Cold Open: Pam Bondi Hearing
Bondi is unresponsive during a Congressional hearing.
• Huge applause for Amy as Pam Bondi, a rare instance of the host in the cold open.
• The dialogue here is just atrocious. No different from any of the other political sketches we’ve gotten for the past decade or so.
• Andrew’s Cajun “accent” is straight out of that Maine Justice sketch, except not funny.
• Our first of MANY references to the Epstein files we’ll be getting for the next few months.
• That line about Amy Klobuchar having a Pokémon’s name was hacky as fuck.
• Speaking of hacky, now we have Tina Fey as Kristi Noem.
• I have no idea who Noem is or what she sounds like, but Tina is not trying at all. It’s literally just the voice she used for Sarah Palin, which, now that I think about it, is ground zero for all of this cameo bullshit we keep getting on SNL these days.
• Speaking of hacky yet again, there’s a line where Noem says she laughed at the ending of Old Yeller. Because she’s eeeeeeevil!!!!! Or something!
• Jesus, even without Trump there, this cold open is unbelievably boring and shitty.
Monologue
Amy chats about various topics, including the show’s 50th anniversary, her new podcast, and the current state of the world.
• Wow, a joke about drug use at SNL. So edgy and original!
• Nice of Amy to point out how tonight’s episode is airing on the 50th anniversary of SNL’s premiere. Unfortunately, this is then followed by another drug joke.
• Uh-oh, she’s bringing out the new cast members. Gee, I wonder what’s gonna happen?
• What a shock! She asks them to leave! I sure love it when SNL makes “jokes” about how useless its new hires are!
• No offense to Amy, but this monologue made her come off as extremely unlikable and smug.
Sketch: The Rudemans
A lady introduces her boyfriend to her standoffish family.
• Ashley with a lead role right off the bat!
• I like the subtle joke of Andrew saying that he’s had to do this “hundreds of times”.
• Oh dear, I am not liking the turn this has suddenly taken with Ashley’s rude family, complete with a bootleg Debbie Downer theme song.
• Not to be nitpicky here, but am I supposed to believe that Amy and Bowen gave birth to a fully white child? This is just more of shoving Bowen in there whether or not it makes sense.
• Now Mikey suddenly exists in the sketch because they’re trying to justify his 10th fucking year on the show.
• This sketch is like what would happen if someone made an entire family of David Spades. The only difference is that Spade was funny when given the right material, whereas this is just embarrassing.
• The dialogue in this is horrible, by the way. It seems to have been taken from a Joss Whedon script that was thrown out.
• Ugh, now we have Sarah doing a hacky pratfall. Leave that shit in the nineties where it belongs!
Fake Ad: Non-Non-Alcoholic Beer
The non-alcoholic beverage that still gives a buzz.
• An ad about non-alcoholic beer? I liked it better the first time…*David Spade voice* when it was called “CouplaBeers”. *Spade voice off*
• Now, let’s be fair and give this the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure it’ll be good in its own right.
• Andrew’s performance is pretty good, but I can’t help but feel this is kind of bland.
• Kam Patterson is wasted with a single line of stereotypical “black” dialogue.
• Okay ending with Andrew speeding off after getting pulled over for a breathalyzer test.
Sketch: Miss Lycus The Fast Psychic
A TV psychic rushes through her show.
• The look of Amy’s character is already worrying me, as is the fact that this sketch is credited to Jimmy Fowler and Ceara O’Sullivan.
• Amy’s performance here is great as usual, but I’m not caring for the repetitive formula.
• I love the dopey grin on Ben Marshall as his wife (played by Ashley) brings him out to prove that he is in fact still alive.
• Nice bit with the fast-scrolling list of names of people who are not actually dead, complete with sped-up music.
• Pretty funny line about how Veronica’s mother is Hillary Duff, but not that Hillary Duff.
• You know, I’m actually not finding this sketch too bad.
• I saw someone in the comments claim that this character is supposed to be based on a real psychic named Sylvia Brown. After searching her up, I can safely confirm that this is indeed who she is supposed to be.
• Marcello has a great bit at the end as a guy who supposedly drowned, but is actually alive and soaking wet. Nice work by the makeup team there.
• Overall, surprisingly not bad for a Jimmy Fowlie sketch.
Film: The Hunting Wives
The second season of the “lesbian Republican drama” is anything but.
• Yay, another parody of a Netflix show that I’ve never seen! I know the reason they keep doing this is so they can get some easy clicks, but that doesn’t make it fun for someone like me who has no idea what’s going on.
• The first thing Amy does in this sketch is flash her breasts at Chloe. Ummmm…okay.
• The critic reviews are dumb and cliche. I was about to say that the one comparing it to The L Word was actually kind of funny, but then they revealed that it was written by “A.I. Scott”, because these people have A.I. on their minds constantly.
• Aubrey Plaza makes an appearance as some lady who gets guns pointed at her when she reveals she’s a lesbian. Get it, because all Republican women are homophobes!
• Well, that was a waste of my time.
Sketch: Work Birth
A woman goes into labor while at the office.
• Kind of fitting how Amy’s playing a pregnant woman here given how her tenure as a cast member ended.
• You can see some kind of camera equipment on the side of the screen as Amy takes a seat.
• Not sure about the turn this has taken with Amy sitting in a kiddie pool waiting to give birth, but she is committed as always.
• The voice Ben is using here sounds like an impression of Bowen’s “macho” voice.
• Mikey just took his shirt off for some reason…things are getting way too chaotic for my tastes.
• There was no need for Kenan to be in this sketch just so he can do his tired reacting shtick.
• Speaking of tired, the baby turns out to be a fully-grown Bowen doing his usual gay routine. Yawn, another ho-hum sketch.
Musical Performance: “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”
Weekend Update (featuring Rhonda LaCenzo, The Couple You Can’t Believe Are Together, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers)
• Let’s see, jokes comparing Trump to a fictional character, jokes painting everyone at Fox News as a racist…it’s all so tiresome.
• Ugh, here comes Sarah as a loud, obnoxious character again. I don’t think I need to say any more.
• I forgot all about that Mark Sanchez story. The media sure buried that one quick, huh?
• I hate that I laughed at the edited video of Colin dancing with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.
• Ha ha, Colin Jost is a Nazi! That joke sure hasn’t gotten old yet!
• Are you kidding me? We’re doing these Jane and Marcello characters again? Weren’t the first two times enough?
• Ah, now time for more cameos, as Tina and Seth Meyers have shown up to join Amy in a Joke-Off.
• So far, I’m not really finding the guests’ jokes better than the one Colin told.
• Nice, a child pregnancy joke from Tina. You see, the joke is that people in Tennessee are all inbred!
• I did kind of laugh at Amy’s final joke about how the baby broke her record for having the “loosest vagina”.
Sketch: Experienced Lawyers
Oddball law firms one-up each other during a commercial.
• Right off the bat, I’m laughing at the look of James and Andrew’s characters.
• Impressive wall-breaking entrance from Amy.
• I’m liking the format of this sketch so far.
• Wow, has Ashley been in every single sketch in this episode? I love it!
• For once, Jane’s awkward delivery actually enhances a scene.
• The “CLONES, ACTIVATE!!!!” scene is hilarious.
• Sarah’s scene representing “Dracu-Law” has shades of her excellent early work on the show.
• Bowen and Kenan kind of bring this to a limp end, but overall, this was definitely a highlight of the episode.
Musical Performance: “Some Protector”
Sketch: Emo Mom
A mom goes through a phase of acting emo.
• I like how much airtime the featured players have been getting in this episode.
• Funny characterization from Amy as a moody goth bitch.
• Thank you, Chloe, for pointing out that Amy just started vaping!
• “When A Period Becomes A Comma” is a pretty good name for a book.
• Yay, another lifeless performance from Jane Wickline. I get that she’s supposed to be an emo here, but she could not look any less enthusiastic if she tried.
• Oh my God, I just noticed the family portrait on the wall with everyone making the cheesiest smiles possible, and now I can’t stop laughing.
• Great shot at the end of Amy’s infected tattoo.
• I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed that sketch this time around.
Sketch: Theme Song Masterclass
Two television composers share how they came up with famous theme songs.
• Uh-oh, looks like we’re in for a Bowen showcase here…
• Even worse, Amy and Bowen’s characters are named “Lydia Calabasas” and “Leonard Margarita”, respectively. Ugh, enough with the “funny” names.
• Jeez, this “first draft” of the Severance theme song…I find it really hard to believe that this sketch was not written by Jimmy Fowlie or Ceara O’Sullivan.
• Great, now the students are explaining why that was a horrible song. I’ve never seen Severance, but I didn’t need this sketch to explain to me that this song would not fit in with the show.
• Jane: “Why do these all sound like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?” Ummm, no they don’t? What are you talking about, Jane?
• No idea what to think about that running gag of Bowen threatening to assault Jane, except that it isn’t funny at all and is actually kind of disturbing.
• Kenan is now playing a thinly-veiled variant of his Treece Henderson character. Please end this sketch already!!!
• Yippee, another ending where everyone dances.
• I can’t believe they actually let this on the air. What actually good sketch did they cut in favor of this one?
Note: A dedication for Diane Keaton is show before the goodnights. I don’t know why, considering she never even appeared on the show.
Final thoughts: While not perfect, this was miles better than the season premiere. Most of the cast actually got something to do, and Amy did her usual great job as host.
Best sketches: Miss Lycus The Fast Psychic, Experienced Lawyer, Emo Mom
Worst sketches: Cold Open, The Rudemans, Rhonda LaCenzo commentary, Theme Song Masterclass
Next review: Sabrina Carpenter
Blech!!!! Haven't you always wanted to see the individual hairs in Ratchet's eyebrows? He looks like a rejected Pixar character!
