'Wasn't That Special' Season 24 Bonus Materials
As the Wasn’t That Special co-hosts watch each season of Saturday Night Live, they compare notes on each episode, chatting back and forth about both popular and long-forgotten sketches. Some of the topics they discuss make it to the final podcast; others are left on the cutting-room floor.
But for those of you who join at the Executive Producer level, you will have access to Christian and Scot’s behind-the-scenes notes, as well as bonus materials the co-hosts used to prepare for the episode.
Below is the Season Twenty-Four bonus notes section, with the clips coming next week.
So please help keep the podcast advertisement-free and upgrade to the Executive Producer level, which will keep these emails coming in the future!
Episode One: Cameron Diaz (Grade: 2.53 out of 5)
Oprah 2002 - Linda Tripp (John Goodman) and others recall Lewinsky affair
Christian: Half this bit is just introducing people.
Scot I guess we're supposed to assume Morgan actually is Oprah? - All impression, no plot.
Ooops I Crapped My Pants commercial
Christian: The whole point is to get two old people to say "oops I crapped my pants" two dozen times.
Scot: "I'm wearing them. And I just did."
The Ladies Man - Leon & Diaz act out parts of the Starr Report
Christian: "I hope that it's a pizza ass."
Scot: Very solid once again. Meadows is chef's kiss.
The New Hollywood Squares - Game continues after set collapses
Christian: Is Fallon doing Gilbert Gottfried or Adam Sandler?
Scot: All hands on deck for this one. - Nothing past the obvious, but Ferrell's non-reaction to all of it (as if it happens all the time) makes it go.
Witches Brew - describing what a brew smells like; Jonathan Richman & Tommy Larkins cameos
Christian: Starting to feel like more of a writers' season. Just wish it was better.
Scot: Um, OK, I guess. Creative ways to describe stink.
Jingleheimer Junction - new cast member Fred causes trouble
Christian: Now THIS is a writer's piece.
Episode Two: Kelsey Grammer (2.5)
Scot: Grammer is such a talented TV actor. He's so good at handling everything thrown at him - 18 elements in this show.
Delicious Dish - talking wilderness food with Grammer
Scot: Tag team of Molly's dark side emerging with Kelsey's increasing desperate story is a winner.
Big Bernard - (Morgan) treats grown-up son (Shaq) as if he were still little
Christian: So sweet.
Scot: Shaq is gigantic - Such a simple premise. Morgan is killing it. His best spot yet.
Wet 'Em Down - Grammer directs Baywatch and Linden/Baranski, yells "Wet "em Down"
Christian: An attempted contrast piece that flops.
Scot: Fundamentally flawed idea. The joke isn't funny so nothing works.
Grammer attempts to bring Mr. Peepers into high society
Christian: At least there was an attempt at a story.
Scot: Watch Jimmy Fallon already breaking character in his second episode! - Retire Peepers already.
Maakies - by Tony Millionaire- chopped-in-half rat becomes a mermaid
Christian: Oh man, I do not like these at all.
Scot: I don't mind these so far, there's just not a lot to praise. It's just at all-out attempt to be strange, which I can respect.
Hello Dolly - Home Shopping with dolls featuring Ana and Grammer
Christian: An attempt at a Locklear-style bit, but it just takes too long and there isn't any real escalation.
Scot: The hidden, dark personal lives trickling out turns this around by the end.
The Lumberjack Classic - ESPN coverage; contestant credit Jesus for victory
Christian: There's a good joke to be made here about Jesus supporting athletes, but this is clunky.
Episode Three: Lucy Lawless (2.57)
Christian: Random observation: James Austin Johnson is the current cast's Darrell Hammond.
Scot: Apparently I did not like the back half of this show. Again. short monologue, short WU, one song means more sketches. Is this like the NFL Draft, where you want more swings, more lottery tickets to find a upper-end sketch? Or should they be cutting the obviously weak stuff before it makes it to air?
NBC Special Report - GOP leadership display disdain for voters and reveals plan to screw over Americans
Christian: Ferrell's Henry Hyde makes fun of voters for supporting a celebrity. Prescient. Calls Republicans racist.
Scot: Debut of Parnell's Brokaw - Prescient talk of Willis as POTUS/“You’re all probably dumb enough to do it!”
The Clinton Marriage: White House in Crisis - MSNBC coverage turns into girls slumber party
Christian: Really good sketch for the women. Team effort.
Scot: Good creativity. Somewhat rare that an all-female sketch like this actually works this well.
Stevie Nicks' Fajita Roundup - Stevie Nicks’ (Lawless) Fajita Roundup offers music & Tex-Mex cuisine
Christian: It's just a standard impression piece, but the impression is great and the idea is hilarious.
Scot: Hugh Fink wrote - Parody songs are damn good, all things considered.
The How Do You Say Ah Yes Show - Kattan as Antonio Banderas
Christian: The exact negative of the previous sketch - an impression piece where the premise sucks.
Biography - Jack Perkins (Hammond) intros profile of Puff Daddy (Meadows)
Christian: I imagine a Biography of Diddy these days would be far different. Does Fallon think he's doing Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger?
Scot: The most surface-level satire of Puff Daddy possible.
Episode Four: Ben Stiller (2.78)
Christian: As opposed to Downey, Jr., Stiller became a much better sketch player in his time off. Having your own show will do that for you.
Scot: I feel like Hammond is less of a force than I remember? Impressions are great, but I forget he's around many shows.
Celebrity Jeopardy - Sean Connery (Hammond), Adam Sandler (Fallon), Tom Cruise (Stiller)
Christian: Wasn't Stiller's first-ever appearance on the show a satire of Tom Cruise? Fallon's first real pop on the show.
Scot: Fallon's Sandler is right on. - Connery and Cruise both choose the "Famous Titties/Titles" category - The "indoors" joke is well done to close the sketch.
Pretty Living - joyologist Helen expresses love for her yogi (Stiller)
Christian: "Yogi Lieberman" got a laugh. Aside from Farley, has there been a better on-air athlete than Shannon?
Alanis Morrisette - “Thank U”
Christiajn: Little-known fact: This song is not about Dave Coulier.
30 year-old (Stiller) living with parents is oversensitive to remarks
Christian: Worked for me. I take the Chris Parnell approach to parenting, although my children aren't 30.
Scot: It almost didn't work. Riding a very thin line. Parnell's buttoned-up dad sold it in the end. Great final joke.
Cointreau for Congress/Mason in '98
Christian: Feels like a Jack Handey. Clever in that all the actual action is taking place off screen.
Scot: "Hauling carcasses" - wonderful escalation and better that these aired consecutively and not spread across the show.
Episode Five: David Spade (2.69)
Christian: Seemed better than it actually graded out because Will was in so much. Morgan, Fallon, Sanz and Parnell are basically MIA.
Scot: Heavy heavy Will episode in the middle. He was leading everything. And those were the best parts of the show.
Spade complains to his therapist (Brad Pitt) about his fame
Christian: Thought this was pretty funny, but you can see why Pitt has never hosted.
Monica Lewinsky (Shannon) & publicist (Spade) screen potential interviewers - Barbara Walters, Phil Donahue, Diane Sawyer, Larry Flynt (Sanz), Howard Stern (Fallon), Oprah (Meadows)
Christian: Did people really think Fallon was actually Stern?
Scot: Meadows' Oprah has to be the longest-lasting, least-impactful impression ever?
Accruing Equity and Making Hot Sweet Love - finance & fornication mingle
Christian: The reason for contrast pieces is because they work.
Scot: Nearly better graded, but I thought Spade's section was a cut below everything else.
Bachelor Party - chaperone (Spade) explains rules for strippers
Christian: Isn't there a sketch from a few seasons ago about that Hawaii shirt?
Scot: Again, more sexual envelope-pushing.
Episode Six: Joan Allen (2.3)
Scot: Blah.
Bill Clinton & Newt Gingrich dance & sing as Newt leaves the Speakership
Christian: First mention of George W. Bush, who Ferrell would end up playing. So they spend years pitching Clinton as a woman-crazed horn dog, then have him kiss Gingrich? Seems off and just for the sake of the shock (which it was in 1998.)
Scot: No laughs, but the "The Speaker Does It on the Floor" mug is a fun line - Will's thinking, "Man, this is great! I get to play the new Speaker for the next two years!" - Prescient on pushing W for POTUS. There been many more cliched, "scary GOP" stereotype jokes than in years past, which I'll attribute to Downey being gone and McKay being there.
The Jenson Mint commercial
Christian: Prescient: Literally this week a guy on TikTok said he hands out counterfeit money to hobos so they get arrested when they try to spend it.
Defense attorney Suel Forrester cross-examines witness (John Goodman)
Christian: This is probably the best one and I still didn't like it. He's my Richmeister.
Scot: Still nothing for you? I laughed at least 3x in this one. It's a much higher laugh rate than just about any other recurring bit.
Learning with Jennifer Tilly - Oteri is Tilly; Allen & French Stewart (Fallon) drop in
Christian: This is basically Jeopardy (dumb celebrities!) without the fun.
Scot: Oteri does not do a good Tilly - I have no idea why this ever looked like a good idea.
Episode Seven: Jennifer Love Hewitt (2.54)
Christian: Was Hammond on at all?
Scot: Tons of recurring sketches here. It's the third of a 3-week run.
Monica Lewinsky & Linda Tripp (Goodman) talk on phone & eat. Tripp poops.
Christian: A lot of the Tripp/Lewinsky discussions took place over meals, so this was probably making fun of that, but yes - no way this happens today.
Scot: Two women both stuffing their faces with food. You could do it with Tripp today because she's still the "bad guy," but Lewinsky would never be handled like this.
More Duets That Prove I Am the Best Singer in the World - Celine Dion
Christian: Love Hewitt with a decent Jewel impression, at least.
Scot: These are deadly. JLH has a good voice, though. Which also kinda ruins the premise of the sketch.
Cheerleaders in Maternity Ward
Christian: Jim Downey guessed there were 18 of these? Got to be getting close.
Mary Katherine Gallagher Deodorant Spokesperson Contest
Christian: Perfectly formulaic, but the formula is never bad.
Scot: This one seems really tired.
Let's Make This Happen - Hollywood players pitch shows and movies - Lorne guests
Christian: Little ironic that a show relying so much on recurring characters is lampooning the unoriginality of Hollywood.
Episode Eight: Vince Vaughn (2.3)
Christian: Disappointing. Had high hopes for Vaughn.
Scot: Fallon and Sanz have a particular style that ... is grating to me. I need to try to see all of this without bias, but it will be tough. Vaughn really only comes alive with Ferrell. Otherwise pretty stiff in his pieces.
Impeachment Hearings - oral sex experts testify for impeachment hearings
Christian: Seems like Courtney Love and Mariah Carey are only there because Shannon and Oteri had the impressions in their repertoire?
Scot: Morgan as a woman again - Good idea, but more impressions than well-written.
Dog Show - David Larry (Ferrell) & Miss Colleen (Shannon)
Christian: Will had recurring characters with Oteri and Gasteyer, time for Shannon to get one. And yes, this will be recurring.
Scot: Will's dog will not stay out of his lap - Half-way through when you realize, "Oh no. This thing is going to recur, isn't it?" - Doing nothing for me.
Married Guys - Ferrell and Vaughn lie to engaged Fallon about joys of marriage
Christian: "My wife's panties just keep getting bigger and better." There are actually seeds of Old School in here, which stars both Ferrell and Vaughn.
Scot: It's fun but there is no lift, no elevation to raise the quality.
Brew Dude - commercial
Christian: And even more Old School echoes!
Pimp Chat - Morgan and Meadows as pimps in a limo
Christian: The incredible HBO documentary "Pimps Up, Ho's Down" had just come out. This is a satire of that.
Delco Cat Toys salesmen test quality of new products
Christian: Ferrell did the cat toy bit as his SNL audition.
Scot: Excellent chemistry between Vaughn and Ferrell - Really funny to watch Will play with the cat toys.
Episode Nine: Alec Baldwin (2.91)
Morning Latte - Discussing producer's new wife and Grizzly Adams
Christian: More contrast. It's like a Smiths song - happy music, sad lyrics.
Scot: Feels like it's on its last legs as a concept.
10-10-1776-5-28-1830-242-3-316-68-22 commercial
Christian: More contrast. My dad actually gave me a calling card that was like this, so I know it well.
Scot: An outgrowth of the old collect call wars half-a-decade earlier.
Delicious Dish - Margaret Jo & Terry salivate over Pete Schwetty’s (host) holiday balls
Christian: A herculean feat for nobody to break during this. The only Delicious Dish anyone will ever remember.
Scot The “excessive rat problem” joke already makes this a good one - This must have killed at dress and read-through. It was a guaranteed smash.
Brokaw anchors coverage - Dershowitz and others assail Clinton as they defend him from impeachment
Christian: Oh, Kattan is still on the show?
Bill Brasky - Wall Street with Ferrell, Goodman, Baldwin
Scot: The Brasky stuff is a little better this time, but the confessional asides by each character are not good. And, obviously, it's just the same thing once again.
Episode Ten: Bill Paxton (2.5)
Christian: Kattan has vanished. Parnell and Fallon are stealing his slots.
Scot: Light Ferrell night overall - Paxton had energy but was just ... weird at times.
Cast members douse Paxton Carrie-style after he drops Sissy Spacek’s name
Christian: It's funny because I actually got Pullman and Paxton mixed up a lot, too.
Scot: My thought: after that, and the needed clean-up, there's no way he's in the lead-off sketch. - Fine? Seems a deep pull to use Spacek as the jumping off point for this.
Delivery services dance to earn business
Christian: Maybe the joke is that women have secret feelings for mail delivery guys, so they would read this differently?
Scot: Low-brow with nothing high to offset it.
Fantastic Voyage - tiny scientists like hanging out in penis
Scot: Cousin sketch to Witch's Brew where they just find lots of ways to describe the same thing - Look, I can't lie. I laughed at some of the euphemisms.
Episode Eleven: James Van Der Beek (2.3)
Christian: Time to start putting the show's politics into a broader perspective - has it been tougher on Clinton than any other president to this point?
Scot: Think piece: This season specifically (and this era overall) is far closer to Ebersol's vision for the show than anyone would care to admit. Short sketches. Simple premises. Quick jokes (make 'em laugh early in premise). Don't make the audience think. One song from a mega-selling artist pushed late in the show.
Cats Home Video - cast member (Parnell) narrates video marking 11,000th performance
Scot: Nice turn for Parnell here. He's able to project real hopelessness.
Teen Pulse - sassy musical group 7 Degrees Celsius causes girls to swoon
Christian: 83% of Americans could have written this sketch.
The War Abroad and At Home - WWII doc produced by community college
Christian: The history of WWII as written by Google AI
Scot: This is that sketch from years ago with people interviewed giving bad info about history.
Episode Twelve: Gwyneth Paltrow (2.88)
Scot: That's a solid episode and Paltrow was much better than I would have thought.
Christian: Huh, I would have guessed Paltrow would be good at this, and she was. Ferrell playing a lot of bit roles and it shows.
Mary Katherine Gallagher all-girl gang
Christian: Shannon alone is good enough to keep these going.
Scot: Good first half. The monologue rarely impresses me.
Mindy and Sky - dumb girlfriend (Paltrow) and Fallon sing songs at a nightclub
Christian: Started slow, but ended up liking this one a lot.
Scot: Let them replace the Culps.
VH1 Promo- Colin Hay (Fallon) talks “Who Can It Be Now”
Christian: Fallon strikes me as someone who is pretty good at a lot of things, but not really great at anything.
Scot: I guess Oates was the best of these?
William Rehnquist (Ferrell) tires of partisan voting during impeachment trial
Scot: Rehnquist's "common ground" provisions made me laugh.
Episode Thirteen: Brendan Fraser
Scot: Missed Ferrell quite a bit.
Fraser discovers that Tom Davis has been locked in a bomb shelter since 1977
Christian: This week's host on Raturday Night Live: Jon Lovitz
Scot: Quick return for a host who wasn't all that great? - LOL at the MKG rat - Boy, that's my favorite monologue in a long, long time.
You're a Champion, Charlie Brown - Charlie hurts his head
Scot: Ebersol-era sketch. Simple, identifiable premise, one good joke, no development, get out. (That make-up is .. unsettling?)
Episode Fourteen: Bill Murray (2.3)
Scot: Third live week in a row. It was slim pickings for quality. No Kattan tonight?
The Ladies Man - Stephanie Seymour helps Leon teach pick-up lessons
Christian: Big laugh for "I know a little something about a sore bone."
Scot: Average edition of this.
Murray sings and dances, inspired by the Footloose musical
Christian: Disappointing. A Nick the Lounge Singer bit without anyone bothering to write a premise.
Scot: Bill is 48 here. Seems a little out-of-breath in places.
Morning Latte - minor celebrity (Murray) engages Tom & Cass in vapid banter
Christian: Wow, the SNL writers really didn't like Patch Adams.
Scot: "Stacy Cohen is Too Late" is a great name for a show. Best thing in this sketch. Crowd is totally dead. Kill it.
Episode Fifteen: Ray Romano (3.05)
Scot: Feels like there are a lot of sketches that just don't take that needed step to truly break out. Content with being good, not aiming for great.
Barbara Walters (Oteri) tries out phone sex, inspired by Monica Lewinsky
Christian: Laughed a lot during this. Still love Oteri's Walters.
Scot: Parnell's Brokaw is superficially good. It sounds accurate the first time, less so the more often you hear it.
Romano's TV parents Peter Boyle & Doris Roberts arrive bearing clips
Scot: Romano drops a SportsCenter catch phrase ("You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them."), inadvertently teasing what is next - The My Giant clip made me laugh for reasons I can't explain.
Sportscenter - Chet Harper (Romano) has catchphrases alongside Stuart Scott (Meadows)
Christian: Had no way to get out of it, but still great.
Scot: Romano and his writers did this one - Simply outstanding. I'm in tears.
Carnaby's - restaurant patrons laugh off Roberto Benigni’s (Romano) destructive antics
Christian: Undoubtedly a parody of Begnini's Oscar acceptance, where he climbed all over the seats at the ceremony.
Scot: Romano and his writers did this one, too. Some sort of admission when the first two sketches of the show aren't from in-house people.
Pimp Chat - former NYPD officer (Romano) discusses new career
Christian: Meadows can't hold it together when Sanz gets in the car.
Scot: Not an improvement from the first installment.
Big Baby - Romano plays parent during partner’s (Ferrell) presentation meltdown
Christian: Ferrell is Ferrelling. And it's great.
Scot: Solid sketch, one that Ferrell sells just right. Every parent has been there.
Episode Sixteen: Drew Barrymore (2.35)
Academy Awards Pre-Show - Joan Rivers (Gasteyer) leads Academy Awards Pre-Show coverage - Hanks/Parnell, Travolta/Hammond, Cher/Barrymore, Gooding, Jr/Morgan
Christian: I haven't seen many people try to do Tom Hanks and after Parnell's attempt I can see why.
Scot: Rivers turns into a demon but I'm not sure why that's funny.
Celebrity Jeopardy - Calista Flockhart (Barrymore) , Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage (Fallon)
Scot: "The Penis Mightier" - Final Jeopardy: "Are horsies pretty?" - Honestly, the weakest one so far. Couple laughs.
Banana Republic - Sanz's non-reply to “How’re you doing?” puts Banana Republic employees in a panic
Scot: I never shopped at BR. Is this a thing with them?
Christian: I've shopped at BR plenty, and I still don't know what they are talking about.
The How Do You Say Ah Yes Show - Melanie Griffith (Barrymore) is obedient
Christian: Why did Sanz drop out of these? Did he have family members tell him how horrible these are? Something tells me SNL wouldn't do a sketch today in which Banderas says he can have sex with his wife even if she says no.
Garbage - “Special”
Christian: Madison, Wisconsin's own.
Dog Show - Canine wedding attended by shemale (Barrymore) and Meadows
Christian: The purpose of these is to be weird, and I think it succeeds on that count. And in a not altogether horrible way.
Scot: Drew as a “shemale” guest ain't never happening today. - Writer Scott Wainio gets a line! - I'm done with this thing.
Art Class - Terence Maddox recalls meeting his wife (Barrymore)
Christian: Don't know that we needed an origin story.
Scot: You'll be shocked, but Maddox gets an erection in this one.
Episode Seventeen: John Goodman (2.7)
Christian: Goodman is a fine host, but is he worthy of hosting once a season? (Along with Tripp guest spots?) I say no.
Scot: I'm getting very frustrated with this McKay era of the show. It's such a bore because no one can be bothered to develop anything past joke #1 or recurring sketch #1. And the sudden inescapable reliance on guests/ringers all season long.
Goodman can’t convince audience members that the show isn’t a rerun
Christian: The Fey audience member bits to me are so exciting. Like owning a Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card.
Scot: Goodman hosted in '90 with Faith No More and in '92 with Garth Brooks.
Springtime Santa - Santa (Goodman) and Mrs. Claus (Shannon) yell and fight in the offseason; elves visit
Christian: What the hell is this?
Scot: Drunk, mean, belligerent Santa isn't funny by itself.
Cathouse Computer System - Goodman, embarrassed by visit to prostitute (Shannon), must wait to pay
Christian: Prescient in that it predicted the computer age would require all your information for every service.
Scot: This was good! Actual progression inside the sketch. Everybody playing the right role, too. Well cast.
Episode Eighteen: Cuba Gooding, Jr. (2.59)
Scot: Show is way, way short it appears. IIRC, Lewinsky's "people" vetoed some more risque fare that was planned.
Clinton dreams of post-presidency life, the real Monica Lewinsky is his wife
Christian: Do people not realize that's really her? Kind of a muted response.
Scot: It's all about the Lewinsky reveal. Really not much else going on.
Bible miniseries - Parnell directs rush-job Biblical miniseries with improv
Christian: Oh, I really liked this. A guy in the Bible wearing a Bengals t-shirt? Good contrast.
Scot: Good premise, OK execution.
The Ladies Man - Monica Lewinsky guests to give advice; Linda Tripp calls
Christian: I mean, just kind of incredible as a historical document?
Scot: "I can tell you from experience, it is not a good idea to have sex with a phone."
Lotto commercial - Americans are dreamers
Scot: This is a great concept for a runner and I really like turning the Lottery's clear deficiencies into inspirational attributes.
Episode Nineteen: Sarah Michelle Gellar (2.3)
SMG turns down all male cast members and Shannon
Christian: Remember when a hot woman would host and the whole joke was that the lecherous male cast members wanted to have sex with them? These have now been #MeTooed out of existence.
Scot: Kattan hitting on a hot woman! Who knew. - Not great but Sanz in line eating the chocolate made me laugh.
Tiger Beat's Ultra Super Duper Dreamy Love Show - David Boreanaz, BackStreet Boys member and Seth Green stop by
Christian: Neil Patrick Harris didn't come out until 2006 - did the show know something? Seth Green's first time on the show since Bill Murray threw him in a trash can?
Scot: Recurring! Hammond plays the manager character instead of Norm this time - All the "hands on" jokes land completely flat.
Zimmermans’ sexcapades trap couple looking to rent a cabin
Christian: These are effectively Coffee Talk - everything that happens exists to get to the same beats that happen every single time.
Scot: How shall we grade a recurring sketch in which the plot never changes, there are no twists, and the action is the same every time?
Get On the Bag! - Ferrell in stands; exhortations to little leaguer son appall other parents in stands
Christian: Four seasons later, they bring "get off the shed" back.
Scot: Recurring! Carrying the "Get off the shed!" ethos - I dunno, I think these overbearing sports parents weren't quite the thing the 1999 they are now, but this does hit differently than trying to keep kids *safe* (off the shed) as opposed to exhorting them to play better.
Dusty's Love - blind girl (SMG) dates alien/monster? (Sanz), while taking care of horse and floating heads sing
Christian: So stupid, I enjoyed it. Funny detail - Parnell's beard is three times as long when he returns, as if he just aged six months.
Scot: Is Sanz wearing the Goat Boy hands? - This is a lot. And it didn't need the coda.
Press Conference - Jesse Camp (Fallon), Britney Spears (SMG), Eminem (Parnell) & others answer questions after Kids Choice Awards
Christian: I certainly didn't follow Britney Spears much, but...was she known for having large breasts? I think not?
Scot: Waste of time.
Holding Your Own Boobs Magazine - SMG and Ferrell solicit subscriptions to Holding Your Own Boobs Magazine
Christian: Wasn't quite sure about this one but after 37 views I think I got it.
Scot: Pre-taped because SMG really was topless and did not want to do it live.
Brian Fellow's Safari Planet - animal expert Brian Fellow is enthusiastic but dumb
Christian: Finally Tracy Morgan gets his cornerstone character.