'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.
Episode Five: Quentin Tarantino
Christian: Tarantino really pulled this one down, as his appearances do in his movies.
Late Night Snack - Bill Clinton (Hammond) makes late-night calls as he eats
Scot: Meadows has 4 of 5 “Live From New Yorks” this year.
Tarantino dances & sings “I’m Gonna Blow You A Kiss In The Wind” from Bewitched
Christian: First time since Robin Williams the show has been hosted by a sentient pile of cocaine.
Scot: Song and dance from someone who can neither sing or dance.
Bugoff commercial - the BugOff roach trap lets you watch as the caught insect is tortured
Scot: Ferrell as pitchman - Best commercial in quite a long time.
Christian: Hmmm, it was fine.
Cheerleaders - debut
Christian: One of the show's most famous recurring characters and I have absolutely no idea why.
Scot: I went in with an open mind, but this is just ... not very good at all.
Clara Turley's Bible Challenge - Stan Hooper (Norm) is the big winner on a Bible quiz show by cheating
Scot: I wish this went to another level, but the joke is pretty much the same the whole way through.
Directors on Directing - Tarantino talks about sex with actresses
Christian: My reaction to this was the same as Farley's reaction when he found out he was drinking decaf.
Scot: Very very very much not happening post-Weinstein - Tarantino's overacting is really something.
White Trash Around a Campfire Dealing With an Abundance of Fluids
Christian: My God.
Scot: A Fred Wolf special in the worst way. He's even in the sketch!
Episode Six: Laura Leighton
Christian: Writers, writers, writers. (Except for the Breuer thing, which is just dumb.)
Scot: Going back to a formula that worked. Politics, impressions, commercials, timely cold opens, characters, stronger writing.
Air Force One - Bob Dole (Norm) & Newt Gingrich (Hammond) grumble about having to fly coach
Christian: Impressed by the knot Hammond ties to buckle his seatbelt.
Scot: Darrell actually is attempting a Newt impression here. Still not a good one.
Lucien & Fagin (the fops) tell Leighton how much they love her work on Melrose Place
Christian: Is Leighton the most ephemeral host in show history? (Maybe Louise Lasser?) She completely disappeared after Melrose Place.
Scot: I don't mind these guys. There's some coordination involved in the effort.
Old Glory Insurance commercial
Christian: Modest chuckle.
Scot: So well-done.
Home for the Holidays - a Time-Life video collection of family fights
Christian: Kind of the Sandler Weekend Update bit in sketch form?
Scot: I laughed. Ferrell already showing a gift for just being *funny.*
What a Woman Wants - coeds (Leighton) & Kitty McGinnis (Shannon) take calls
Christian: Er.
Scot: Just going in circles.
Roberta’s (Cheri) boring wet blanket anecdotes ruin (host)’s party
Christian: Legit liked this one - Oteri's low-key approach works for me. In the future, Kristen Wiig would have a character that tries to one-up people. And it’s a Debbie Downer precursor.
Scot: I really want to like this because it's another side of Oteri we don't see much. But it just wasn't strong enough.
Self-Discipline - office worker Tommy (Breuer) punishes himself for making mistakes
Christian: Taking all the wrong lessons from Farley.
Scot: Vocally, Leighton sounds exactly like Courtney Cox - Sweat act. This definitely would have been a Farley in S20. It's pretty much a Farley now.
I Wanna Git Witchoo - Leighton rebuffs Tim’s attempts to try to “git with” her
Scot: I liked this by the end and Tim's unfitness for the role actually made it work. Nice, soft, kind-of sweet piece.
Episode Seven: Anthony Edwards
Christian: Edwards was a very good host. Could see him being a cast member.
Scot: Edwards not a great host but it ended up as a pretty great show.
Inside Politics - USA Bosnia policy prompts a conservative anti-war rally
Christian: Could be run about Ukraine now.
Scot: Hammond nailing Jesse Helms - Cold opens once again try to capture the week that was.
Crowd likes gimmicky ER-reject character Swabby (Koechner) more than host
Christian: Kind of a meta commentary on how people like dumb SNL characters?
The Joe Pesci Show - Joe Pesci (Breuer) joined by Sharon Stone, Culkin, Jim Carrey
Christian: It is a great impression, gotta give him that. But that's all this has going. (Also, he spoils My Girl, which probably wouldn't happen today.)
Scot: McKinney has a good Carrey going - pretty fully realized talk show sketch here with good use of guests.
Nightline - Dr. Greene (Edwards) & other fake doctors argue about health care
Christian: Not all that funny, but points for silliness.
Scot: Eh, not much happening here.
Foo Fighters - "I'll Stick Around"
Christian: I saw them live for $10 at a small club four months before this show.
The Nasty - singer G-Dog’s (Meadows) psychosomatism causes him to rethink his raunchy hit
Christian: An emerging Meadows theme - him playing dumb rappers and gangster that have a soft side underneath.
Scot: Shirtless Meadows alert - I loved this, the friend song is funny. Just wish they would have come up with an actual ending.
Turning Point - (McKinney) interviews Princess Di (Edwards)
Christian: Edwards as Princess Di is...unexpected. And he's...very good?
The Hulk Hogan Talk Show!! - Hulk Hogan’s sub (Ferrell) attempts a serious show
Christian: Contrast is always funny.
Scot: McKay wrote - “Hulk Hogan is on vacation. I’m your guest host, Phil Tobin.” - The silliness gets to me.
Episode Eight: David Alan Grier
Christian: Ranks among the all-time best episodes. How is DAG not in the five-timers club?
Scot: Here it is. A truly great episode.
The Rocky Roads - Walls, DAG, Ferrell, Meadows sing at school gathering
Christian: Someone in Australia saw this sketch, created The Wiggles, and made a billion dollars.
Scot: Fun, interesting, different, but not terribly funny on its own.
Today - Bryant Gumbel’s (DAG) off-air persona is less refined
Christian: Extremely rare they just let a guest host run a sketch on his own, and DAG is great at it.
Scot: Safe to say DAG probably would have been a perfect SNL cast member.
Silverchair - "Tomorrow"
Christian: Silverchair was the grunge Hanson.
Wake Up & Smile - hosts perplexed and confused when teleprompter breaks
Christian: A classic I hadn't thought about in a long time. First time we see Ferrell's all-timer potential.
Scot: Another Anchorman preview - when they start to ad-lib, man ... Now, that's a sketch. Escalation, climax, resolution.
Spade In America - Hollywood Minute 1995
Christian: The joke that caused Eddie Murphy to boycott the show until 2019. Man, this is brutal from front to back.
Scot: Princess Diana/Journey joke - Eddie Murphy/falling star - Salena/Michael Bolton fan club - I mean, he could just do this in the future.
Perspectives - Dr. Emery Coleman’s (host) show fills a similar niche
Christian: Declaring victory. I love these.
Scot: OK, this one finally got me - I kinda hope there isn't another sketch because this is the perfect concept.
Episode Nine: Madeline Kahn
Scot: Me in S3: "Based on two data points, Kahn never should be invited back." I was right. I think I read Kahn was a late fill-in for someone. It scans.
NBC's Christmas Salute to Our Bosnian Troops - Jay Leno (Hammond) & other celebrities perform for USA’s Bosnian troops
Christian: Hammond has a good impression, but this all bombs. Does Leno have the record for being impersonated by the most cast members and hosts?
Cheerleaders at a Basketball game
Christian: Think of all the rehearsal time that was killed in the making of this.
Scot: Already doing nothing for me.
Leg Up - Russian ballerina (Kahn) joins show
Christian: Too much. Too much.
Scot: These characters already feel exhausted by this point.
Antique Shop - Lucien & Fagin are bound by their antique shop’s 90-day return policy
Christian: I will admit, I audibly groaned when the dandies showed up. Not for me.
Scot: Third recurring character sketch of the night - now they run a store! Interesting location change.
Bush - “Glycerine”
Christian: Still not entirely convinced Gavin Rossdale knows how to play the guitar.
Wedding Vows - Ferrell and Kahn exchange poorly-written vows
Christian: I am pro-non sequitur silliness.
Episode Ten: Christopher Walken
Christian: Musical guests Tori Amos, Joan Osborne, Natalie Merchant, Alanis Morissette, Lisa Loeb... is this SNL or Lilith Fair?
Scot: Only one song from Osborne - first time in a long time show length has been so off.
Front Porch - Rita Delvecchio tries to get neighbor (host) to clear her walk
Christian: Filling the Linda Richman role.
Scot: Rita Delvecchio becomes recurring for no reason.
Connie Stinson Talks - Connie Stinson (Walken) tries to stir up guests, making fun of women who are “fat hogs.”
Christian: Had to be a weird week in the writers' room given that Paula Pell is not a small woman.
Scot: There's a nice rhythm and pace to this and Walken does great work.
Spade In America - Walken sits in, Spade on street
Scot: Spade's stuff is actually pretty good. This whole segment has been better lately.
Christian: "The new guy - Will Ferrell - he's from Wisconsin, right?" He is certainly not. He is from Irvine, California. I was less taken than you.
Execution - executioner Gerald Tibbins (Koechner) jokes around with condemned man (Walken)
Christian: Is Koechner the show's first openly bald cast member? Historic! (Other than Michael O’Donoghue.)
Scot: I like this "T-Bone" character, at least for now.
Episode Eleven: Alec Baldwin
Scot: Theory: Lorne learned a lesson. People judge SNL on recurring characters. None last year or 19, so double-down this year. They are loss leaders. Easy to write, repetitive, but get people talking and interested. They're don't even have to be funny for them to achieve their goals.
Nightline - Michael Jackson’s divorce from Lisa-Marie, Oteri as Barbara Walters, Walls as Diane Sawyer
Christian: Jacko no longer on his backo.
Scot: This year's version is a underrated SNL theme song, I think.
Cheerleaders - Chess Tournament
Christian: Remember on the last show when I said the show needed more recurring characters? Go back in time and kick me in the nuts.
The Joe Pesci Show - Robert DeNiro (Baldwin) co-hosts and welcomes Mel Gibson (McKinney) and Brad Pitt (Spade)
Christian: Did Nora Dunn ever do anything on the show as good as Breuer's Pesci?
Scot: This has to be the best possible version of this sketch. Baldwin is very good.
Buckwell's Follies - gubernatorial candidate (Baldwin) shoots Lassie, swears at baby, wipes ass with flag
Christian: A+ escalation.
Scot: Totally solid sketch.
Bill Brasky - Baldwin, McKinney, Ferrell, Koechner
Christian: It grew on me.
Scot: What a crazy, nonsensical thing. The energy and enthusiasm I can get behind. And Meadows at the other table is a great touch.
Episode Twelve: Danny Aiello
Scot: Boy, it feels like Shannon and Ferrell aren't being used to full potential right now.
Inside Politics - Steve Forbes (McKinney) & Bob Dole (Norm) respond to CNN questions
Christian: R.I.P. CN’s Bobbie Battista, who died in 2020 at age 67.
Scot: Norm/Dole's reaction shots are priceless.
Aiello’s comment about Mom's sauce leads to violence
Christian: Dumb, but I laughed a few times.
Scot: Weird choice for a lead-off sketch. Some decent physical comedy but nothing really past he first joke.
Althea bothers a Greyhound Bus driver (host) during a trip to Orlando
Christian: OK, but literally some of the same lines from the first one.
Scot: I've been on Greyhound and would welcome a trip as relaxing as this one - Althea is recurring! - Look, it's not art, but I'd rather see this than Cheerleaders.
Spade In America - Farley return as Newt Gingrich & plugs Black Sheep
Christian: Painful.
Scot: Black Sheep is one of the worst films I've ever seen in my life (And, yes, I liked Tommy Boy.)
Hi-C and Turkey - insurance salesman (Aiello) insists upon receiving Hi-C & turkey
Christian: Funny in a "how the hell is this on television?" way. Aiello mentions "goat boy" - soon, we would get a character of the same name.
Scot: Adam McKay and Norm Hiscock wrote it.
Episode Thirteen: Tom Arnold
Christian: Tupac died seven months later.
Scot: It's a true stinker! Writing was not great, but Arnold gets most of the blame here.
The Life We Lead - soap opera weaves in news, sports, and weather
Christian: Inspired, and I thought the performances were strong.
Scot: Solid concept, execution was meh.
Bake Sale - Gail Lafferty (Walls) threatens to fight over offenses
Christian: Actually liked this. Pell is an unofficial cast member this season, getting a lot of screen time.
Scot: Zero references to Walls or Koechner in the Shales book.
Episode Fourteen: Elle MacPherson
Christian: The only sketches I graded as less than a 3 were the two MacPherson weren't in, so I thought she was pretty good. Am I pointing this out because I am hoping Elle MacPherson sees this? Yes, absolutely.
Scot: Not much of an improvement from E13. Again, a lame guest host hinders things. Meadows, though, is really hitting a stride.
Cheerleaders at Swim Meet
Christian: Best of the bunch so far.
Scot: Shirtless Tim Meadows alert.
Recording Session - jazz pianist (Meadows) voices inappropriate catchphrases during a session
Scot: A callback to Jon Lovitz’s The Liar! - Fun, goofy, and good Tim role.
Mary Katherine Gallagher & (Elle) compete in a teen modeling contest
Christian: Shades of Chippendale's - who will they pick?
Scot: Hammond as Lovitz - Pretty good for an MKG, gets a boost from Ferrell's performance.
Redenbacher Holiday Theater - holiday special tells the story of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Christian: Feminist witch is not happening today. I am sure at one point I would have thought this was a classic sketch.
Coma - Stan Hooper wakes from coma & insists his wife & sister must be reversed
Christian: Another sketch about how hot MacPherson is! Fire up the thinkpieces!
Scot: Strong 3 grade but never gets past the initial joke and weak ending.
Miss Manners - on a first date with Breuer, Elle does grosses things
Christian: I kind of liked it? Clear point of view - the stuff men will put up with if their date is hot. Could have been even better if MacPherson didn't keep breaking and choking on salad.
Scot: This is barely half-written. Tim's the best thing about it.
Episode Fifteen: John Goodman
Christian: Show collapses after the Real World final bit. Other than Kattan, everything is recurring or a rerun. Is this three straight episodes without Spade?
Scot: Just one Everclear song (no loss there). Chris Kattan has been added to the cast as a featured player. Colin Quinn added as a featured player tonight.
20/20 - Christopher Darden (Meadows) tells of affair with Marcia Clark (Nancy Walls)
Christian: "Holy Kardashian!"
Scot: The Tim Meadows Rehabilitation Tour continues unabated.
Christian: It never stopped!
Goodman uses powers granted for 7th SNL appearance; Elle MacPherson cameo
Christian: Norm betting on cock fighting before the show should have gotten more of a laugh. Sorry, the Breuer bit just killed this for me.
Scot: Shirtless Tim Meadows alert! - A poor man's "5 Timers Club," but still funny.
Substitute teacher Suel Forrester (Kattan) can't be understood
Christian: It will not surprise you that this is a Kattan Groundlings bit.
Scot: More than decent debut for Kattan - reminds me a bit of the Cosby sketches where there's no actual writing needed.
The Real World - housemates decide to kick Bob Dole (Norm) out
Christian: Not so much a joke about Bob Dole, but a good satire of The Real World.
Scot: Really well-done runner for this episode. Captures the Real World vibe nicely - Does Dole receive more airtime than any other primary candidate ever?
Gary MacDonald does free association humor as co-workers are laid off
Christian: If you count Bob Dole, this episode is really recurring character-heavy.
Scot: Do not understand the logic of spinning this character into his own segment.
Tales of Bill Brasky - Goodman joins crew
Scot: When did “Chuck Norris Facts” originate? This ends up being awfully similar.
Episode Sixteen: Phil Hartman
Christian: The episodes where Ferrell isn't heavily involved sag noticeably.
Identity crisis leads Phil to lock himself in his dressing room
Christian: Ironic that Phil says he doesn't know how to act like himself, when most of his characters are...basically Phil Hartman? Pretty much nails it when it says Anthony Michael Hall, Nora Dunn and Joe Piscopo will never host again.
Leg Up - Frank Sinatra (Phil) talks about dalliances of a bygone era
Christian: "Ladies, slap on all the paint you want, the house still needs renovations."
Scot: Essentially a Sinatra sketch with him hosting the two guests.
Roxbury Guys - Roxbury Guys (Ferrell)(Kattan) try to find dance partners
Christian: I reserve the right to give subsequent versions a better grade. But this one wasn't good.
Scot: OMG, from this barely-there premise a movie was born.
Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer - Cirroc defends a tobacco company executive
Scot: So disappointing to have this just be a re-run of previous editions. Literally nothing new.
Christian: Wait, I am giving a Hartman sketch a better grade than you? Historic!
Taddli - pot-smoking talk show panel receives simpleminded reprimand
Christian: McKinney gives "Diet Carvey" vibes.
Scot: Theme song is a twist on Bowie's "Fashion" - McKinney brought this back for the recent KITH revival - An infectious goofiness. I would watch this 10x before another Cheerleaders.
Episode Seventeen: Steve Forbes
Christian: Sometimes, the limitations of the host force them to up their games. (See: Ralph Nader.) This is one of those times.
Scot: There is no real cast heirarchy at this point. Who is Male 1? Norm? Who is Female 1? Walls? - Raise your hand if you thought Steve Forbes would host one of the better episodes of the season.
Unabomber Ted Kaczynski (Ferrell) attends his Harvard class reunion
Christian: Ferrell is just so comfortable. Believes he should be there without pressing like Sandler.
Scot: Nice spotlight for Ferrell, living in the news, putting a different spin on things.
Nightline - book recounts GOP primary
Christian: Forbes' dorky smirk is the MVP of this thing.
Scot: Hammond deserves credit for dancing around all those names. Only one slip-up that I could tell. Forbes dorkiness actually fits just fine.
Forbes on Forbes - McKinney as Steve Forbes critiques host for ending his run for the presidency
Scot: Once McKinney goes meta, this takes off - "Mark McKinney is Canadian and doesn't pay income taxes in this country."
Rage Against the Machine - “Bulls On Parade"
Christian: Steve Forbes hosting the show on which Rage Against the Machine appears is *chef's kiss* RATM had their second song canceled because they planned on protesting Forbes.
Roofers - while on the job, roofers (Quinn, Koechner, Forbes) dream about the good life
Christian: Kind of startling how much respect they pay to Forbes as a guest. No lefty snark.
Scot: Wolf, Quinn, Koechner. A parade of the barely-used. - Forbes against type works well; talking about tricking out his car - Recycled joke with car alarm.
Episode Eighteen: Teri Hatcher
Scot: Literally everyone has a recurring character now, right? Even Kattan, even Quinn. Walls has Gail, Meadows has G-Dog.
Johnnie Cochran (Meadows) & other lawyers form Unabomber (Ferrell) defense plan
Christian: Meadows' Cochran bears a strong resemblance to Seinfeld's "Jackie Chiles," who was also based on Cochran (see the initials), and they were both on the air at virtually the same time.
Scot: Too much MURDER ONE talk.
West Wide Story - prop girl Mary Katherine Gallagher wants Maria role in West Side Story
Christian: I will admit, I have a MKG soft spot.
Nighttime Music - inept romantic (Kattan) seeks mood music & dance steps to use on date (Hatcher)
Christian: I do not put "silly dancing" high on my sketch comedy devices.
Scot: It's a Mango preview - long way to go for a pretty big laugh at the end when Kattan LOLs at Hatcher's dance.
The Princess and the Homeboy - Hatcher & G-Dog clash in a new NBC sitcom
Christian: OK, but the ice cream cone on the crotch was pretty funny.
Scot: Shirtless Tim Meadows alert - Do you find gratuitous profanity funny?
The Local News - Hatcher & Norm are guests on Joe Blow’s basement talk show
Christian: This is what recording the podcast in my basement is like.
Scot: Why? Why keep trying to make Quinn happen? Almost as inexplicable as giving Macdonald's "brother" a spin off.
Episode Nineteen: Christine Baranski
Christian: Robert Smith glaring at Dennis Rodman like he's an alien - another unexpected Cure laugh.
Scot: Back-to-back episodes struggling for laughs. Can they pull out of it for the season-ender? Stay tuned to find out.
Bob Dole (Norm) declares Dennis Rodman [real] as his running mate
Christian: We are one election away from "I'm running for president and if you don't like it, you can kiss my ass" becoming the winning candidate's slogan.
Scot: Well, we found the impression with which Hammond struggles - Another huge pop for Dole/Macdonald - This is the evening after the Bulls lost to the Knicks in Game 3 of the Conference Semifinals.
Baranski takes offense at Polish jokes masquerading as audience questions
Christian: Big laugh at the "family" screwing in a light bulb by turning the ladder. I know Baranski is famous, but I literally don't think I have ever seen her in anything.
Scot: This was better than I expected. The cut-away to the light bulb change was a nice topper.
The Courtney Love Show - Marge Schott (Hammond) & Julie Andrews (Baranski)
Christian: Dave Grohl on Courtney Love in the Foo Fighters' "Stacked Actors:" "See through, yeah, but what do you do When you're just another aging drag queen?"
Scot: There's no depth to this sketch because there's no depth to Love.
Spade In America - The Fops spend a day out on the town with Spade
Christian: I LOATHED this.
Scot: That took a weird turn.
Goat Boy Sings Popular Songs of the 80s
Christian: The one Breuer character people remember, so I figured there had to be at least SOMETHING here. There is not.
Scot: It's as bad as I feared. And it's returning at some point.
New Traits - (Breuer) alters his personality to suit the whims of his corporate employers
Christian: Fine, but no ending. Feels like a McKay.
Scot: Strong 3. Breuer actually fits the scene and the increasing absurdity works.
The Cure - “In Between Days”
Christian: Maybe the funniest moment of this episode is at the very end when Robert Smith sings "bibbity bobbity," which is the thing the bosses make Tom Muttonchops say in an English accent in the previous sketch.
1-600-LANSING - Lansing-area residents can receive phone sex from operators like Walls
Christian: When you hear Midwestern accents on TV, it's almost always Minnesota, Michigan, or Chicago. Extra point for them crediting Michigan.
Scot: It's fine (I don't think they quite get our accents). Not as good as the Aussie one.
Fuzzy Memories
Christian: A very skinny Jim Gaffigan as "the murderer."
Episode Twenty: Jim Carrey
Christian: Jim Carrey’s SNL Audition.
Scot: Stage manager Joe Dicso's last night!! A Jim Carrey fan might have *loved* this episode. I am not that audience.
Nightline - Bob Dole (Norm) tries to one-up Clinton by changing genders, turning into energy
Christian: My count has Norm as Dole eight times this season - has to be more than that, right?
Scot: Norm/Dole has completely supplanted the current President as the go-to political move - "You intend to run as Bob Dole: Shemale."
Monologue: To please an audience member, Carrey reverts to his popular catchphrases
Christian: Hard to think of anyone who came in to host the show on more of a heater - Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber - he could do no wrong.
Scot: Didn't we just do the non-laughing crowd member a few seasons ago? - "I know that! That's what I know!" Seemingly meta commentary on the show.
Roxbury Guys - Carey & fellow Roxbury Guys in more and more desperate venues
Christian: Two things, both true:
1. A huge step up from the first one, and
2. I never need to see these guys again. This is everything this bit can be.
Scot: Barely adequate. Some credit for expanding the universe, adding some wrinkles.
Jacuzzi Lifeguard - an overprotective lifeguard (host) monitors jacuzzi-goer (Ferrell) closely
Christian: Every bit of this works. Laughs all the way through.
Scot: This is tailor-made for Carrey - Shirtless Tim Meadows alert - If you love Carrey, you'll love this sketch. I ... don't.
Soundgarden - “Pretty Noose”
Christian: Ooof - this is a ROUGH Chris Cornell vocal.
I'll See You In Hell - Carrey says “I’ll see you in Hell” over and over and over
Christian: CATCHPHRASE OF THE SEASON!
Scot: Not close to a laugh for a single second.
The Joe Pesci Show - Jimmy Stewart (Carrey) & Jim Carrey (McKinney)
Christian: Wouldn't be surprised if Carrey and McKinney knew each other back in Canada.
Scot: Carrey's Stewart impression is terrible - The rest of this works surprisingly well.