'Wasn't That Special' Season 34 Bonus Materials
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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 Thirty-Four bonus notes section, with the clips coming soon.
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Episode One: Michael Phelps
Christian: Where is Armisen? Where is Hader? But yes, a pretty good episode anchored at the high end by a classic cold open.
Scot: Decent open to the season, even with a pretty stiff host. What does Armisen do around here?
Nonpartisan message from Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin
Christian: Written by Seth Meyers, and it’s his shining moment on the show without him even being on screen. It's virtually perfect. One of the major turning points in the history of the show.
Scot: Downey doesn't love the writing on this (it's Meyers) because it's too simplistic. But, c'mon. - Amy is very pregnant here (you can just barely notice).
Big Kids - awkward quirks of Stacia & cousin Craig (Phelps) creep out dinner guests
Christian: I enjoy a good cringe sketch.
Scot: All summer to plan and here's this again.
T-Mobile Fave 5 - Debate spurs a family fight
Scot: First thing written by John Mulaney.
Digital Short - Space Olympics song
Scot: Almost gave up on this but it redeemed itself.
Christian: You should have given up on it.
Uno's - the smell of pepper distracts unhelpful pizzeria waiter Mark Payne (Bobby Moynihan)
Christian: A character needs a point beyond "he's a guy who's annoying as shit." What's the theme?
Scot: A Moynihan trunk piece. (Ed. - Meaning, he brought it with him from the Groundlings.) Not sure why it ever sniffed the show.
Lil Wayne - “Lollipop”
Christian: What's this song about
Episode Two: James Franco
Scot: That was a bit of a roller coaster ride. Good vibes from the season so far, though.
Christian: You liked it more than I did - pretty middling. But as we have seen, average sketches can make for a consistent season!
John McCain (Hammond) approves misleading attack ads
Christian: Some real gymnastics trying to explain why McCain was there to record the disclaimer after every commercial, but this is fine.
Scot: Shades of that old Guiliani ad on which he endorses people - Hader so good - Ad could have been better. Seth Meyers is now sole head writer, Paula Pell is writing supervisor, Alex Baze new WU head writer.
Agent 420 - stoned spy Agent 420 (Franco) on a mission to investigate a laser
Christian: Pineapple Express had come out in August. A dreadful movie in this vein.
Scot: If the hill I die on is "pure stoner humor is 99% worthless," I'm comfortable with that.
New York Times reporters are ill-suited for Alaska reporting
Christian: Sounds exactly like a Downey. Obviously, the premise is amazing - one of the most pro-conservative sketches on the show.
Scot: A Downey, I think - Kumail Nanjiani as an extra - "Is it some kind of baptizing machine?" - I, unsurprisingly, loved loved loved this. Multiple belly laughs. Not for everyone, I would guess.
Dafoe's Revenge - in host’s dressing room, Willem Dafoe (Hader) wants him to kill Samberg
Scot: Ah, now here's a 10-to-1 worth its salt.
Episode Three: Anna Faris
Christian: Kenan's big night squeezes out Forte, Samberg, and Hader and it shows.
Scot: Could be Kenan's busiest night ... ever? - Light on Wiig and Forte and it shows.
Monologue: Faris really is a dumb blonde
Christian: The House Bunny being denied a Best Picture Oscar is an eternal stain on the Academy.
CBS News with Katie Couric - Sarah Palin (Fey) talks with Katie Couric (Poehler)
Christian: There's a reason this is what Fey is primarily known for on SNL. She is sublime.
Scot: The answer on the bailout is almost verbatim from the interview. Begins era of simply recreating things that happened in politics.
First POTUS Debate - Jim Lehrer (Parnell) moderates Barack Obama (Armisen) & John McCain (Hammond) debate
Christian: Obama as straight man doesn't work. Would be funny if Jost had a hand in writing this, given Obama uses dinner with Scarlett Johansson as incentive to Kim Jong Il.
Scot: Armisen's Obama still is awfully rough. Not close. - Couple good pieces scattered through this but very uneven.
Scores - Strippers explain the housing crisis - Hader is manager, Wilson, Faris, Wiig are strippers
Christian: Thought this was a good contrast piece - strippers explaining the financial crisis.
Scot: Crowd is pretty dead for this one.
Googie Rene's (Kenan) Slightly Stained Wedding Dress Basement
Christian: SHEE-YA never really caught on as a catchphrase.
Episode Four: Anne Hathaway
Christian: I was not prepared for Anne Hathaway to be an all-time great host, but here we are. Pretty much everything hit and a lot of it was due to Hathaway,
Scot: That's an excellent show. Host contributed a lot. Reminds me of a mid/upper Walken episode where things just all fit together.
VP Debate - Gwen Ifill (Queen Latifah) & debaters Sarah Palin (Fey) & Joe Biden (Sudeikis)
Christian: More than just a little Will Ferrell George W. Bush in Fey's Palin with the winking and nodding to end sentences. It really was outrageous that Gwen Ifill was allowed to moderate a debate when she had a vested interest in Obama's election.
Scot: Biden pretty much just sounds like "loud Sudeikis."
Lawrence Welk (Armisen) Show - Dooneese (Wiig) debuts
Christian: More Wiig weird brilliance.
Bailout Press Conference - Nancy Pelosi’s (Wiig) financial sympathy cases don’t deserve a bailout; Sudeikis as Bush, Armisen as Barney Frank
Christian: Heavily edited in reruns, removing the "people who should be shot" caption under the Herbert and Marion Sandler part - they were an actual couple. Good for them for actually conceding Bush was right on Fannie/Freddie. Definitely sounds like Downey.
Scot: Assume it's a Downey for both style and joke reasons.
Mary Poppins (Hathaway) has supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a liver disease - with Hader & Forte
Christian: The music playing when Hader moves around really makes this.
Scot: Worth it just for Hathaway's facials expressions.
The Less Provocative Songs of Katy Perry - Katy Perry’s (Wilson) less provocative songs lack girl-kissing scandal
Christian: Feels like a Season Six bit.
Scot: Near the line but the female golfer line/visual got me.
Episode Five: Josh Brolin
Christian: Brolin was fine but there's only one reason this episode will ever be remembered.
Scot: Brolin was fantastic. Second week in a row with a tremendous host.
Palin press conference - Palin (Fey) press conference - Lorne & Palin (cameo) backstage - Alec Baldwin cameo
Christian: Lot about this in the Fey book.
Sue (Wiig) spoils Brolin’s marriage proposal
Christian: Same sketch yes, but it's still fun watching Wiig struggle.
Scot: Yeah, so. Did Kattan write this? Quite literally the same sketch.
I'm No Angel perfume - pregnant woman (Poehler) attracts attention of Brolin at bar
Scot: If it's essentially a curtain call for Poehler on the show, it's a great one. Boy, I like this a lot.
Weekend Update - Buffet stays in stock market - Maureen McCormick memoir - Maryland sex offender law - Tim Calhoun (Forte) - Jean K. Jean on European markets - Palin guests, Amy sings
Christian: It's middling, but the Poehler bit with Palin there makes it a classic.
Scot: Pretty good blind driver joke - Poehler stepping into Parnell's territory with the rapping, but she does it well.
New York Underground - Trevor Dix (Hader) overhypes a ho-hum musician (Armisen)
Christian: Directed by Noah Baumbach. The usual rule applies: There isn't anything really funny about something intentionally bad.