Saturday Night Live

[Umlaut]

Cold open was much funnier in concept than in execution. The new "We Are The World" is a hilarious disaster, but somehow the premise wore out really fast and then it kept going and going.

I never get tired of Forte and Sudeikis' lady sportscasters.

I thought the Digital Short was kind of a dud. The whole thing felt tossed off to me.

I like Bobby Moynihan a lot but the YouTube thing was a bomb. And I might just have to say it: I know some New York AST-ers know her, but Jenny Slate feels like the dead weight of the show. I'm sure she's very funny when she's doing her own thing and without constraints (say, for example, a more liberal f-bomb policy), but she's just never really working for me. Nasim is doing markedly better, in my opinion. And Abby Elliott I think has really come into her own and is pretty reliable.


Oh, and while I hate 90% of the musical acts SNL books, last year's performance by Phoenix exposed me to them, and now they're one of my favorite bands. The only ones I've not fast-forwarded through this season were Rihanna and the Ting Tings. (I tried, Them Crooked Vultures. I did try.)

[douglass]

I think a lot of the talk of musical guests on SNL is pretty similar to the talk of the show in general. It will have those ups and downs, and there will be those who will always say it used to be much better.

I'm resigned to the fact that we won't get much that's terribly experimental or too far off the mainstream path. As recently as the strike-shortened 33rd season, though, they had Wilco, Kanye, Spoon, Foo Fighters, Feist, Vampire Weekend, Gnarls Barkley and My Morning Jacket, so for my money they batted .750 two years ago. Pretty good.

[luvrhino]

I always liked those musical cold opens that feature every cast member doing impressions, but this one wasn't as good as "Rockers Help Explain Whitewater" or the Michael Jordan "Stay on, for one more year" thing. It was better than another political cold open though.

There was barely a joke there aside from the fact that the lineup of We Are the World II was inferior to the first one.

The digital short was really amazing. Maybe not that funny, but very inventive and creative.

That was the only part of the episode i really liked. Some other parts i didn't mind watching, but i only actively enjoyed the Flag Short.

Using the Polish flag for Little Naughty Strap-On Flag was a nice touch (even though they hung it upside down).

[BillBrasky]

And Abby Elliott I think has really come into her own and is pretty reliable.

It's starting to kind of bother me though that they are just using her strictly for impressions. Most cast members develop at least one non-impression character during their stint at SNL. I guess she's the female Darrell Hammond.

[Truth Movement]

Jenny's been the weakest link of the women (other than the overuse of Wiig, which is agonizing for me), but I really enjoyed the car horn (and door bell) sketch. I think she really connected on it.

Also, the Smash Mouth sketch was pretty funny.

[Teaflax]

Using the Polish flag for Little Naughty Strap-On Flag was a nice touch (even though they hung it upside down).

In that case, it was the flag of Monaco.

[James Smann]

"When you get up off the futon, and all you left behind is a wet cruton..."

and also "Jag Flag" with John Mayer may be a really subtle joke, but I loved it!

[kevin]

Univision AND Telemundo. Damn, SNL is network droppin'!

I just remembered they mention ESPN and CBS as well. Mommy, the television is eating itself!

[BFH]

Moz Flag

Black Flag

FTW

[brewcaster]

I really enjoyed the Smashmouth one for some reason.

[A Shot Glass of Humor]

Didn't watch last night. I did see the we are the world skit online this morning... nothing special. Definitely reminiscent of the those all cast sing along sketches they would do in the 90's. I think it was Stooge on the SNL.com board who said this season was similar to the 93-94 season and I'm starting to believe that as well. Lots of cast members but a huge reliance on carbon copy skits. and after reading a summary of this episode way too many repeat sketches... why would they bring back that telenovela thing, from 5 years ago?

Either way... I'm excited for Zach, I will be watching that LIVE for sure... even if the sketches aren't up to shape, I can expect Zach to bring forth some level of comedy. And let's be honest here, any comedian/comedic actor who hosts generally has a solid episode... hell even dane cook's episodes have had some quality sketches!

[Everest]

tim and eric's season premiere opening was hilarious. I hope zach finds ways to make fun of the show

[Umlaut]

But I really enjoyed the car horn (and door bell) sketch. I think she really connected on it.

I forgot about the doorbell sketch and posted before I saw the car horn sketch (which was ruined by J-Lo (who was a pretty bad host I forgot to mention before)) That character is really funny.

[Jouster]

[Suavepebble-esque post] ESPN announcers is the best recurring sketch they have right now, and if you don't enjoy it you are hopeless. [/Suavepebble-esque post]

[Patrick134]

[Suavepebble-esque post] ESPN announcers is the best recurring sketch they have right now, and if you don't enjoy it you are hopeless. [/Suavepebble-esque post]

Diminished returns personified. The B-sharps.

[Harry Bongers]

I loved the car horns and Smashmouth sketches.

Is Jennifer Lopez still host and musical guest level famous?

[Truth Movement]

I loved the car horns and Smashmouth sketches.

Is Jennifer Lopez still host and musical guest level famous?

I think this has been a big problem as to why this season of SNL hasn't lived up to the previous four seasons of this era: hosting choices.

If it's not teeny bopper stuff (the Taylors) or flavor of the month hot chicks (Megan, Blake, January), it's a weird stream of "how are these people relevant anymore?" hosts (Barkley, Weaver, Lopez and probably even Kutcher). SNL has its best seasons when it has more funny people host. And if not necessarily funny people, at least people who are in tune to what the show is and should be. Like it was said above, even the Dane Cook episodes were watchable because Cook has a comedy background as opposed to a whatever-JLO-ever-did background.

[James Smann]

This is why I think Mr. Galifianakis is great choice. He's relevant (thanks to The Hangover, etc), and he's super funny as fuck. So unless they can't write him good material, this should be the best episode of the season!

[nathansmart]

is it true that the host has say about what sketches they do?

[Umlaut]

I think this has been a big problem as to why this season of SNL hasn't lived up to the previous four seasons of this era: hosting choices.

If it's not teeny bopper stuff (the Taylors) or flavor of the month hot chicks (Megan, Blake, January), it's a weird stream of "how are these people relevant anymore?" hosts (Barkley, Weaver, Lopez and probably even Kutcher). SNL has its best seasons when it has more funny people host. And if not necessarily funny people, at least people who are in tune to what the show is and should be. Like it was said above, even the Dane Cook episodes were watchable because Cook has a comedy background as opposed to a whatever-JLO-ever-did background.

While I basically agree entirely with your point, I am continually flabbergasted when people lump Blake Lively's episode in as one of the bad ones, and as a bad host, too. I honestly thought that was one of the best episodes of SNL I had seen in years, and that she in particular was quite strong. It was easily the least the host was utilized in an episode this season, but who's going to complain about that? Whose complaint aout SNL is "More Host!!" unless the host is Jon Hamm or Alec Baldwin (even then, they are used a completely adequate amount). However, anytime she was used in the episode, she was reliably great and committed, which is why I take particular offense to seeing her name placed next to January "breaking and being completely unsure of myself" Jones.

Take Potato Chip Astronaut. A divisive sketch, but however you felt about it, Blake both committed fully to the ridiculous premise, went all out with her character when it was called for, and also hung back and supported Forte and Sudeikis, not allowing herself to step on their funny. And the fact that she did not break character once is pretty remarkable. I mean, they're screaming at each other in gentlemanly Southern drawls just feet away from her. Could you manage to not bust out laughing?

I would be completely content if there were a rotating crop of like 5 hosts and she was one of them. The other four would be Hamm, Baldwin, Timberlake, and Fey.