'Wasn't That Special' Season Thirteen Bonus Material

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 strike-shortened Season Thirteen 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: Steve Martin

Scot: Not a great season premiere! Not a great use of Steve Martin!

Christian: Dissent. My grade put this as a top-five episode in the past five years.

Slide whistle sound effects reflect internal thoughts of Steve & Victoria

Christian: Every slide whistle was funny.

Scot: A twist on the Joe Montana sketch from last year.

The NFL Today - strike means replacement players shine - Dana as George Plimpton

Christian: "Auntie Maim" would be a great roller derby name. Carvey's Plimpton is actually good - he really sounded like that! Clock is ticking on Jimmy the Greek - he'd be canceled soon.

English officials upset at Bond spending money, but he's cheap with his personal finances - BULLETS AREN'T CHEAP

Scot: They tried to write this too big. It's a simple concept.

Christian: Yes, it's too long, but the highs are worth it.

Hanz & Franz are here to pump you up

Christian: Amazing how much better this is when you know the setup - the crowd is completely confused. Total throwaway at the end of the episode. But any debut of a classic sketch gets an extra point from me just for existing.

Scot: Debut in the 10-to-1 slot. Nealon said the crowd had no idea what was going on with this - it's not an auspicious debut.

Episode Two: Sean Penn

Scot: Two duds in a row to start the year. Lack of jokes is striking.

Christian: This one is below average, but hardly a "dud." I guess if you're grading based on the talent in the room?

Sean Penn in dressing room - Fatal Attraction II- former prison lover(?) Alex (L.L. Cool J) visits host

Christian: I think a lot of rappers weren't doing gay sketches at the time?

Scot: When's the last cold open with zero cast members involved?

Teeny Cafe - Penn as Robert DeNiro - Babette & Lovitz perform “The Way We Were”

Christian: Babette is comedy fentanyl.

Scot: This Penn/DeNiro thing goes on way too long.

Wall Street Week -  PBS-type show on markets - guests panicky, but Future Man (Nealon) is in good shape

Christian: Total dud.

Scot: This was just after Black Monday - Phil's character has more than a little Nathan Thurm in him - the composition of this thing doesn't work.

Eddie Spimozo’s WWII vet brother (host) wants to work at The Jungle Room

Scot: No one's really writing jokes tonight, just situations.

Discover - Peter Graves (PHH) is clueless when it comes to snakes

Christian: I enjoy Hartman as Graves, and...Penn in a tank of snakes is kind of amazing? On live television?

Scot: The Graves/Penn interaction saved this one.

Episode Three: Dabney Coleman

Scot: Three episodes in and not a single memorable moment thus far. I'm sounding the alarm.

Lifestyles Of The Rich, Famous, & Scary- Robin Leach (Dana) in a skeleton costume at Elvira's house

Christian: Presume this was written by Carvey, for obvious reasons. (Editor’s note: in the sketch, Elvira clutches Carvey’s head to her chest.) Elvira was a Groundlings product, right?

Scot: There's a promise made in the intro that never gets paid off.

Nature's Broom - Peggy Lee (Nora) song for fiber

Christian: "Diverticulitis" makes its return - now eligible for catchphrase category if you feel bad about passing on it before.

Boy Scouts tell scary stories around the campfire - Scoutmaster (Coleman) tells bitter one about his ex-wife

Scot: OK, look. Maybe this is some evidence the writers really didn't know how to write for women because they were too buy being mad at them.

The Winning Spirit - Coleman is blind and bitter

Scot: Placing these two back-to-back was a huge mistake.

Christian: This sketch is certainly worth your ire.

Count Dracula, self-taught auto mechanic

Scot: Lovitz is coughing for a second straight week. Must be a lingering cold. - The second half, where we find out Dracula is just a lonely dude with a dead wife, saves the sketch a little.

Don't Go Down to the Basement - Dana and Victoria in underwear, guy with axe in basement

Christian: Nope.

Scot: You can see how this might be good, but it's just ... not.

Dr. Rick Mauser marriage counselor (Coleman) gets friendly with Nealon, hostile to Nora

Scot: Again, a data point in favor of the argument that the writers' room being a rough place for women this year.

Student council of a new high school tries to come up with a mascot - The Tigers, The Screaming Tigers, The Communists, The Capybaras, The Frozen Caveman, The Superwinners

Scot: Another decent concept that just didn't deliver for me.

After losing $78,000 on Black Monday, Lovitz confronts his broker (Coleman), who tries to be buddy-buddy

Christian: What show am I watching?

Scot: What the hell is happening here?