'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.
Episode Six: Jon Hamm
Christian: A FOURTH Coldplay song as the credits roll!
Scot: Amy gone, having baby. Went into labor earlier in the afternoon. Casey Wilson is disappearing before our eyes - Should have just called this "The Jon Hamm Show." Professionally done. Willing to give it a mulligan as I'm sure the show was completely reshuffled after losing Poehler.
Trick or Treat - trick-or-treater Jeff Montgomery (Forte) may or may not be a sex offender
Christian: When Forte makes contact, he hits the ball a long way.
Scot: Classic Forte stuff happening.
Mad Men / Two A-holes at an Ad Agency in the 1960s - John Slattery & Elisabeth Moss cameo
Christian: Applause for Slattery but not for Elisabeth Moss? Nothing here. Armisen met Moss here and they later married.
Scot: I dunno, pretty weak all around, I think.
Don Draper's (Hamm) Guide to Picking Up Women
Scot: Poehler on tape - I'm not a MAD MEN guy, but I followed this
Christian: Mad Men is wildly overrated, but it had its moments.
Coldplay - “Viva La Vida”
Christian: Coldplay is wildly overrated, but it had its moments.
Pat Finger (Hamm) for City Council in Butts
Christian: Gloriously juvenile.
Scot: Clearly a runner shoved together at the last minute.
Episode Seven: Ben Affleck
Christian: We are in year four of Bill Hader and he is still only a bit player. Hopefully Stefon unlocks the code. Fun fact: Armisen and Adam Sandler are the same age.
Scot: Another recipe for a great season: invite killer hosts each and every week.
QVC - John (cameo) and Sarah Palin (Fey) sell stuff on QVC - Cindy McCain also cameo
Christian: I've always had mixed feelings about this one. Yeah, it's funny, but it rubs me the wrong way that McCain would show up a couple days before the election and effectively concede the race and crap on his running mate.
Scot: McCain Fine Gold is a funny idea.
Countdown with Keith Olbermann - Keith Olbermann’s (Affleck) over-the-top commentary on his cat
Christian: Takes a while to really cook, but the back half is great. Good for them recognizing what a buffoon Olbermann is.
Scot: He doesn't quite have the voice, but the feel is completely right - "up with which we dare no longer put!" (Edit. note: This is allegedly a Winston Churchill quote.)
Target - UPS driver (Affleck) wants to get romantically involved with Target Lady (Wiig)
Christian: Affleck’s rapper name: "Sir Cumference."
Scot: Affleck bails this thing out of mediocrity - great characterization.
Grady Wilson's (Kenan) Put the Fire Back In Your Marriage Techniques
Christian: Can you remember a sketch where Kenan wasn't good?
Affleck’s queer brother Stefon (Hader) puts homoerotic spin on a movie pitch
Scot: Rare example of a character starting in a sketch then moving to WU. Didn't Emily Litella start that way?
Episode Eight: Paul Rudd
Christian: No pressure, Abby. You're just replacing Amy Poehler. (And just as I noted Hader was still in the background, he has his biggest episode yet.)
Scot: Heavy Hader tonight, Rudd fit right in. Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins added to cast
The Office of the VP Elect - Joe Biden (Sudeikis) promises to be as entertaining as Sarah Palin
Christian: They had two weeks to wrap up the election, and we get...this?
Scot: Obama wins the election and ... here's Biden. The critique of the show not touching Obama is dead-on thus far. Also, this impression kind of stinks?
Austin Vogelcheck’s (Rudd) over-affectionate family makes roommate (Samberg) uncomfortable
Christian: They've done this a few times in the years since, so the surprise is gone. But as a first run, I thought it was perfectly fine.
Scot: Bad from conception to writing to execution.
Songwriter Showcase - open mic song by Rudd and Wiig details minutiae of a package delivery
Christian: Another in the long line of "this person is singing too long" sketches.
Scot: Ironic that Forte's character is upset by the "slow-moving" song when he did the long "how did they vote" song earlier in the season.
Ledge Jumper - Forte & Hader try talking suicidal man (Rudd) off a ledge by saying “don’t”
Christian: Nonstop laughs after Hader takes over.
Scot: Almost a modified "Fart Face" sketch.
Parking Lot Workers - Hader & Rudd
Christian: Premise was obvious from the start, but some decent escalation.
Scot: Lotta stuff tonight that could be in response to Prop 8 (the gay marriage law in California) passing - Good progression here.
Episode Nine: Tim McGraw
Christian: Funniest part of this episode might have been Tim McGraw's hairline. Come home, brother - it's okay.
Scot: It is exceedingly odd that Obama raises his profile, wins the primary, runs in the general, wins the Election, becomes President and ... essentially doesn't exist on the show. THAT SAID. It's better than the Bush route of running Forte and Sudeikis out there each week with bad ideas.
Automaker Bailout Hearings - auto execs Forte, Hammond, Sudeikis request billions at Congressional hearing
Christian: Eh, it's mostly a snoozer.
Scot: "A few years ago, this Congress passed legislation mandating 200 miles per gallon cars by the year 2015, so we've done our part." A killer line that gets absolute zero response. - It's dense and a little slow-moving, but good laughs inside.
Dateline - Keith Morrison (Hader) loves tragedy
Christian: I guess the famous popcorn gif comes from a future installment.
Scot: Super impression. Hader nails Morrison first time out.
Blizzard man (Samberg) - Ludacris collaborates with Blizzard Man at a recording session; McGraw is record label guy
Christian: I mean, it's almost the first one verbatim. But still likable.
Scot: Why doesn't Kenan know Blizzard Man? He was in a previous sketch with him. - Worse than the first, better than the second one.
Uno's - sticky bar surface is the result of Mark Payne’s incompetent mixology
Christian: I like Moynihan so I was willing to give this another chance, but...this is rough.
Episode Ten: John Malkovich
Scot: For me, at least, the first episode without a 4/5 all season long. But I could see you finding one or two. It's not bad by any stretch.
Gas Right - Armisen silences farts by applying Breathe Right concept to butt
Christian: Seems like a strip would hold the cheeks together and make your farts louder? It's just physics.
Cool Obama - Barack Obama (Armisen) keeps it cool regarding political rivals
Scot: have no earthly idea what to do with him.
Digital Shorts - Jizz In My Pants - (Samberg) & (Jorma Taccone) are premature ejaculators
Christian: Flight of the Conchords would later have a song that sounds just like this.
Scot: Some mixed thoughts on this. It's a good melody; kind of a Pet Shop Boys things.
Malkovich reprises Dangerous Liaisons scenes in a hot tub
Christian: Third-best hot tub-related sketch in SNL history. (I liked it more on second viewing.)
Scot: Just not a good roll of the dice here.
Episode Eleven: Hugh Laurie
Christian: Amy deserved more.
Scot: We'll miss you, Amy - No Hader tonight at all?
Blagojevich Hearing - Rod Blagojevich (Sudeikis) asks U.S. Senate for favors
Christian: "Are you retarded?" probably not happening today. Blago even chides him!
Scot: Good job of nationalizing this scandal. Again, Sudeikis' impression is barely there.
Dysfunctional Xmas Dinner - Sudeikis, Laurie, Wilson, Wiig, Forte
Christian: It's basically just Ferrell's angry dinner bit?
The Cat's Christmas Letter - Wiig dictates a holiday letter in the voice of the dead family cat
Christian: It's a 2 on the page but the performances get it to a 3.
Scot: Laurie's really really good. So much mileage is had out of simple solid performances this year.
Digital Short - at a somber company meeting, Armisen can’t stop snacking
Christian: The famous Rule of 12 in comedy.
Episode Twelve: Neil Patrick Harris
Christian: What a disappointment. Harris is great, but the show let him down. It's not terrible, but collapses in the back half.
Scot: Another killer host.
Today - Hoda Kotb (Watkins) & Kathie Lee Gifford (Wiig); NPH as workout guy
Christian: Wiig is like Mike Myers in that if she is in a sketch, the sketch is all about her.
Scot: Yikes, this is sloooooooow-moving and desperate to find a hook.
Save Broadway - Broadway characters meet at Sardi’s to form a musical theater rescue plan
Christian: Taylor Swift gets a role on her first show?
Scot: Everyone gets a chance to shine here.
Two First Names - NPH & other celebrities with two names guest
Christian: Isn't it funny how some people have two first names? No, it is not.
Scot: Impression workout, but good.
Fran and Freba - long-fingernailed air traffic controllers (Wiig) & (NPH) guide planes
Christian: The audience HATES this.
Scot: They can't all be winners, I guess - a concept with little to support it.
Taylor Swift - “Forever & Always”
Christian: I would not have predicted her world domination based on these two performances.
Episode Thirteen: Rosario Dawson
Christian: Middling, but poor for the season.
Scot: Underwhelming compared to the rest of the season.
Vice President Dick Cheney: The Final Interview - Diane Sawyer (Wiig) talks with Dick Cheney (Hammond) who has no regrets
Christian: Hate to be the joke police here, but why would Cheney regret any of the examples she gives that have nothing to do with him?
Scot: Somewhat repetitive but I think written/performed well enough to work.
Da Learnin' Train - uneducative kids show appalls Harry Connick, Jr. (Sudeikis)
Christian: This is a comedy show right?
Digital Short - A Couple of Homies - Armisen & Samberg hangout session gets a soundtrack by Forte
Christian: This is a comedy show right?
Scot: A little confused after this one.
La Policia Mexicana - cop drama script written by 4th grade Spanish class
Scot: I actually liked the conceit here.
Christian: Yeah, pretty fun. And gives the audience credit, which is admirable.
The View - Salma Hayek (Dawson) & Ricky Gervais (Sudeikis) weigh in on topics - Watkins as Barbara Walters
Christian: I would have bet more cast members played Walters, but it's just Radner, Oteri, Dratch, and now Watkins. And yeah, this sucks.
Episode Fourteen: Steve Martin
Christian: Bad news: the show's in a bit of a fallow period. Good news: it's not nearly as bad as the dips in years past.
Scot: Surprisingly weak for a Steve Martin show in what's been a banner year.
Monologue: Pink Panther 2 opens next weekend
Christian: George W. catching strays from Steve Martin. Feels off.
Scot: Somewhat underwhelming for a Martin monologue.
Chewable Pampers commercial
Christian: Gross.
Scot: Perfectly fine but perhaps a little too close to the Earthies commercial from like S17 or so.
Super Bowl Night Out - Neil, Jean, fellow uptight co-worker (Martin) view the Superbowl on Ecstasy
Christian: Just plugging in new words in the same structure.
Scot: This has lost a little charm by this point.
Madoff Invites - Bernie Madoff (Armisen) can’t get anybody to come to his Superbowl party
Christian: Perfect example of writers expecting something being in the news to carry a sketch.
Scot: What's funny about this? - If nothing else, it's a signpost to mark this scandal, I guess.
Steve and the Ladies - Wilson, Wiig, Elliott, Wakins have crush on Martin
Christian: The female cast is now one all-timer and three bit players.
Scot: Held afloat by Martin's deliveries but not much else here.
Make-Up Counter - make-up salesman’s (Martin) dumb wife Trina (Wiig) bothers him while he works
Christian: Wiig gets a mulligan.
Scot: Trina debut - This is completely empty. Air, clothing, and someone shouting "Thomas!"
Forefathers of the Game - old-time quarterback Billy The Gun (Martin) carried a firearm on the field
Christian: Forte's character is named "Jack Snad," just off "Jackie Snad" from the singing sketch.
Episode Fifteen: Bradley Cooper
Christian: One classic surrounded by a bunch of dogs. A bad episode, but again, only bad by the standards set by the quality the rest of the season.
Scot: Rough week. Not a lot went right. Weird flow, bad decisions. No payoffs. - Watkins appears to have passed Wilson on the depth chart.
Today Show - Kathie Lee Gifford (Wiig) & Hoda Kotb (Watkins) - Cooper guests
Scot: These have been a real mess. Too much mugging from Kristen, no real joke writing. Messed up the light drop. Clearly was supposed to land on Wiig.
I'm Gonna Have Sex With Your Wife - Cooper hosts
Scot: Really underwhelmed. It's an idea, not a sketch.
Digital Short - "I'm on a Boat" - Samberg, Akiva Schaffer & T-Pain [cameo] sing
Christian: The degree of difficulty to get these right is off the charts, and this one nails it.
Bad Guys, Good Conversation - movie villains chat - Hader as Buffalo Bill, Watkins as Glenn Close, Samberg as Hans Gruber
Christian: This is brutal.
Scot: Disjointed. Hader nearly saves it but not quite.
Episode Sixteen: Alec Baldwin
Christian: Big Kenan and Hader episode. Aside from Wiig, the women barely exist.
Scot: Something big must have been cut. Back-to-back re-runs and then still tons of time at the end.
GOP Congressional Leadership Meeting - John Boehner (Aykroyd) & fellow GOP lawmakers misread the political landscape
Christian: The big joke about Obama is that he's too brilliant. Prescient in that it predicts Republicans would push to impeach Dem presidents as soon as they're elected.
Scot: We get Aykroyd in a political sketch before we get Pres. Obama in a political sketch - Feels pretty blunt and ham-fisted overall.
The Cougar Den - gay cougar (Baldwin) has written a book on nabbing younger men; Watkins replaces Poehlerl; Cameron Diaz shows up again
Christian: Asking C-level cast members to carry a sketch.
Sir Mix-A-Lot’s (Kenan) Photo Shop enhances butts on customers’ snapshots
Christian: This feels like a fake sketch they would make up for 30 Rock.
Scot: Fine even if a decade or so late.
Vincent Price’s (Hader) Valentine’s Day Special
Christian: They've been doing the "we think Liberace is straight" joke for 30 years now?
Scot: Some good laughs throughout this edition.
Scheduling - businessmen Carl, Jerry, Troy (Baldwin) fail to schedule a meeting time
Christian: "Carol hold my calls" - catchphrase of the year!
Scot: Fart Face guys ... recur??
Wii Guys - Baldwin, Sudeikis, Hader play suggestive video game
Christian: So dumb. THREE STARS.
Scot: Bryan Tucker and Jason Sudeikis wrote - totally juvenile and definitely funny.
First Coughs: Mastering the Art of Foreshadowing Your Character's Death
Christian: Finding a hidden thread in popular culture almost always works.
Scot: Really enjoyed this. In the category of "Those things you don't notice until someone points it out."
Episode Seventeen: Dwayne Johnson
Christian: Once again, it feels like two separate shows. There's the Hader/Forte/Sudeikis version of the show and the Kristen Wiig show.
Scot: Kinda average before exploding near the end. Forte is really coming close to mastering this thing. Making all the right comedy decisions, in other words.
1-800-IDEAs - Timothy Geithner (Forte) has $420B for solver of banking crisis
Christian: Six and a half minutes of Tim Geithner?
Scot: We get a Tim Geithner political sketch before a Pres. Obama political sketch - Why is Geithner getting enormous applause? - I respect it more than I liked it; unusual execution.
The Rock Obama - Barack Obama (Armisen) when angry, becomes The Rock Obama (Johnson)
Christian: The title is basically the whole premise. Key and Peele's Luther the Obama anger translator was better.
Scot: Armisen/Obama essentially not part of this - Everyone loves The Rock Obama but ... it's just kinda OK?
Hawaii - Bitter Hawaiians (Johnson) & (Armisen) welcome tourists
Scot: I was not amused by a second of this.
MacGruber - MacGyver dies and is flushed down a toilet
Christian: A lot of Forte butt on screen this season.
Scot: Felt like they actually wasted the cameo.
Game Time with Dave and Greg - Johnson is Dave, an ex-jock, Greg is an alien
Scot: Hader, man. That's a performance. And the plot itself is so out-of-nowhere.
Christian: It is an amazing performance. But in terms of laughs, it's...just okay.
Donald Trump (Hammond) shoots NBC spot with Celebrity Apprentice participants - Tom Green (Armisen), Joan Rivers (Watkins), Rodman (Johnson)
Christian: The first time Watkins shows any semblance of comedic talent.
Scot: Johnson actually looks a lot more like Lenny Kravitz.
Episode Eighteen: Tracy Morgan
Christian: Love Morgan, but I'm not sure he can carry a full show. "Additional sketch by Tina Fey."
Scot: A variety pack of good, bad, awful, new, recurring, recycled.
Morgan Returns - Morgan punches his way up to 8H; John Cena & Tina Fey cameos
Scot: Writer Emily Spivey plays the security person at the desk - Unusual set-up for the open, but it works. Feels more like a monologue thing.
Monologue: Morgan sees media bias in coverage of fishtank fire at his residence
Scot: What's this? A monologue that is fun, funny, with energy and a different twist? Yes, please.
The View - Sherri Shepherd (Morgan) doesn't know anything
Christian: It's in the Constitution - when Tracy Morgan comes back, he must be in drag.
Scot: Seems like there should be more, better things to do with this parody.
Astronaut Jones - space female’s (Samberg) also has male parts
Scot: Hope you like recurring sketches! Five in a row.
Big Love - Bill’s (Sudeikis) fourth wife (Morgan) is not a woman
Christian: Holy crap. Not happening today.
Scot: Morgan in a dress - "Joke" is obvious and then they go ahead spell it out for you like four times.
Suppressex enforces social norms by damping unwanted public erections
Christian: Man, Tracy really botches this. But the line about the sexy green M&M is prescient - ask Tucker Carlson.
Scot: Forte: “This is NO time for an erection!” is a brilliant line read.
Rocket Dog - Many human & dogs died when (Morgan) made Rocket Dog
Christian: Where the hell did this come from?
Scot: Wonderful escalation. LOL at Morgan's "PASS!"
Episode Nineteen: Seth Rogen
After years of parity, sketches now male dominated once again for ... obvious reason - WU in a little slump here with Meyers solo.
Barack Obama (Armisen) chooses winners & losers
Christian: Armisen is reading this as if he has never seen it before.
Scot: Who is this weird guy on my screen? - First real POTUS Obama sketch is a dud.
Audience members prefer Paul Blart, Mall Cop & fat Rogen
Christian: Observe and Report is actually a great movie.
Scot: Is it a AFTRA/SAG thing? I'm actually now really curious why cast has to ask questions.
Save the Funnies - Dick Tracy (Sudeikis) & other comic stars try to save papers
Christian: Fred Armisen "as Sudoku" was pretty good.
Scot: Kenan is wearing the exact same outfit from the Broadway sketch - Paula Pell as "The Far Side" was funny.
Vinny Vedecci - Vinny Vedecci thinks Rogen is a Bear Man
Christian: I can't bring myself to knock it for burning the first two minutes on the same joke every time. The Joke about them both being in Superbad deserved a much bigger laugh.
Scot: I don't think Moynihan as the son adds much of anything.
Phone Voices - (Samberg), (Hader), (Rogen) employ funny voices when talking on their cellphones
Christian: I get that they adopt different voices depending on who they are talking to, but why do they adopt their accents and mannerisms?
Scot: Fine but sense that it could have been more. Stale ending.
Corporate Meeting - Rogen’s accidentally copies Grease soundtrack onto corporate CD
Christian: Oh man I loved this. A contrast bit with just enough weirdness to make it unique.
Scot: The faintest whisper of an idea becomes a sketch with 8(?) cast members in it.
Clancy T. Bachleratt & Jackie Snad Sing Easter Songs About Spaceships, Toddlers, Model T Cars and Jars of Beer
Christian: Admittedly, diminishing returns on this one now.
Scot: Same problems as last time for me.
Muppet Bus - Nipsey Russell (Kenan) stops Muppets in Electric Mayhem bus for hit and run
Christian: An attempt at contrast (kid stuff and murder), but not much here.
Scot: Enjoyed all the human Muppet performances. Hader as Animal is almost too perfect.
Episode Twenty: Zac Efron
Christian: Saved at the end, but mostly flat.
Scot: What's with Will's "Forte Farms" shirt during Goodbyes?
Gilly intimidates and terrorizes her fellow students at a science fair
Christian: These just make me angry.
Scot: Recurring - Mild chuckle at Gilly goose-stepping past the German.
The Alliance of Direct Mail Marketers - Direct mail marketing rep’s (Sudeikis) defends direct mail advertising
Christian: One of the more libertarian moments on the show with the privacy concerns.
High School Musical 4: News Senior Class - Troy (Efron) reveals lack of singing in real world
Christian: Never gets above just okay.
Scot: No one sings at college? Tell that to Pitch Perfect (2012)! - Even in the worst ep of the season, there's still a glimmer of light.
Gino's Pizza Rolls - actress’ (Armisen) line reads ruins a commercial shoot
Christian: There is no woman on the cast that could do the Armisen part?
Scot: Exactly the kind of writing I'm hardwired to dislike.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Maps”
Christian: I actually love Karen O as a frontwoman.
Scot: Played the crap out of this on Rock Band.
Sudeikis teaches little brother (Efron) foot rub technique by giving him one
Christian: Rare instance of just letting Sudeikis cook. It's been the females doing it for the last decade.
Scot: LOL and here's Guitar Hero - Tremendous Sudeikis performance, great builds.
Episode Twenty One: Justin Timberlake
Christian: Good start, amazing middle, real drop-off at the end. But Timberlake is still a great host.
Timothy Geithner (Forte) reviews banks’ cavalier answers to stress test
Scot: Jim Downey - Some decent laughs from the answers but kinda flopped at the end.
Immigrant Tale - Timberlake's immigrant great-great-grandpa Cornelius makes predictions
Christian: It's great, but the "he hit it" line about Britney Spears is pretty off-putting knowing what we know now.
Scot: Written by Rich/Sawyer/Mulaney.
Digital Short - "Mother Lover" Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson cameo
Christian: Again, really high level of difficulty and they pull it off. (Pun intended)
Scot: Fine timing after the last sketch - Much credit for holding similar feel/style but still a different concept than Dick In a Box.
The Barry Gibb Talk Show - Nancy Pelosi (Wiig), Roland Martin (Kenan) and others discuss the economy
Christian: "Hey, remember me? I'm Jimmy Fallon, I used to be on this show."
Scot: Written by Higgins/Kenward/Solomon - There's nothing beyond Fallon going crazy.
Episode Twenty Two: Will Ferrell
George W. Bush (Ferrell) asks Dick Cheney (Hammond) to step out of the spotlight
Scot: Both impressions are just a little out-of-practice - Hammond and Ferrell arrived together and appear in this last Hammond ep to open it; the last two great POTUS impersonators to this point.
The Lawrence Welk Show - (Ferrelll) avoids unwanted attention of Dooneese (Wiig)
Christian: Still really like it. You can see this is the type of weird stuff Wiig wants to do but doesn't get to.
Scot: Doing nothing at all for me again.
Celebrity Jeopardy - Sean Connery (Hammond), Kathie Lee Gifford (Wiig), Burt Reynolds (Norm), Tom Hanks [cameo]
Scot: Random Hanks appearance! - Norm! - Lots of good moments, best Jeopardy in quite some time, back to classic-era quality.
Remembrances - Eulogies by Glenda Goodwin (Rudolph cameo) & others (Hader, Ferrell, Wiig)
Christian: Again, Forte takes it from a good sketch to a very good sketch with his Hamilton Whiteman character.
Goodnight Saigon - Traumatized by a Vietnam vacation, Fritz (Ferrell) sings “Goodnight Saigon”
Christian: That's a lot of famous people on stage. But is it a good sketch? Eh.
Scot: In addition to be an epic sketch in terms of participation, it punctures the very obvious overbearing pomposity of the Billy Joel song.