This is my first live blog of a scripted show, and my first real attempt of tackling Saturday Night Live. SNL has been one of the greatest artistic influences of my life. My comic sensibilities were formed by this seminal sketch series and by The Carol Burnett Show. Even in the darkest of times, I feel a proprietary interest in the success of the series, and probably haven't missed an episode since 1982.
Tonight we get our first episode free of the winning charms of Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig and Abby Elliot. There are three new performers: Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, and Tim Robinson. All three have strong comedy roots at Second City in Chicago. I as always am hoping for the best, and plan to post after each sketch/song.
Tonight I'm hoping for a good Obama bit, especially now that impressionist Jay Pharoah is playing the role, and for MacFarlane to sing quite a few songs. It would be a waste to not do this. We shall see. Show starting in 3...2...1...
Cold Open: Obama's Secret Weapon
Fred Armisen passes the Obama torch to Pharoah, and for the first time in six years a black man is playing the President. I love that Obama considers Romney his secret weapon. Pharoah's Obama is a little forced, but the writing was strong, I especially dug the Sanford and Son bit. Jadon Sudeikis is a great performer and I am glad that he didn't leave at the end of the season last year, as well. I like his Romney a lot and all of my favorite political bits from last year were his.Monologue: Seth MacFarlane
MacFarlane asks Farrah Fawcett out as he promised himself that he always would, then goes to his famous voices from Family Guy. "Voices in my head is a legitimate psychological problem for me." MacFarlane was born in the wrong era; he so needs to headline a variety show, a la Dean Martin. His impressions extend to Droopy, Michael J. Fox and Kermit. He such a game player; if this goes well, I'd like to see him host once a year.Obama Commercial: Romney is a Dick
Let's see Romney sneezes on the ill and has it out for Raymond McCoy. The bit was saved by Kenan Thompson and indignant exasperation. One of his stronger suits. I wonder if there will be an parity in attacking both candidates, but it doesn't look like it at this point.Sex After 50
This is a retread of the old bit where Armisen plays the crass, hard of hearing producer of a talk show who is incompetent. Naughty language bits are fine but not sustainably funny. Nothing here really works, which is so sad.Clint Eastwood and Chair
Another commercial so soon. Bill Hader's Eastwood is always pretty good, and the duet bit hit well. They had the chance to take it to the hard right who embraced the original Eastwood bit, but they backed off from that. Sigh.Oppan Gangnam Style
Ummm...three douches are ahving a hard time working at a Lids store, so they push the most awesome Easy Button. This cause the store to split open and Bobby Moynihan to appear and begin to dance to "Oppan Gangam Style", a hot party anthem that comes from Korea. Each time the guys push the button more craziness ensues finally including Psy the Korean Rap artist responsible for the hit. Not funny per se, but energizing to the audience.Puppet Class
MacFarlane leads a class where normal people can create a Muppet-style puppet and then develop a character around it. This is merely an excuse for Hader to do an extended character bit as a war vet, which is pretty great all around. There's even a great smoking bit. Hader is so good he makes even the puppet seem like a real person. The best sketch of the night so far, and the only one to seek out at www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live.Frank Ocean: "Thinking About You"
People that follow hip hop think highly of Ocean and his album that came out this summer. It does nothing for me. This stripped down version of "Thinking About You" I actually prefer over the other single, but not enough to get it. This is an artist tht just doesn't do it for me in anyway.Weekend Update
Seth Meyers takes Obama down a little bit with a couple of pointed Obama jokes about his dependence on Bill Clinton. A bit about the political unrest in the Middle East doesn't connect, so out comes Honey Boo Boo (Vanessa Bayer) and Mama June (Moynihan), complete with subtitles. Thank God. They're both great, and it was the best zeitgeist-y moment of the night. Other easy targets: Chris Brown, Joe Paterno and JC Penney haircuts. MacFarlane is out as Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte--another great impression and great bit--I only wish he had been subtitled too. There were too many great lines. My faves: "Go Od," "If you put your ear up to my ear, you can hear the ocean," and "Aw, man, it feels so weird to be dry." New cast member Cecily Strong is out as Mimi Morales to talk bout the Latino vote with her silent and handsy Dominican boyfriend. Not a lot that connects here, except a lovely performer giving a good performance. I'd like to see a lot more of Strong, perhaps not as Mimi Morales.Do I Stutter?
MacFarlane plays a drill sergeant who struggles with a stuttering problem from his youth, which of course is counter to the classic Full Metal Jacket, "Do I stutter?" trope. What starts as a bunch of men yelling evolves to a hysterical bit about self-doubt and the role of authority. And, it's not a musical. This sketch is another one to seek out. A touch better than the puppet bit.The Steve Harvey Show
Thompson plays actor and new talk show host Steve Harvey, where he remakes over a schlubby boyfriend (played by MacFarlane) to look like him. It's another one note bit, and one of the longest of the night. This would probably have worked better if the Harvey show had been on longer than a week and had been any sort of hit. Instead, it seems to want to highlight the silliness of a 55 year-old black man headlining a show for white women. It's not biting enough to really go after the premise and not a potent enough parody of the actual piece to connect.Blind Date with I'm All
Nasim Pedrad and MacFarlane are on a blind date, which would be fine but they can't be themselves. They resort to funny voices and unnecessary verbal qualifiers ("like" and "I'm/she's/you're all") to delay actually communicating with each other. Soon everyone they encounter is shown doing the same thing. This is an inspired bit and it plays well, but has a week ending bit that refuses to bring any sort of smack down on anyone.Frank Ocean: Pyramids
Ocean goes to play a video game while John Mayer plays the guitar. I'd do that too if I could.Yoder Wooden Spoons
A short bit with two Amish explaining a website address www.woodenspoonwarehouse.com which takes you to the SNL website.Final Bows
All in all it wasn't a bad premiere. There were two solid skits (the puppet class and the stuttering drill sergeant) and "Weekend Update" was strong as usual. There were even some good political commercials (especially the Eastwood one) which will get more play on the Thursday night Election Specials over the next few weeks. There were even some good ideas that only lacked a final punch to really connect (Steve Harvey, the blind date and Romney's secret weapon).The three new featured performers had substantial enough appearances (Tim Robinson had lines in 4 skits, Strong had the substantial character piece in "Update" and Aidy Bryant was the first stranger in the blind date skit). They were used more than some of the regulars. Now that Wiig and Samberg are gone, it's natural to look for the next breakout talent. My money would be on Taran Killam, but he had little to do tonight. Sudeikis disappeared after the cold open, essentially; Kate McKinnon had one tiny part. Vanessa Bayer is a favorite, but she and Bobby Moynihan seem to be trying on Sudeikis' utility player roles. Hader had some great character pieces, and he is always a reliable presence. It felt like the skits were all considerably shorter than they have been in the past, and I may have to do a little math later to see. I also didn't care for the over-reliance on ludicrousness to make a joke.
But it's been a great night. My thanks to Seth MacFarlane...Frank Ocean...John Mayer...Psy...and the cast and crew. You guys are the best. Good night, everybody.
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