SNL: Louis C.K. and Fun.

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This is an interesting pickle not only does the show have to balance comedy in the face of a natural disaster but they have Louis C.K. hosting.  This is not to say that I think C.K. will be awful.  On the contrary, I'm a big fan pf not only his standup but especially his show, Louie.  Louie is a thoughtful, provocative series that treats the laughs as important as the dramatic beats.  Louie is almost as far removed from SNL as thematically and artistically possible.  I'm interested in the dramatic conflict between these two comedy viewpoints seeming at this point to be in opposition.  In C.K.'s defense, he was a Conan head writer back when Conan was starting out.  Also, the "Sad Mouse" sketch in the Bruno Mars episode played like a Louie vignette.

Cold Open:  A Message from Michael Bloomberg

We open this episode with Fred Armissen out as Bloomberg and Cecily Strong as his sign language interpreter.  It's fine and Strong is good, but then they are upstaged by Bobby Moynihan as NJ Governor Chris Christie and Nasim Pedrad as his sign language interpreter.  They are hysterical and there's a nice Obama stick there as well.  All in all it was a funny opening that paid due respect to the people who are trying to lead the Northeast through this natural disaster.  Well done.

Monologue:  Louis C.K.

This is essentially a great stand up bit, complete with a handheld mic.  I'm trying to think of a time when a touring stand up hosted the show--perhaps Dane Cook. The routine is centered around an old woman he helped up who  had fallen at the airport.  It's a classically structured bit that is solidly funny.  Thank God. "She said a bunch of stiff that changed my life and I'll never forget her."his

Fox and Friends

Fox and Friends has become one of my favorite and consistently one of the best parodies that SNL does.  It's fairly predictable blaming Obama for Hurricane Sandy and Jason Sudeikis as Donald Trump.  Then C.K. comes out as FEMA deputy and does a funny voice, but he is understandably confounded by the congenial if dimwitted hosts.  Moynihan is always the rock solid heart of this piece.  And the the piece de restiance, the fact checker slow crawl.  Some of my faves:  "There are many black people, not just one who is a master of disguise."  "Not all pigs are born with human feet." "Burritos are not 'male tacos.'" There was even a building bit fact check concerning Chef Boyardee and the fact checkers having to correct themselves.

Lincoln 

Our first filmed bit of the night has C.K. playing a self doubting Abraham Lincoln.  Or a Lincoln version of his Louie character.  This bit has a reshot opening sequence that is nearly identical to the opening credits of Louie and complete with stand up bits.  I'm in heaven, and have to watch it again.

Australian Screen Legends

This is a TCM/AMC interstitial style Australian television program about famous Australian movie stars.  Armisen is out as the host, and he is discussing the Bacall and Bogart of Australia, Davies and Dixon.  Kate McKinnon and Bill Hader plays the legends and it's just an excuse to do accents and bad stereotypes.  The joke is that the ugliness of the accent destroys the beauty and candor of the moment.  Not unfunny but not reaching for greatness, either.  At least everyone is game and is having a good time.

fun.:  Some Nights

This is one of The Kid's current favorite songs (and mine, too).  It's a thrilling stomp and here it's being performed with a gusto and verve rarely seen on this stage.  I will say that the guys in fun. seem quite a bit older than I would have expected.  I did do the puppy head tilt when the auto-tune kicked in.  Perhaps it wasn't auto-tune but a requested filter.

Weekend Update

Seth Meyers leads with the hurricane and not the election.  Perhaps because the political stuff here hasn't been working this season.  After three jokes (including one funny Romney visual joke), we swing to the election full on.  Then Sudeikis is out as Romney to remind people that he is still running for President.  The agency of this bit is decimated a tad by the Romney visual joke earlier, but Sudeikis is great here, including a killer throwaway joke about women.  If Romney loses will Sudeikis quit the show as he was rumored to do last spring?  I hope not.  There's another Sandusky joke, and I guess that SNL won't allow us to forget him.  Thank you.  Aidy Bryant is out as Kourtney Barnes, a social media expert to comment on the role of social media in the election.  Bryant is a pleasant presence but the bit is just a rag on social media and its users proclivity to use impolite language when commenting.  It's a fine bit and Bryant seems to be doing her best to make the character crazy.  It's a feeble attempt to make her look more like Melissa McCarthy or to make the character memorable.  It's passable.  Strong returns as The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party.  Her incoherent drivel is hysterical, but so is her uncanny ability to drop the first syllable of a word if it is a vowel sound.  Of course she was Malcolm X.  It's a brilliant bit of parody that cuts to the bone.  Will this show have a bad sketch tonight?

Kylarian Mountain Pass

CK awaits at the top of Kylarian Mountain Pass for Zog.  Ummm...I may have spoken too soon.  What the hell was that?  I'm confounded.  This was like out of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.  Holy cow.

Hotel Check Out

Moynihan is trying to check out of his hotel to get to the airport and CK is the front desk clerk.  The litany of charges is funny even if it played a little bit like Cue Card Theatre.  Nothing particularly over the top here, but it is a good sustained piece of action performed admirably by two good actors.  I'll take it over the Pass sketch any time.

fun.:  Carry On

I am pleased they didn't waste their second spot on "We are Young" and are trying to make something out of this lower key nugget.  This isn't one of the best albums of the year, but it's not horrible.  This may be the last song on it that could break through, though.  I wouldn't be upset by that, but it's a little too Florence + The Machine to have great crossover success.

The Pick Up

The last sketch of the night.  Usually a short and odd piece, tonight it CK and McKinnon closing down a bar.  The lowered expectations of one last pick up meets the fevered libido of the disarming.  It's really quite funny and rather entertaining.  But I like C.K. and McKinnon.  Plus it has the deadpan styling of Keenan Thompson who is the go to guy for this sort of thing.

Final Bows

This was a pretty great episode.  C.K. was very good at doing what he normally does.  When he went broad like the show, it didn't work as well for me (The "Kylarian Pass" sketch, the funny voice bit during "Fox and Friends".), but the Lincoln bit was great and I enjoyed the "Hotel Check Out" sketch and the "Pick Up".  The women in the company fared better tonight, especially Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon.  Bryant got her first real feature (other than the debate sketch a weeks back) and Pedrad and Bayer each got one scene.  Moynihan also shone, whereas Taran Killiam, Jay Pahraoah and Time Robinson came out to bow essentially.  Best sketch: Lincoln.  Honorable mentions:  C.K.'s monologue, Weekend Update, Fox and Friends.  Worst sketch: the Kylarian Mountain Pass.

But it's been a great night.  My thanks to Louis C.K....fun....and the cast and crew.  You guys are the best.  Good night, everybody!!