'Wasn't That Special' Season 38 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 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.

Please enjoy this edition of the Season Thirty-Eight bonus notes section, with the clips coming soon.

Help keep the podcast advertisement-free and upgrade to the Executive Producer level, which will keep these emails coming in the future!

Episode One: Seth McFarlane

Christian: The even distribution of roles feels like the show has been rejuvenated. Good use of the new cast members. Barely any Sudeikis.

Armisen hands Barack Obama off to Jay Pharoah - Obama says his secret weapon is Mitt Romney's out-of-touchness (Sudeikis as Romney, Killam as Paul Ryan)

Christian: I believe Ryan had misstated his marathon time, which is what the joke about his workouts was about.

Scot: Decent Obama, I suppose. Let's see how that goes.

Lids employees bring out Psy (Moynihan) to sing Gangnam Style - actual Psy makes cameo.

Christian: This is…barely a sketch? Sudeikis has lost a lot of weight.

Scot: At no point did it approach humor. Awful attempt to capitalize on Psy.

Puppet class - Hader has back flashbacks to his time as a soldier

Christian: One of my all-time favorites. Perfect from front to back. One of Hader's best.

Scot: Oh, that's amazing. Hadn't seen before. Lotta boxes checked throughout this.

Pedrad and McFarlane on blind date and speak exclusively in fake voices

Christian: Aidy Bryant debut!

Scot: This feels like that sketch with the family that did all the voices -- with Paltrow.

Amish sell wooden spoons on the internet (Robinson and McFarlane)

Christian: Quick and fun.

Scot: “The river took my son” is good.

Episode Two: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Christian: Ends up being a good episode by being incredibly average. We have a full on Bayer vs. McKinnon battle for Female Cast Member 1.

Scot: It's true. Wiig being gone is allowing all sorts of people to get screen time. And they're taking advantage.

Live with Kelly (Pedrad) and Michael (Pharoah) - Robert Pattinson (Hader) is guest

Christian: I've said it before, but there's more than a little Oteri in Pedrad's style.

Scot: Not really doing anything for me.

Levitt is a hypnotist - Killan is in on the act, hams it up for the crowd.

Scot: Killam is excellent, even though you hate him. Snappy twist at the end. Really good one.

Christian: It's Killam's best moment on the show so far!

McKinnon and Armisen sing a song to Robinson, presenting their daughter (Levitt)

Christian: Maybe the type of weird stuff from Robinson they should have appreciated more at the time in retrospect.

Powers Realty - Robinson and Pedrad - ask people to stop drawing wieners on their ads

Christian: Gets cut off, but for good reason because it went on a beat too long. But Robinson is good!

Scot: Robinson is getting all sorts of opportunities early on.

Episode Three: Daniel Craig

Christian: Below average but not terrible. Hard to think of an issue that has so animated the writers more than Obama's bad debate against Mitt Romney. Feels like we have really shifted into a modern era of the show.

2012 Presidential Debates - Parnell returns - Romney (Sudeikis) versus Obama (Pharoah) - Obama forgot to get Michelle an anniversary gift.

Christian: Pharoah really stumbles through this. Good thing most of it is prerecorded. Jim Downey, you are missed - this is really lame.

Scot: Romney really cleaned Obama's clock in this first debate. People don't remember it much. - They still can't figure out how to write Obama.

Construction workers - Craig doesn't know how to catcall

Christian: Again, feels like a Robinson. Later, SNL would be accused of plagiarizing this piece.

Scot: Reminds me of the Romano/SportsCenter thing.

Maddow (Strong) on Obama's bad debate performance - Chris Matthews (Sudeikis), Sharpton (Kenan) and SE Cupp (McKinnon) join

Christian: Sudeikis is doing Hammond doing Matthews. Kenan lifts this.

Scot: Totally fine.

Long Island Medium - McKinnon is Teresa Caputo

Christian: McKinnon is from Long Island so this was made for her.

Kirby in Space - Moynihan's astronaut misses his little kitty cat

Christian: Catchphrase bait.

Scot: Kinda enjoyed Moynihan's character here.

A Sorry Lot We Are on the BBC - Craig, Hader, and Moynihan commiserate at a bar

Christian: Aidy Bryant with her first real chance to shine.

Scot: Love Hader's voice. Armisen feels so out-of-place with this cast.

Amisen is Regine, Craig's date to a dinner party, makes faces when he kisses her

Christian: When Armisen says he has a new recurring character, they should pull the fire alarm at 30 Rock.

Scot: What I said above. Armisen is 21 years older than Bryant.

Episode Four: Christina Applegate

Christian: With Bayer, McKinnon, and Pedrad, the women are once again becoming a strength of the show. Bryant and Strong still waiting for regular work.

Vice presidential debate - Biden (Sudeikis) vs. Paul Ryan (Killam) - Usain Bolt cameos

Christian: I was interviewing Ryan a lot around this time and I'm sure I have a recording of me asking him about what he thought about this. As I recall, he liked it, although he said he was legitimately thirsty. This doesn't rise to Downey level, but there's enough in here to make it okay.

Scot: Do we see Sudeikis put in his fake teeth? - Killem's Ryan is pretty good! - I thought this was much better than the usual fare. Three strong performances.

Pharoah's principal Fry makes announcements at Halloween party

Christian: Pharoah is very impressed by his own work here. Applegate's librarian character worries Google will kill libraries. Sort of prescient?

Scot: Do not like this Pharoah character, never have.

Applegate teaches a dance class

Christian: Clearly Applegate has watched a lot of Kristen Wiig. She is doing an impersonation of Wiig doing a character.

Scot: There's some Wiig in her Californians character, too.

Episode Five: Bruno Mars

Scot: Lotta Mars everywhere. Light on Armisen (was he even there?)

Second presidential debate - Aidy Bryant as Candy Crowley - Romney and Obama threaten to fistfight each other. Tom Hanks cameo asking question in audience.

Christian: Ten minutes long and feels like it could be written by a high school improv group. Crowley was actually wrong on the "terrorist" question.

Scot: Aidy's first big role - They found one hook and drove it into the ground repeatedly - Crowley admitted she messed up right after the debate. Didn't matter.

You'll never guess what Bruno Mars does for his monologue!

Christian: We are five-for-five in songs in monologues so far this season.

Scot: Pretty terrible.

Haters with Sunny Taylor Tompkins (Strong) - Woman (Moynihan) had a hoochie daughter (Mars)

Christian: Awful.

Scot: No point, no reason to exist.

Pandora Internet Radio office - Green Day channel goes down, Bruno Mars has to sing their songs

Christian: Not much here, but it is prescient in predicting the end of physical media. Mars' talent carries this though. It won me over.

Scot: Paper-thin premise. Mars is working his ass off, though.

Maryvale animatronic singers (Hader, Mars, Killam) attack Pharoah, Bayer on a date. Tom Hanks cameos.

Christian: Almost a precursor for Hanks' David S. Pumpkins.

Scot: I like this whole series.

Donkey Punch the Ballot - DJ Supersoak and Lil Blaster

Christian: McKinnon's first Ruth Bader Ginsburg.