'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?
Episode Four: Robert Mitchum
Christian: Maybe slightly below average, but still not a disaster.
Scot: How how how how could all this talent face-plant like this? Are the writers already on strike?
Death Be Not Deadly - private eye Philip Marlowe (Mitchum) narrates story in real time
Christian: At this point, we have a long history of SNL bits in which people act out a story as it is being written.
The Mountain Man - Lovitz & Victoria want to go hiking with Dana's Mountain Man
Christian: "It's mini-men like you that make women turn lesbo." This was a good sketch with virtually no premise.
Scot: Victoria: "Remember what happened to your first wife?" - Not perfect but some of the first real laughs of the year.
Weekend Update - Ginsberg "Just Say No" joke - Cuomo waffling on POTUS run - Victoria Jackson commentary - A. Whitney Brown Big Picture
Christian: Features Scarlet Hiltibidal, Victoria's daughter.
Andrew & Rex: Macho Hairstylists
Christian: I don't hate the premise, but could have been done better.
Scot: Terry Sweeney at home asking himself how he missed playing the Lovitz role here.
A beggar (Mitchum) tells his rich son (Dana) about how he obtained a jewel
Christian: Prescient in that it predicts rich people dressing like hobos, but otherwise, nothing here.
Scot: I absolutely don't care about anything happening in this sketch.
Episode Five: Candice Bergen
Christian: Like a championship-level basketball team that still has a winning record, but nowhere near first-place. These should be better.
Scot: Signs of life but still generally disappointing; Bergen not really used in back-half of episode.
George Bush (Dana) announces to nation “I’m no wimp, I’ve staged a coup”
Christian: Some prescient stuff about not criticizing the current president and staging a coup to take control of the government. Also, just a hint of the Carvey GHWB we would see in the future.
Scot: Hardly close to the class Bush impression we know; some good writing here in the coup details.
Pumping Up with Hans & Franz - a look at flabby man Helmut’s (Hartman) faults
Christian: Some good laughs in this one. Starting to cook.
Scot: Seems like a big step up from the first iteration.
Anne Boleyn (Bergen) acts about various execution options, Phil explains consequences
Christian: Equal parts smart and silly.
Scot: The first truly memorable thing this season; Hartman's skill here in the descriptions merit attention.
Manufacturers of Machine Part Components United To Save Our Courts
Scot: I really liked the hyper-specific nature of the complaint and it was done well enough to pass as a real commercial.
Mayflower Madam - prostitution at the first Thanksgiving; Sydney Biddle Barrows cameo
Christian: Trying to think of the pros and cons to this, and it's pretty much all cons. One of the rare sketches where I engage in more pearl-clutching than you.
Scot: I don't know why the crowd doesn't really figure this out. It's a little too long probably, but well-written. Also, the writers making the women all whores. (Data point).
Ching Chang and Loose - Phil debuts as Matthew Chen, positive Asian character
Christian: Admitting you're engaging in damaging ethnic stereotypes kind of makes it worse? Plus, it's just not a good sketch.
Scot: It's become self-aware - Ching is "damaging stereotype" harmful to the whole Chinese community - "You ARE a fairly broad caricature, but nothing beyond the realm of possibility.” - This has to be the last one, right? Where do you go from here?
Peeping Tom (Nealon) interrupts Mace’s attempts to sleep with hooker (Jan)
Scot: Data point: Jan written as hooker for second time tonight - I mean, it's exactly the same set-up/joke as the hostage sketch - Crowd is dead.
Christian: You said it all.
Singer Lonnie Braddox (Dana) sings “Country Through & Through” - how blue writers look at red states
Scot: Just very obvious country life/country living screed - kind of the country Ching Chang (OK, not quite, but getting there) - lazy shots (married at 12, poor, squalor, drunk, molesting, bad teeth, stupid clothes).
Christian: Not as offensive as Ching Chang for obvious reasons, but yes - another data point in how this staff has trouble writing about country people. See: Willie Nelson episode last year.
Episode Six: Danny DeVito
Reagan (Hartman) takes Gorbachev (DeVito) on movie-related tour of D.C.
Christian: What?
Scot: Reagan's an idiot but remembers every possible detail about movies and their background? Why does that make sense?
At the Movies - Siskel (KEN) & Ebert (PHH) review all-male adult movies
Christian: I'm with the audience on this one. Meh.
Scot: Nealon's real hair!!!!! - The pacing hurts it but concept is pretty solid. Couple laughs.
Church Chat - Santa/Satan similarities, Jan as Jessica Hahn, DeVito & Church Lady perform song
Christian: Only the second one of the season. You'd think they'd hammer these at least every other episode.
Ann Landers' Playhouse - DeVito wants action after a date
Christian: Ugh.
Scot: Nora thrown a bone.
Hartman appraises items for a white trash DeVito and Jan - Mona Lisa, Stradivarius, Hitler's car
Christian: More piling on country folk.
Scot: Decent enough. Good ending twist.
Nancy Maloney returns to Eddie Spimozo’s Jungle Room to sing again
Scot: I think this thing is just about out of gas.
Doorman DeVito and Hartman, moving out, remember good times
Scot: I see what they were going for (tenants who don't take time to know people), but they don't quite get there - Appearance of black woman reminds me Malcolm Jamal-Warner and Walter Payton have been the only black hosts the last two years. And, obviously, no black cast members.
Christian: I think by the time they hired Chris Rock, there hadn't been a black cast member in nine years.
Episode Seven: Angie Dickinson
Christian: Light on Carvey, which doesn't help.
Scot: Middling quality once again - with Dickenson, Mitchum you get a little whiff of past-worship, as in early 80s. Also, hosts largely have not been carrying their weight recently.
Guests at a party accidentally bring up traumatic issues for each other
Christian: While not hilarious, this one kind of went on to become a low-key classic.
Police Women - Mary Beth Lacey (Nora) gets new partner Pepper (Dickinson)
Scot: Data point: writing Tyne Daly's only quality as being ugly - Lovitz does gets some good lines.
Stewardess (Dickinson) asking if anyone on board plane can land it
Christian: Always happy when they get to use the plane set.
Scot: Lovitz still coughing - The ending is worthwhile.
Drunk Man - alcohol-fueled Dana has drunken confidence as superhero
Scot: Kids In The Hall pretty much ripped off this sketch (or had a similar idea) in the recent reboot.
Episode Eight: Paul Simon
Scot: Well, clearly, here's the best episode of the season so far. Weekend Update was on fire. My favorite Thespian. Even the truck stop sketch wasn't terrible.
Christian: The fourth-best episode we have ever rated, passing Candice Bergen (S2E10).
The apostles prepare a surprise party for Jesus’ 30th birthday - Paul Simon plays Simon
Scot: "Tough to decide what to get. His birthday is so close to Hannakuh." - I really liked this, could have gone longer.
Hans and Franz - Simon on crutches, how to stay healthy - update on Helmut
Christian: First time the crowd claps along with them. They are getting it.
Scot: Good one. Continuity from the last sketch was appreciated.
Master Thespian as Santa, Hartman as Frank Nelson-type
Christian: Strong from front to back.
Scot: The kid is great! - Thespian's "Ho, ho, HO!" - I think this is my favorite sketch in this series.
Simon and Victoria on deserted island, VJ makes elaborate gifts, Simon does not
Scot: Not sure you'll agree, but I think this is perfect sketch construction. VJ is magnificent describing how she did it, Simon is very good. Escalation is outstanding. Could have gone "angry," but instead went for "sweet."
Christian: I agree that it is VERY good, although maybe not an all-timer. VJ's persona works perfectly here - makes it even less believable she would be able to do these things. Stronger contrast.
Hartman solicits money on a subway car by changing his story with each pass
Christian: Incredible Hartman performance - works even if you know what's coming.
Scot: This sounds like a future politician voice from Phil? I can't place it. - Great Hartman showcase - Why are they all giving him poker chips?
Succinctly Speaking - Tonto, Tarzan, Frankenstein guests
Christian: THIS is what makes Hartman finally lose it? I mean, it's fine, but…
Scot: Goodness, it's amazing to see Hartman break - Great concept, good execution. Phil's response puts it over the top - A Breckman?
Lovitz speaks to viewers of the future, telling them not to judge them on their bad jokes and weird hair (via syndication)
Christian: This is prescient: I mean, we are people from 35 years in the future judging them, right?
Episode Nine: Robin Williams
Scot: Robin is now Lily Tomlin.
Christian: A total collapse in the second half and from the previous episode. Too much capitulation to Williams.
Pumping Up With Hans & Franz - the duo criticize remarks by Jimmy The Greek’s
Scot: A month off between shows, so not really back-to-back weeks for these guys - decent Webster joke, a lot of "hear me now, believe me later" stuff.
Williams stand-up about condoms and Shakespeare porn
Christian: Williams is confused about why a boxing corner man would wear rubber gloves when he's handling blood? (Tommy Morrison would tell everyone he was HIV-positive a few years later.)
Scot: Look. Robin Williams stand-up is not for me. It never was, it never will be. I'm not a neutral arbiter. It seemed like the crowd liked this.
Williams and Victoria show friends video of birth of son
Christian: This would 100% work now if Williams were on, say, TikTok and asking his wife to film. Calling it prescient.
Scot: Just an excuse for Williams to vamp in a delivery room while Victoria screams.
Learning To Feel - Denise Venetti (Nora) tells patients “look at yourself”
Christian: Nora Dunn should be arrested for murdering my time.
Scot: Ann Sather is a pretty well-known Chicago restaurant - This is pointless.
8th Annual ACE Awards - lots of impressions - outstanding ticker award - Nora as Shelley Duvall
Scot: This seems to go on forever - couple chuckles but that's it.
Christian: Where are these "chuckles" of which you speak?
Williams vamps with different voices to avoid saying "I love you"
Scot: Ugh.
Discover - Peter Graves interviews Williams who does more voices
Christian: Graves is my favorite Hartman character. That being said, if I had to drive in a car with Robin Williams for an hour, I would throw myself out of the passenger door after 15 minutes.
Scot: Why would you do this just to take the focus off of Graves, the funny part of these sketches?
On his 60th birthday, Williams is visited by chip-off-the-old-block son (Dana) - predicts Dennis Miller as U.S. Senator
Christian: Williams only made it to 63. Again, this had to be amazing for Carvey, who idolized Williams when they came up in San Francisco comedy clubs together. Funny that they predict Dennis Miller will be the cast member that goes on to be a U.S. Senator, when it was actually Franken.
Scot: Back to a time when 60 was considered old and worthless.
Episode Ten: Carl Weathers
Scot: Carl Weathers might be the best host of the year.
Christian: Middling episode, but yes, Weathers was very good. Hartman is the only cast member getting writing credits.
BushWhacked!-Bush hosts Morton Downey Jr.-type show to prove he's not a wimp
Christian: You can say "p–-y" on network television? Still a far cry from Carvey's eventual GHWB impersonation. Also, the professor played by Hartman has the right argument.
Scot: Excellent transition to his recommendation of a "report" as the solution - Watched this a few times now and like it more and more.
The NFL Today - Jimmy "The Greek" overcompensates for his prior racist comments, talks about Irish breeding - Is Ken Stabler a racist?
Scot: Jimmy wearing Jesse Jackson button, praising George Washington Carver - really good satire included.
Christian: This might as well be ESPN now.
Democratic Debate '88 - Pat Schroeder (Nora) moderates - Lovitz as Dukakis, Franken as Simon, Hartman as Babbitt, Dana as Gephardt, Nealon as Gore, Weathers as Jackson, Miller as Hart
Scot: Really a groundbreaking sketch in terms of character use - bringing even second/third-tier candidate impressions to SNL.
Hartman as monther-in-law character, Lovitz as gay friend - Weathers appears as Jan's boyfriend, which makes Hartman uncomfortable, then a shootout
Christian: 35 years later, the use of the word "Redskins" would become the most offensive part of this.
Scot: Huge missteps everywhere in this one. Why use drag, why introduce the guns, why have Lovitz play gay, why why.
Actress (Jan) has pimp-like agent (Jackson) - she wants to leave the industry, has to confess to boyfriend (Phil) what she does
Christian: Impressive, but no real laughs.
Scot: "On film? No, videotape." - Outstanding performances by all three, kinda inside-the-industry humor.
Master Thespian envies Chinese actor's (Dana) ability to play Othello (Weathers), gives him tips to sabotage the performance
Christian: Some of the pun play in this is a little clunky, but still solid.
Scot: For whatever reason, I'm liking these recent ones a bit more.
Episode Eleven: Justine Bateman
GOP '88 Debate - Nora as Pat Schroeder moderates - Carvey as Bush, Hartman as Kemp, Nealon as DuPont, Franken as Robertson, Aykroyd as Dole
Christian: Step up from last week. Aykroyd shows why he's a master - so good. And the first glimpse of Carvey's eventual GHWB.
Scot: Aykroyd's first return to SNL - Franken with a great impression in back-to-back weeks - Longest sketch in forever 10+ minutes.
Family Ties - flashback episode
Christian: A masterwork. The degree of difficulty is as high as it gets and it pulls it off spectacularly. On their podcast, Carvey is generous enough to let Spade do his Michael J. Fox impersonation, knowing in the back of his mind his is way better.
Scot: Someone has watched a lot of Family Ties - the nestled flashbacks work so well - Dana's Alex P. Keaton is wonderful.
Learning to Feel - Denise Venetti again advises “look at yourself”
Christian: Oh no, and now we come crashing down to this.
Scot: Back two weeks later for ... some reason - these even seem like the same characters as guests - an utter lack of creativity.
Terrance trent D'arby “Wishing Well”
Christian: TDT was a critical darling in 1987/88, then vanished. His career was stolen by Lenny Kravitz.
Fright Night Videos - Bateman & George F. Will (Dana) are awkward hosts
Scot: Best to just forget this ever happened.
Derek Stevens’ girlfriend (Bateman) wants him to move out, Derek thinks she's his muse
Christian: Bad, but I chuckled a little when he started singing out the window and she yelled "Shut up!"
Scot: Again, the name of the song was "The Lady I Know," not “Choppin’ Broccoli” - nary a laugh.
Nealon has bank robbery plan - “in and out, nobody gets hurt”
Christian: The joke is burned 30 seconds in - no escalation, no turns.
Scot: Boy, I don't think this ended up working at all - performances were OK, though.
Christian: Oh man, on the actual broadcast they ended this episode with that George Will bit. What a terrible finale. Bateman was a good host, though.
Episode Twelve: Tom Hanks
Christian: Another episode that cracks the "3" mark. Kevin Nealon might be the most average cast member to date. He is the new standard for mediocrity - we should call the category "Value Over Kevin Nealon."
Scot: Conan O’Brien is in the credits now, so is Bob Odenkirk - Hanks is less like Steve Martin and more like Buck Henry. He understands how to be a cast member and fills a role not occupied at any moment.
Dick Buttons (PHH) loves (host)’s cowboy-themed figure skating routine
Christian: As if Tom Hanks isn't good enough at everything, he can...ice skate, too? Also, is this where he got the idea for Woody in Toy Story?
Scot: Another Rockford, IL reference! What's the connection there? - How did they do that skating footage?
Girl Watchers - losers Hanks and Lovitz get rejected over and over
Christian: Hanks is a human recurring character. Pretty much everything he does is worthy of repeating.
Scot: Love these characters, I think there's a better one coming.
Giant Businessman (Hartman) - deals with noisy neighbors without using his size
Christian: It's so stupid and I laughed the whole time.
Scot: It's fun and silly but I hoped for more with the actual episode/sketch.
Expectant father (Dana) misinterprets sounds coming from the delivery room, then sketch disintegrates on purpose
Christian: The painting joke was a big laugh. Otherwise merely just pretty good.
Pawn shop owner (Hartman) pays full sentimental value for personal items
Christian: Good premise, writing to back it up.
Scot: I really liked the care that went into this one - super well-writen and considered - of course, Phil sells the whole thing.
Stand Ups - Observational comics continue their act backstage
Christian: These are never not good.
Scot: This was very good, some actual great jokes inside the banter
Episode Thirteen: Judge Reinhold
Pumping Up With Hans & Franz - USA Olympic skier (Judge) guests
Christian: Not the best, but still good.
Scot: They've gone all-in on these guys this year aaaaaaannddddd ... there's not a ton of payoff (FOUR TIMES SINCE EP. 5)
Wilson Trap Doors commercial
Scot: Just about as perfect of a fake ad as you could create. There are a number of 5-star commercials coming these next few years, but I guess this is the first.
Christian: Yep, perfect from beginning to end.
Church Chat - Televangelists Pat Robertson (Franken) & Jimmy Swaggart (Hartman) as guests
Christian: Only the third Church Chat of the year - I would have bet there were far more of these than Hans and Franzes. Phil is sensational in this one.
Scot: What luck to have Church Chat as a leading sketch when these televangelists are all going down. (Editor’s note: Pun unintended (?))
Jorge Garcia, Nice Guy Dictator
Christian: The premise is good enough to make it perfectly fine.
Scot: Oh, shoot. I just don't think this was as good as the idea. A little slow-paced.
10,000 Maniacs - “Like the Weather”
Christian: SNL's first acknowledgement that college radio existed. (Although maybe the Replacements qualified.)
Deregulated Airline - Judge and Nealon fly on a filthy, crime-ridden post-deregulation airline
Christian: At the same time, this is definitely racist but also a reflection of what has happened to air flight recently, with people bringing animals on to planes and such other absences of decorum.
Scot: "Hey, let's bring on a black actor (for like the second time this season) to play a random drug pusher!" - Every Democrat's vision of what happens in an unregulated free market.
The Cop and the Prostitute
Christian: Yikes.
Scot: Data points: Jan rips open her blouse last sketch and Victoria plays a hooker here - sketch that could have been a movie - In fact, it already feels too much like a *real* TV show.
When Great Minds Meet - historical figures are confused by different eras
Christian: When you try to do Breckman, but you're not. Never really worked. Although it could be a movie, because it pretty much was the premise for Bill and Ted.
Scot: Feels like a Breckman, but it's not (not credited).
10,000 Maniacs - “What’s the Matter Here”
Christian: Natalie Merchant's ode to Karens. 10,000 Maniacs played the MTV Clinton inaugural ball in 1993, hosted by....Dennis Miller.
Pirates prefer birds other than parrots on their shoulders, penguin and swan - Judge has parakeets
Christian: Feels Pythonesque.
Scot: Very silly, very 10-to-1. Works well.