'Wasn't That Special' Season Eighteen 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 Eighteen 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: Nicolas Cage

Christian: Breaking the cycle of strong starts.

Scot: This is a bad, bad show. No Spade, no Meadows. Jan looks so happy during Goodnights. Mike Myers removed from opening montage, off until December (getting treatment not afforded to Jon Lovitz)

Woody Allen (Dana) runs into Mia Farrow (Jan) outside a movie theater; Schneider as Soon-Yi

Scot: Honestly never thought the Woody Allen rambling was all that funny and that's pretty much all there is here.

Tiny Elvis - Tiny Elvis (Cage) dislikes buddies calling him “cute”

Christian: I remembered this being better.

Scot: From tiny Andrew Dice Clay to this - weird to have a SFX exercise as the first sketch of the season.

Powerful Perot - Ross Perot uses money to demonstrate power over others' actions

Christian: With Perot riding Chris Farley like a piggie, this is FAR more degrading to Farley than Chippendale's was.

Scot: Does Farley seem substantially bigger this year? - better Perot impression.

Nightline - Koppel (Dan) and undecided voters question Bill Clinton

Christian: Farley is just doing his Chris Farley show bit?

Scot: First Hillary impression (Jan) - I dunno, kind of a weird pacing to the whole thing - like game show contestants, undecided voters are morons.

The Queen Shenequa Show - with Bobby Brown; no blacks in Woody Allen movies

Christian: It's better than Pat Stevens?

Scot: Trying for recurring, but ends up being a one-off for obvious reasons.

Mr. Casual Sex - Mr. Casual Sex (Schneider) responds to Dan Quayle a la Murphy Brown

Christian: Cringe.

Scot: Yikes.

Episode Two: Tim Robbins

Christian: An appalling, Season 6-level show. Robbins was the worst host in a long while. Unforgivable given the talent still on this cast.

Scot: Phil missing from goodnights, didn't want to share stage with Sinead. Rock is so pissed, but that's about lack of use. Robbins was a bust as a host. Played himself as activist everywhere. Really light Phil night. The worst start to a season in forever, both in writing and cast usage.

Lorne dreams that Robbins rants against General Electric & gets SNL cancelled

Christian: Eh, wasn't worth the effort.

Scot: No mention that Bob Roberts previously aired on SNL? - What a coincidence this is the open that night Sinead does her thing.

Caracci’s Pizza guarantees that any unsanitary pie is half-price

Christian: It's just the "no sex with dead bodies" funeral home commercial, but with pizza.

Founding Fathers - Time travel for Franklin, Jefferson, Washington

Christian: It's a bad sketch, but dead-on.

Scot: OMG, it's the most prescient sketch ever in the history of the show.

Cooking with Dennis Miller - Spade helps prepare a dish

Christian: The Miller impersonation only really works when Miller is right there reacting?

Scot: It's too accurate for its own good. Dana is too close, the jokes are too real, the struggle was really happening.

Book Burning - Bob Roberts & young conservatives sing songs & burn books in a campfire

Christian: Charles Rocket-era bad. I think that is Christine Zander?

Scot: If you find the "joke" here, let me know.

Tori Spelling (Hutsell) previews new 90210 season & trashes Shannen Doherty

Christian: Her mugging is insufferable. Being funny is one thing, actively begging for laughs makes you look pathetic.

Scot: Melanie studied at the Chevy Chase School of Cue Card Reading - Does not approach comedy at any time.

Sinead O'Connor - "War" - tears up photo of the Pope

Christian: The most lecture-y SNL in the show's history?

Scot: Excitement! - It's a captivating vocal performance. Clearly the APPLAUSE sign did not go on, but could the studio audience see what she had ripped up?

Sweet Jimmy, the World's Nicest Pimp - Jimmy (Robbins) genuinely cares about his whores

Christian: Victoria's absence has left a glaring hole.

Scot: Melanie is playing her character as Tori Spelling again, apparently.

Episode Three: Joe Pesci

Scot: Better all around. Pesci was wonderful. A great fit.

George Bush , Bill Clinton, Ross Perot debate each other

Christian: Spade always complains about this one - he starts the sketch dressed as Perot, but they cut to video of Dana to do the actual impression.

Scot: Clinton explaining away the Russia trip is classic Phil/Clinton behavior - "You got to jiggle it."

Pesci criticizes Sinead O’Connor’s actions & shows repaired Pope picture

Scot: Spade had the missing piece, as you might know.

Pinky Ringery - Pesci shops for pinky ring and silently mimes conversations

Christian: A lot of dead space in this one before it gets to the (really good) jokes. The ending pushed it up a notch.

Single White Person - Pat gets roommate

Christian: Succeeds in spite of Hutsell.

Scot: Parody of Single White Female movie - Melanie has two moves: Jan Brady and Tori Spelling - Man, never seen Pesci play something like that.

Bank Robbers - bank robbers waiting for TV news exposure sit through endless commercials

Christian: Big laughs for the puppy dog commercial, which is clearly Smigel.

Scot: Strangely, they tried to do too much. There are 4-5 different sketches in here that could have worked, but to jam all the ideas together just leaves it as average.

Episode Four: Christopher Walken

Christian: In all-time best episode territory.

Scot: An episode in which everything fit. The news cycle, the writers, the host, the cultural relevance (Sinead), the special guest, the right recurring characters. Dana in just the cold open as phase-out begins - With Myers out, Dana leaving, Farley in rehab, Schneider becomes clear #2 male (well, Nealon, I guess.)

Ross Perot (Dana) ditches Admiral Stockdale (Phil) on the side of the road

Scot: Might be the last Dana/Phil sketch? - Miller would later lightly criticise this for taking shots at a war hero, but, come on. It's a slam dunk.

The Continental - The Continental flirts when a woman comes to reclaim her glove

Christian: Huge laughs from beginning to end.

Scot: I confess I generally like these a little less than the public at large, but this is a really good installment - doesn't even come close to breaking when the mustache starts to fall off.

Ed Glosser, Trivial Psychic (Walken) annoys co-workers with ho-hum visions.

Christian: Phil...almost breaks?

Scot: Really great. Good pacing. Love the comeback from Phil.

Stalk Talk - guests discuss the nature of their obsessive trailing

Christian: Good performances that didn't necessarily translate into a funny sketch.

Scot: Everybody is fantastic here, but especially Jan and Walken. It's a great spot for Sandler.

Walken sings about catching STD on “The Boulevard Of Broken Balls”

Scot: Final sketch submitted by Michael O’Donoghue.

Episode Five: Catherine O’Hara

Scot: Was so looking forward to O'Hara's return and this did not deliver. No Farley again.

Ross Perot talks about GOP dirty tricks

Scot: I'm actually tiring of Perot a bit, but I guess we won't have to worry about that in a week or so.

Nanny Greenwood - Siblings grow weary of Nanny's (O'Hara) songs

Scot: Conan O’Brien wrote with Greg Daniels - rare sketch with Dana and Melanie just playing normal people - Muddles around for a bit but by the end it's a winner.

Hans and Franz - Hans & Franz make fun of trick-or-treaters

Christian: Apt for a Halloween sketch to die like this one.

Scot: It's almost shocking to see them back after so long and there's nothing that makes me look forward to the next visit.

Proud Canadians - via song, Canadians Hartman and O’Hara gloat about Toronto’s World Series victory

Christian: The Canadian Iraqi Pete. Unnecessarily provocative.

Scot: They didn't give it back! Toronto won again in '93.

Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley - Stuart tells a scary story with a happy ending

Scot: Was there a challenge to mention Madonna in every sketch tonight? - Does he need a guest to make this really work?

After the Halloween Party - Marilyn Monroe (O'Hara) wakes up next to JFK (Nealon)

Scot: Just like last time, O'Hara tries to end on a serious, deep note - unlike last time, it's a bomb.

Episode Six: Michael Keaton

Scot: Farley's return doesn't mean much. Still kind of scuffling along.

Christian: I thought Farley was good in his limited spots; not being asked to do much.

George Bush calls campaign contributors to apologize for losing

Scot: Julia was leaving the sketch too early so Dana ad-libbed to ask her to stay longer.

Chameleon XLE commercial

Christian: Prescient: Rich people driving shitty cars became a thing.

Elevator Training - elevator operator (Schneider) gives nervous trainee (Keaton) tips on small talk

Christian: Remember Jim Downey's favorite joke is the person who slowly explains something that doesn't need explanation? That is basically this.

Scot: Is this Rob's doorman getting a promotion? 

First Annual Gutenberg Awards - Billy Crystal (Schneider) emcees publishing industry honors

Christian: First Schneider bit I can remember really bombing.

Scot: Farley back from rehab temporarily - There are good moments and I like some of the awards, but it drags and I don't think Rob's Crystal is that good.

First Day - Keaton's attempts to join new co-workers’ jokes come off as mean-spirited

Christian: This is actually prescient - people who don't know each other being rude because they think it's funny, just like social media.

First Date - On a first date, Keaton finds out Sweeney no longer sleeps around

Scot: This is one Spade wrote for Sweeney.

Morrissey - “Suedehead”

Christian: One of my favorite songs.

Outweek - Keaton and Dana expose secrets of famous people

Christian: I had no memory of this at all, so I thought the Farley "you're outta heres" were great.

Scot: Could have been just a gay thing, but the increasingly strange reveals actually work well.

Episode Seven: Sinbad

Christian: Here comes Sandler, in his 39th episode. (Although every time I say that, the cast member disappears for three weeks.)

Scot: Rock got a spotlight for perhaps the last time as a cast member.

Depressed George Bush gives Bill Clinton a White House tour

Christian: I had forgotten the "bozos" gaffe during the campaign.

Scot: Phil's Clinton is still not perfected; he's playing it almost as if Clinton has a cold - it's better in a few weeks.

Sinbad does stand-up about how to act around Dracula

Christian: "This is the last time you'll ever see Sinbad." Kind of...true?

Scot: Perfectly fine stand-up routine.

Cluckin' Chicken commercial

Christian: Like BBQ joints that have a cartoon of a pig eating ribs - that pig would be history's greatest monster.

The Gloria Brigade - gay Civil War unit has dinner with black soldiers

Christian: Are positive stereotypes offensive? Also - are there any women in the cast anymore?

Scot: Shockingly, Nealon repeats the same joke four times - a litany of gay stereotypes that I don't think they found a way to make funny.

Superman's Funeral - superheroes pay their last respects at Superman’s funeral

Christian: Had its moments, but still pretty flat.

Scot: Franken as Luthor is funny, as is Lois asking if Clark Kent arrived - couldn't have done this last week with Keaton as Batman? - echos of the superhero party sketch with Margot Kidder - Farley even plays Hulk, as Belushi did.

At Home With Monica/Bram Stoker’s Blacula/Gilligan’s Biosphere

Christian: Farley is still green from his Hulk makeup. I thought the Blacula bit was hilarious.

Scot: Anyone remember Seles used to make odd noises? Or more that she was stabbed?

The Dark Side with Nat X - Joe Jackson (Sinbad) reacts to TV movie about Jackson family

Scot: It's the last Nat X! 

Episode Eight: Tom Arnold

Christian: America's dark, sordid history involves both slavery and the time everyone loved Tom Arnold.

Scot: Mike Myers is back!

Wayne’s World- Bill Clinton top 10 list

Scot: Second straight "Garth got pubes" joke? - "Don't Stop" was 15 years old in 1992. The modern equivalent is "I Gotta Feeling" from Black Eyed Peas - Hillary complained about the Chelsea joke, was removed for reruns.

Christian: The Chelsea joke is rough.

Sex and Peer Pressure at Valley High - gay teens in PBS afterschool special

Christian: Strong "Radical Chic" vibes here, especially when Phil reads off the public TV shows. The rest is just supposed to be funny because they're gay? That's the punchline?

Scot: There's a problem here. The only funny part is Phil's pledge drive cut-in because that's the point of the sketch. It's a take on the type of programming conservatives criticize PBS for "shoving down our throats" and using mounds of taxpayer money to do so. The "Abortion, Yes!" umbrella gift emphasizes this point. But then ... you've got the majority of the sketch which is boiler-plate after-school special stuff with gay characters. Just the a gay couple acting like a straight couple wouldn't have been seen as funny, even back then. No?

Bill Clinton at McDonald's

Scot: The best political sketch in SNL history. Remember, Clinton hasn't even taken the oath yet. The fake commitment to fitness, not telling Mrs. Clinton things, his magnetism with the people and connecting with the baby's mom (and knowing what the name means!). Unable to control his urges. Returning to McD's every day. Taking advantage of others. Connecting with common folk. Who ultimately benefits from all these interactions? Clinton. It's excellent now yet prescient when it comes to Clinton's entire time in office.

Christian: Yep, a classic. And prescient! “There's going to be a lot of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton.”

Bill Swerski's Superfan - Super Fans visit Bob Swerski in the hospital; Dick Butkus cameo

Christian: In the Phil Clinton sketch, Farley says his last name is Holmgren - Mike Holmgren had just been hired as the Packers' head coach. And single-handedly ended the Bears era.

Scot: The intro says WCBM but the sign in the hospital room says WBBM.

Dogs - grunge band "discovered" by Arnold performs a song

Christian: Dana appears to be a good drummer.

Scot: Don't quite know what to make of this.

Porno Buyers’ Service representative (Schneider) is efficient but not discreet

Christian: Prescient: Rob Schneider as THE INTERNET.

Episode Nine: Glenn Close

Scot: Farley caught with drugs this week, nearly fired. Instead sent back to rehab over break. Carvey gone (though he returns occasionally), Myers halfway out, Farley back to rehab. Will this mark the end of an era in quality terms?

Glenn Close's real neighbors sing a custom "Silver Bells"

Christian: It’s all men! Evidently the female unemployment rate in Glenn Close's hometown is 100%.

Scot: Actually better than I thought it would be.

What's the Best Way - game show features directions-giving New Englanders

Christian: Accents! They're funny! SNL alums from Manchester, NH: Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, Seth Meyers. Basically a precursor to "the Californians."

Scot: I like the distinct character types of all three contestants.

The Black Crowes - "Sometimes Salvation”

Christian: Never heard of them.

Scot: Just let them play for the rest of the show.

Tori - Melanie touts 90210 fragrances

Christian: It's a sweat act.

Scot: Painful.

Orgasm Guy - the least bit of pleasure causes Orgasm Guy (Schneider) to climax

Christian: It just came to me. Schneider = Kazurinsky.

Scot: Sketch is OK, Rob is really good. Spade setting him up with rapid-fire favorite things is the best part. This is written well. There's just so far you can take it.

Lesbian Christmas Party - lesbians & sperm donor (Nealon) share politically-correct holiday gathering.

Christian: Glenn Close = Budget Meryl Streep

Scot: This is like the fourth straight episode with a gay-themed sketch. Did the show add a gay writer? These feel like anthropological missions to discover more about these lifestyles  - Lesbians don't celebrate Christmas?

Drummer Boys

Christian: Was this pre-taped? I thought Farley was in rehab?

Scot: This feels like a preview of the type of comedy on the show looming just over the horizon.

Episode Ten: Danny DeVito

Christian: Up: Sweeney, Schneider. Down: Spade, Hutsell, Rock, Carvey, Meadows, Cleghorne. Holding steady: Hartman, Nealon.

Scot: Bruce Handey, Vanessa Middleton on as writers. One great idea (Sex book) and then everything else.

Bob & Bill Swerski write a letter to protest firing of Mike Ditka

Christian: George Wendt getting more air time than David Spade.

Scot: Farley back in rehab, Mantegna back in the Superfans - "Perhaps Ditka will choose to become Mayor"; he very nearly ran for Senate the year Obama won - I really liked this one. I wouldn't work without the foundation of the others, but it's a perfect twist on the  established format.

Aaron Spelling's Amy Fisher 10516

Christian: Lorne kept this over Siobhan. Specifically for this impression.

Scot: She's intentionally bad, I suppose? But that's still bad with no redeeming qualities.

Amy Fisher: One Messed-Up Bitch - BET’s Buttafuoco variant

Christian: It's all Amy Fisher this episode. I rue the day the Lorena Bobbitt story drops.

Scot: Chris Rock in drag.

The Gap - Gap employees Kristy (Dana) & Lucy (Adam) work with customers

Christian: The funniest part of this sketch is how Spade still recounts it as being the pinnacle of 1990s comedy.

Scot: Tri-Delts revived! - This is hot garbage.

Unbelievable New Breakthroughs - Mary Jo Buttafuoco (Jan) & hair-in-a-can

Christian: What's this I hear about this Amy Fisher thing?

Scot: Finally stumbled upon an OK way to do this.

Bon Jovi - “Wanted Dead or Alive”

Christian: Richie Sambora switching guitars mid-song is a power move.

Episode Eleven: Harvey Keitel

Christian: Farley back at goodnights.

Scot: Handey back in writer credits, a list that is getting really long - Just a rock solid episode, something we've had too few of this year.

Madonna sings to Bill Clinton (and Chelsea) a la Marilyn Monroe at Inaugural concert

Christian: Who could have guessed this president would be mired in a sex scandal?

Scot: Good reaction shots - Some real laughs here from what could have been a boring sketch.

Transit Workers - transit workers mumble both on mic and to each other

Christian: A very New York joke. But just dumb enough for everyone to get!

Scot: A single joke kept at the proper length.

It's Pat - on deserted island with Keitel

Christian: Pat was so offensive, this is the 11th installment. Wait, Keitel can't tell the difference between a man and woman when it's dark out? Huh?

Scot: Keitel asking the direct question of gender is the logical endpoint of this whole series, but I would bet there are more.

George Bush cleans out desk & talks with Dan Quayle

Scot: Not quite Carvey's swan song, but could have been a great capper.

Myers and Julia get alternating orders to get in or out of Keitel’s cab

Scot: Fun sketch, finding new reasons to get in/out of the car.

Episode Twelve: Luke Perry

Bill & Hillary Clinton greet crazy people & real Giorgio Armani

Christian: Is Jan Hooks on the f'ing show or not? If she isn't, hire another woman to play these roles.

Scot: Most of this just doesn't work. Phil's apology at the end saves it from disaster. One of the weaker political sketches in a long time.

The Tampon Prince - Prince Charles abdicates to be Camilla Parker-Bowles’ tampon

Christian: I remember this scandal well.

Scot: Carvey's last lead role - based on leaked phone call in which Charles says this.

Magic Fish Town Meeting - dwindling population of wish-granting magic fish is topic of town meeting

Christian: Appreciate the weirdness and originality, but it forgot to be funny.

Scot: Feels like a Handey, though I don't know for sure. Just layers of good stuff here.

SNL Halftime Spectacular - Michael Jackson (Rock) sings medley, little people and children gather

Christian: When the podcast makes its first million dollars, I am spending it on the giant Richmeister mascot head, which has to still exist somewhere.

Scot: LOL at the Richmeister and Pat mascots - a big change-of-pace from usual structure that worked pretty well.

Sassy's Sassiest Boys - Russell Clark (Hartman) with impudent heartthrobs

Christian: The Nealon school of joke repetition.

Scot: Spade's Slater impression is good - Sandler is OK, Schneider is weak.

Saying Goodbye - Perry tells parents (Melainie and Phil) goodbye before leaving home

Christian: What is this sorcery? A decent performance by Hutsell? Nothing makes sense anymore.

Scot: A serious, slice-of-life 10-to-1. Phil's great, Melanie doesn't try to do too much (for a change). This makes more sense now that I'm a dad.

Episode Thirteen: Alec Baldwin

Christian: All in all, a middling episode.

Scot: Strong run in the middle, but can't close the deal.

Dateline NBC anchors admit mistakes, apologize for other things, then Toonces drives them home

Christian: Toonces gets a LFNY?

Scot: Julia is pretty good as an anchor-type person (Weekend Update in a parallel SNL universe?)

Baldwin generously tips everyone when he goes backstage

Christian: Are they going to do a "three timers club" for SNL hosts who killed people? (With Robert Blake, O.J. and Baldwin?)

Scot: Spinal Tap wants to know if Alec's outfit could be more black.

Francais - French teacher (Baldwin) makes sure students’ inflection matches his

Christian: Baldwin is at the top of my "people who I can't stand but have undeniable talent" list.

Scot: The rhythm and song of the writing sticks in your head for a long long time. Baldwin, Al Franken, Don Henley, Howard Stern are my list.

The Bodyguard: The Series - David Hasselhoff (Baldwin) & Patti LaBelle (Cleghorne)

Christian: Man, Baldwin is hairy.

Paul McCartney - “Hey Jude”

Christian: Never heard of it.

Scot: Pretty good song here.

Episode Fourteen: Bill Murray

Christian: A terrible episode. Should I be sad I had to watch this or happy there has only been a couple of these in the past six years?

Scot: Murray's pretty good everywhere. Do I feel Schneider slipping back a bit?

Beverly Hills residents question Bill Clinton about his policies

Christian: This is brutal.

Scot: Forgot/did not know how often Rock played Michael Jackson - feels like they know Clinton cold opens are expected but not sure how to pull them off yet.

The Whipmaster - a not-so-proficient actor (Murray) takes over the title role

Scot: Phil is two years older than Bill - Enjoyed this one quite a bit.

Christian: What? This is awful.

Coffee Talk on Oscars with Murray

Christian: I have this weird sensation where it seems Myers is both in too much and not enough at the same time.

McDonald's - to get free food, Honker poses as meat inspector testing for tainted beef

Scot: Jack In the Box tainted burgers around this time.

Episode Fifteen: John Goodman

Christian: I thought maybe I was just in a bad mood when I watched the previous couple of episodes, but nope. They are legitimately bad.

Scot: This one was ticketed for the trash heap before a moderate turn-around in the back third. Says something that not even fantastic hosts can salvage some of this material.

Wilson Countersink Flanges commercial

Christian: Dense technical lingo - was this written by Dan Aykroyd?

Scot: It's fun because the words are made up.

Cruise - while on a cruise, Linda Richman & Goodman talk about all the great food

Christian: These are just an exercise in ways to get Linda to say her catchphrases.

Scot: Marilyn Miller wrote - This character is nowhere near strong enough to exist outside of her show. Why would we care?

Block Party - partygoers pretend to believe eccentric loser Canteen Boy’s (Sandler) stories

Christian: Sandler's Canteen Boy is just a couple clicks off Bill Murray's Honker?

Scot: There's nothing funny here. Just characters being mean and sneering at each other.

Turkish Storekeeper -Turkish (Schneider) is the target of (Goodman)’s anti-Arab sentiments

Scot: Family Ties-esque flashback-within-a-flashback set-up - There's a lot of good here and an actual point underneath it all without being heavy-handed.

The Man Without a Shout - tragedy spurs (Goodman) never to raise his voice

Christian: Funny premise, well-acted by Goodman.

Scot: I laughed.

Episode Sixteen: Miranda Richardson

Christian: Better than the last few, but still middling. Probably not a coincidence that the show cratered when Carvey left.

Scot: Is Dawna Kaufmann new? So many writers perhaps pointing to a general feeling of exhaustion. That said, this is better than the average ep this season. Richardson was an outstanding host.

Pat sings “The Crying Game” for Richardson & Stephen Rea

Christian: I actually just read a book about Stephen Rea and his marriage to an IRA terrorist. Weird coincidence.

Scot: That's it. That's all there is.

Richardson sings like Marilyn Monroe & tries to ingratiate herself with USA

Christian: They've just given up on monologues. Too many goddamn songs.

Scot: Pretty good as far as song and dance numbers go.

The Rain People - Phil frustrates Richardson’s attempts to complete an emotional scene

Christian: The awards show makes it marginally better than a Nealon repetition sketch.

Scot: Out of nowhere! Phil's outstanding, but so is Miranda. Didn't know where this one was going to go.

Bad News - after WWII soldier (Myers) recovers, Richardson explains lies

Scot: Strongest Myers sketch in quite a while and great two-way interplay with Richardson - Gets more and more ridiculous - "What did I hit? The children's school next door."

MTV Spring Break '93 UK - VJs get roughed up by British hooligans - Sandler as Pauly Shore, Spade as Denis Leary

Christian: None of this works. Not one thing. Unfortunately prescient with Prince Andrew hanging out with teens. Also, it looks like Sandler is legitimately hurt when Meadows pours beer in his eyes.

Dieter's Dream - whorenun (host), shemale Susan, Marv Albert inhabit Dieter’s Dream

Christian: "I have always wanted to make love to a woman with punctuational nomenclature."

Scot: Man, there is some weirdness happening here.

Jack McManus Bar - spineless pub owner (CHF) remembers celebrities taking advantage of him

Christian: Cast members always say Farley could have been a great actor, and this is the first time you really see it.

Scot: Ended up liking this quite a bit with the constant backing down. This version of Farley is one who could make some noise on the show.

Episode Seventeen: Jason Alexander

Christian: I had this one a half a point above you. Primarily because I like-a-the juice.

Scot: Flat, uninspired show. It seems like Phil is stepping back, waiting for someone to take over the lead male role and no one is capable. Big Meadows night!

Woody Allen Fan Club - Woody Allen’s legal troubles are discussed at a meeting of his fan club

Christian: Spade plays Andy Breckman? First time a show writer has been impersonated on the show?

Scot: Am I the guy who just doesn't find Woody Allen impression funny? I know it's a different era and all.

Hub's Gyros - workers at talk about "liking the juice” and other things

Christian: For reasons I cannot fully explain, I LOVE THIS SKETCH. This was a constant catchphrase with me and my college friends.

Scot: Smigel having a big night - I think we'e clearly supposed to see this as a meta-sketch, looking at the show's penchant for one-note characters/sketches.

Weak Crime Boss - mob boss (Alexander) repeatedly has thugs release Meadows prematurely, gets beat up

Scot: Has to be a Nealon. It's the Mace sketch with a slightly different setting. Phil is even doing a Mace voice.

Christian: Yes, it's completely stolen from past sketches. But I'll pretend it's a recurring character, which repeats jokes all the time, and still manages to be pretty funny.

Tales of Irony - three vignettes fail to contain irony

Christian: Didn’t stick the landing, but thought it was funny enough. Also, prescient, given the Alanis factor.

Scot: Jagged Little Pill was two years away - Didn't love the execution here.

Alexander repeatedly misidentifies new black co-workers

Christian: Appreciate a sketch with clever racial humor.

Scot: Enjoyed the escalation around the IDs. The final twist almost was a prescient look at "deadnaming," but we didn't quite get there.

Episode Eighteen: Kirstie Alley

Christian: Phil is in his late-stage balding Kareem phase - still scores plenty, but clearly bored.

Scot: This is the true GE Smith era, by the way. Seemingly all the songs now are guitar-led and all the bumps have him alone. Virtually everyone on the show is SCREAMING he/she should not be trusted to anchor the cast. No one is breaking out, no one is consistent.

SNL’s recurring characters sing “Fire Bad” for post-Rodney King unity

Christian: Clever, but no actual laughs.

Scot: Wayne and Franz are partnerless (sad face) - Fun song, full cast participation. It works.

La Cantoria - amorous Italians attend to vacationing Kirpatricks in hotel room

Christian: It's about 10 degrees different than the original, which was flawless. Just a rewrite.

Scot: Misses Carvey, but still a solid follow-up.

Bad Taste Sketches - disclaimers fail to warn viewers about sketches involving vomit

Christian: Bad, yes - but almost a Python-esque irreverence and bad taste. Problem is, Python had already done it, 20 years earlier.

Scot: A harbinger for the next two years. Nothing here is earned, only gratuitous. I don't think the set-up helps anything.

While the City Sweeps - Schiller

Christian: It's like "Night at the Museum" but with people. Farley likely rolled out the barrel quite a bit at the Essen Haus in Madison.

Scot: I really liked the heart in this one, especially as a 10-to-1. Schneider is really good. And a fun concept overall.

Episode Nineteen: Christina Applegate

Christian: Some of the strongest hosts this season have been women - Applegate, Richardson (sadly, the O'Hara episode was bad, but she is always good.)

Scot: Is Myers on this show after the cold open? Another datapoint for the "do one thing great" argument.

Coffee Talk- alone & farklempt Linda takes calls on Mother’s Day

Christian: The allegedly "smart people" stuff people are supposed to discuss amongst themselves aren't really all that smart.

Scot: Still milking the Paul Baldwin fill-in thing? - Opens definitely have suffered this year.

Focus on Beauty - Cher (Applegate) sells Lori Davis’ (Farley) no-alcohol spray

Christian: I actually love how restrained Farley is in this one. It's on his "greatest hits" DVD. Feels like a Downey, with idiots explaining obvious things over and over. You keep waiting for Farley to erupt and he never does.

Scot: How many times is the crowd going to bust over just *seeing* Farley in drag? - Why am I just watching an infomercial go through the motions?

The Gap - Kristy & Lucy help orient a new employee (Applegate) at The Gap

Christian: Sigh.

Scot: They're called jokes. Look into them.

Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker

Christian: I enjoy the small talk before Farley shows up. The audience has no idea what's about to hit them.

Scot: Applegate loses it immediately - Only Phil keeps it together when he goees through the table - A testament to tight writing and brevity, too. Nothing wasted and more would have been too much.

You Bet Your Life - Bill Cosby (Sandler!) babbles his way through the game show

Christian: At least he's not in blackface?

Scot: After the first ten seconds, nothing matters. You've seen and heard everything you need.

Hangin' With MTV - G-Spot sings “All I Wanna Do Is Suck Your Big Toe”

Christian: Would totally have been a hit in 1993.

Scot: Meadows clearly has overtaken Rock in usage.

Casting Agency - actress (Applegate) gets warnings just before an audition

Christian: About as good as a Nealon gets at this point.

Scot: I enjoyed the voicebox "Hi Carla" at the end.

Episode Twenty: Kevin Kline

Scot: Last show for Rock and Smigel - Conan launches September 13, 1993 - Last show for Zander and the Turners. Coneheads came out just after this final show.

Bill & Hillary Clinton talk health care and  deal with Bob Dole (Aykroyd)

Christian: All their early impressions of Bill and Hillary Clinton came true - he would get caught in a sex scandal and she would run for president. Prescient.

Scot: It's incredible how consistently they portray Hillary early on. Desperate for power, smarmy, just putting up with Bill for the access.

Audience McGee (Sandler) figures out that Nealon is impersonating Kline on-stage (like Dave)

Scot: It's my understanding Letterman was set to host and pulled out at the last minute. - This comes close to sliding off the rails, but the closer of Schneider and Rock pulls it together.

Rome - otherwise-suave Italian’s (Kline) flatulence ruins encounter with Sweeney

Christian: I literally cried when he farted on the cherries jubilee.

Scot: Struggled with this because the joke is ... well, whatever, but it's done with a certain elegance. It's the classiest fart gag you could construct.

How To Find Financial Freedom with Don Lapre - Don Lapre (Spade) tells how to find financial freedom with a 900 number

Christian: The internet would soon come along and promise to be a 1-900 number for uninteresting people. Like people would be interested in their lives. Prescient!

Scot: It's better than I thought it might be and Spade does a solid job here with the jokes.

The Juice - Hub’s Gyros workers travel to Mount Olympus to get more juice

Christian: We should have an award for "least welcome attempt at making a sketch recurring." There will be some Matt Foleys like this in the future.

Scot: You can get away with this once, I think. Twice? No, no.

Shmee - youngster’s (Rock's) magical bee (Farley) thwarts a burglary attempt

Christian: Don't bees die after they sting? Really tough way for Rock to go out.

Scot: No laughs found.