stuck in my head for the longest time.
— Fantastic execution from Bill when demonstrating where the hallway’s slow motion zone begins and ends.
STARS: ***½
GOTYE BACKSTAGE
ANS & TAK reenact “Somebody That I Used To Know” music video for musical guest
— Not only do we get a second billed Digital Short in the same episode, which is a rarity, but the usual opening “An SNL Digital Short” title screen is modified this time to state “Another SNL Digital Short”, with the word “Another” being displayed via special effect and in a special font.
— I’m really enjoying Andy and Taran’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” spoof/homage. Andy and Taran are a blast here. I also like how this feels kinda like a passing of the torch between the about-to-leave-the-show Andy and up-and-comer Taran. I remember that, back in these days when this originally aired, stuff like this made me so excited for Taran’s future on SNL. There were even some points during these days where I was 100% convinced Taran was going to be SNL’s next Will Ferrell.
— Gotye’s a good sport here.
— I laughed so much at Taran, in that wig and painted face, suddenly interrupting Gotye’s reading of a newspaper by popping into the shot and lip-syncing the “Used to knoooooowww!” lyric into Gotye’s face.
— Speaking of Taran in that wig and painted face, it’s making him look VERY Mark McKinney (screencap below).
— Overall, given the greatly diminished general quality of this season’s Digital Shorts, it’s nice to see that this episode was able to produce TWO strong shorts. This Gotye short can also be considered the final “normal” Digital Short during Andy’s tenure as a cast member. The only two remaining Digital Shorts before Andy leaves are special shorts, as one is a retrospective and the other is a special sequel to the first breakout Digital Short.
STARS: ****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Eyes Wide Open”
PROM
Principal Frye & student-loving teacher (host) address prom attendees
— Jay’s surprisingly big night continues, with this being his FOURTH major live role tonight. A huge leap from him going three consecutive episodes without uttering a single word in any of his live appearances.
— This sketch has become recurring an entire year-and-a-half after its debut in the season 36 Paul Rudd episode.
— A laugh from Vanessa’s cheesy disclosure of how her high school prom consisted of her parents taking her to Arby’s.
— I’m glad Jay ditched this character’s trait of making a sharp inhale sound between each sentence, which got on my last nerves in the first installment of this sketch. This character comes off funnier without that trait.
— Much like his first time hosting, Josh, despite giving performances that are just fine, hasn’t been standing out much in tonight’s sketches, but that’s an exception in this sketch. He’s really solid and funny here.
— Jay starts helplessly cracking up during his report about the iguana.
— The audience is really into this sketch. Actually, they’ve been lively all night, come to think of it, but especially so in this sketch.
STARS: ***
GOODNIGHTS
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A very up-and-down first half, which also contained a few wretched recurring or soon-to-be-recurring things, but the show mostly improved in the second half.
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Laser Cats 7
Gotye Backstage
Bar
Woodridge High
HBO First Look
Prom
Weekend Update
Piers Morgan Tonight
Monologue
America’s Next Top Empire State Of Mind Parody Artist
The Californians
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Sofia Vergara)
a very slight step down
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Eli Manning