'Wasn't That Special' Season Twenty One 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 Twenty One 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: Mariel Hemingway
Christian: Just short of the S20 Dana Carvey episode (the best episode of the season), grade-wise. Solid start.
Scot: Breuer & Koechner didn't do much at all, but Ferrell pops immediately. A solid episode to be sure.
Cold open - "OJ Today" - Ferrell as newscaster, Meadows in court wears African tribal wear to pander to black jury.
Christian: Ferrell starts his first ever show on screen as newscaster - Another good Meadows turn - "the prosecution is playing the 'evidence card.'"
Scot: Totally new Cochran take from Meadows - Who is F. Lee Bailey? - Really solid start, Meadows shines.
Get off the shed
Christian: A star is born. Yelling done right - as a contrast to being totally in control.
Scot: Hits different as a parent these days. Now I wonder why the other couple is weirded out at all. Like, this is a pretty common thing happening here.
Leg up with Hollywood dance legends
Christian: Oteri is a female Martin Short?
Scot: Oteri is 33, Shannon is 31 - Good energy, but didn't love it. Probably lazy to compare to Sweeney Sisters.
Getting Off the Phone - Ferrell has trouble coming up with ways to help wife (Hemingway) end phone calls
Scot: Yes, Ferrell is yelling, but he's yelling actual lines written for the sketch, not just "SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!" - A great beginning, didn't know where to go.
Spade In America - Spade gives the Unabomber some advice about his image
Christian: What was Spade doing during the summer of 1995? Not writing.
Scot: Oh, hey, a gay joke to lead things off.
The Chicken Lady Show
Christian: Not as successfully weird.
Scot: Brought over from Kids In the Hall.
Episode Two: Chevy Chase
Christian: When he was hired for the show, Ferrell said he reminded people of Chevy Chase. So coincidental Chase would host his second show.
Scot: It's a promising episode, making the most of even a tepid guest host like Chevy. Some really good moments, some good chances taken, and some stuff to work on.
NFL on NBC - sideline reporter O.J. Simpson (Meadows) hints that he’s guilty
Scot: That's a *really* great Costas impression - Met expectations for show reaction to the vedict.
Cockpit - boisterous girl Althea (Oteri) visits with pilot (Chase) in the cockpit.
Christian: Perfectly average.
Scot: Breuer gets a line! - Might be slightly generous. The character is kind of a dud, but there's some funny things around her.
The Blame Game - black (Meadows) & white (Chase) contestants compete
Christian: Eh, enjoy the provocative subject, but not really all that funny.
Scot: Excellent work all around, good timing in wake of O.J. Laugh lines from everyone involved. A more TV-friendly version of Pryor's Word Association.
Braveheart - Chase tells Breuer to avoid physical comedy; Mariel Hemingway cameo
Christian: Chase was a few weeks from turning 52.
Scot: Lorne: "You still owe us seven shows" - More of a transition piece than anything.
Lisa Loeb - “Do You Sleep?”
Christian: Lisa Loeb was famous for like a month in 1994 and yet every man of a certain age will still describe women as having a "Lisa Loeb look."
Always and Forever - at their prom, ’70s teens (Ferrell) & (Oteri) freak out with little provocation
Christian: You can tell Ferrell and Oteri have worked together a lot at the Groundlings, but in this case, it doesn't quite pay off. Might have been funnier if they kept cutting back to themselves as an older, boring couple?
Scot: Our first Ferrell/Oteri character piece. They are not my favorite feature of this cast.
Gangsta Bitch Barbie commercial
Christian: Missed this version of the doll in the Barbie movie (which starred Will Ferrell, FWIW.)
The Mark Fuhrman Show - Mark Fuhrman (Chase) says he likes (Meadows)’s anti-white rap
Christian: I don't know if I am allowed to make this observation, but Meadows really isn't believable when he has to play a gangster. He's too smart.
Scot: Fuhrman leaves a bloody glove at the end, which is kinda the whole sketch.
O.J. Today - anchor Bill McDonald & legal analysts do the final show, blooper reel
Christian: Feels like almost the seed of Anchorman in here with Ferrell and Koechner.
Lampreys - a boy (Oteri) doesn’t want to part with his Lampreys
Christian: Not hilarious, but noble in its weirdness. We are swinging back from a performing season to a writing season.
Scot: New writers clearly influenced by the first five years of the show. They literally grew up with/on it. - Nothing as odd as this since Smigel-era.
Episode Three: David Schwimmer
Scot: Somewhat surprised by the lack of Molly Shannon so far?
Hootie's Million Man March - Darius Rucker (Meadows) sings “Hold My Hand” variant at D.C. frat boy march
Scot: Hootie as frat culture is something. I don't remember it that way. - Song comes off as a lame attempt at a Sandler bit.
Christian: Oh. Hootie was definitely frat culture. But this probably looked a lot better on paper.
Schwimmer & Lisa Kudrow, Gary Coleman, Barry Williams, Jimmie Walker
Christian: Setting the stage for stunt cameos you see all the time now. Kudrow famously tried out for the show and lost out to Julia Sweeney.
Scot: If nothing else, this cast/writers seem to be having actual fun.
Kids vs. Grownups - game show questions are biased toward the adults
Christian: Eh.
Scot: It's a Breckman! - McKinney is thriving in better roles this year.
Front Porch - Rita Delvecchio (Oteri) confiscates kids’ items that land on her porch
Christian: Oteri thinks she found her "get off the shed."
Scot: Oteri drops a "Look at this shit."
Surprise Party Discoveries - Hammond’s friends discover his secrets while setting up his surprise party
Christian: I liked it. This would probably be like poking through someone's browser history now.
Scot: Nearly went for a grade of 4 but it's probably missing that something that pushes it past upper-average.
Spade In America - Jennifer Aniston objects to anti-Friends remarks
Scot: This was a good twist from the first two weeks.
Such a Pretty Face - slim Shannon (Walls) is insensitively rude to plus size clothing customers
Christian: Why is Walls getting the roles Molly Shannon should be doing?
Scot: You can pretty much see already why Walls would not be long for this cast - Paula Pell wrote.
Episode Four: Gabriel Byrne
Christian: You can feel the Titanic start to slowly turn around with stronger writer pieces. Is it McKay? Pell?
Scot: Byrne is everywhere in this episode. Again, good solid, not embarrassing. No home runs but everyone should be pleased with this show so far.
Hallowen in New Hampshire - trick-or-treating in New Hampshire; Koechner as Gramm, Oteri as Perot, Bill Bradley & Lamar Alexander cameos
Christian: Funny, quick-moving, and topical.
Scot: Hammond's Clinton debut - Amazing what you can do with a cast that actually wants to play characters.
Mary Katherine Gallagher (Shannon) auditions for Catholic school talent show
Christian: Radner-esque. Taking physical comedy up a notch - that looks like it really hurts.
Scot: Fine, solid debut. Good character work. Nothing that would indicate a long run, though.
Spade In America at the World Series
Christian: This is ROUGH. Writing and performing a bit at the same time is not advisable.
Scot: It's not good. Short of embarrassing, though.
Rikers Island - Rikers Island guard (Meadows) is fired for liking being beaten & raped
Scot: Meadows is shirtless more than any cast member ever - Nameplate says "J. Mohr" and he's a guy who is raped and beaten over and over.
Christian: Good catch on the nameplate.