SNL Recap November 13, 2010: Scarlett Johansson/Arcade Fire

November 16, 2010

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Middle East: quit goofing around!

Cold Opening – G20 Press Conference
This was so identical to last year’s Obama/Hu Jintao press conference sketch that I almost thought I was watching a rerun. Logically, I knew that that could not be true. I knew that I was watching a new episode and that Bill Hader had not played Hu in the last sketch, but perception is not always completely rational. Anyway, last year’s sketch was strongly decent; this one suffered from being exactly the same. B-

Scarlett Johansson’s Monologue
The premise of ScarJo keeping it classy was promising enough.  I guess.  Maybe.  Abby’s Ke$ha was right on, but I don’t think she really fit in this bit, because I don’t think Ke$ha particularly cares if she appears classy or not. B-

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SNL Recap October 30, 2010: Jon Hamm/Rihanna

November 1, 2010

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Uh-oh. Boner alert!

Cold Opening – A Message from the Vice President
Finally! A political sketch this season that is, well, decent. Hey, when all else fails, just turn to Biden. He can deliver the crazy, no problem. The Chilean miners served as a fruitful comparison. B

Jon Hamm’s Monologue
I wasn’t sure if the joke was that Hamm’s ad campaign ideas weren’t as good as he thought they were or if it was just the process he went through to come up with them. Anyway, the success of this monologue depended on delivery, which was superb when Kenan shouted, “Refrigerators!” and Andy snuck in with, “9-volt batteries.” B

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SNL Recap October 23, 2010: Emma Stone/Kings of Leon

October 25, 2010

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Cold Opening – Harry Reid for Senate Press Conference
The impressions are decent enough, so how about somebody comes up with some actual jokes for these guys? C

Emma Stone’s Monologue
Kenan, Bill, and Andy all had a good thing going with their nerd characters, but they were cut off prematurely, so there was no momentum. Andy’s violent shaking while trying to read his prepared statement was a high point. Meanwhile, Bobby’s Jonah Hill was a physical marvel, and Taran’s Michael Cera was freakishly spot-on. B

Babyspanx
Ultimately distressing. At there was Bill was his ever-reliable spokesman character. C+

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SNL Recap October 9, 2010: Jane Lynch/Bruno Mars

October 10, 2010

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Cold Opening – Ask Gloria Allred
I didn’t realize that Gloria Allred has represented that many “victims” (though I assume there was some exaggeration), so it was amusing to discover that. Otherwise, this sketch was just an exercise in coming up with a bunch of ways to describe someone as the worst person alive, which proved to be bland and repetitive. C+

Jane Lynch’s Monologue
“Classically trained guitarist Fred Armisen,” eh? I like it. As for the Glee “theme song” premise, it was a little predictable and that sort of thing has been done before (see Jack Black’s King Kong theme song), but Jane Lynch did perform serviceably. B

Damn It, My Mom is on Facebook Filter
Ah, mom humor. It appears to be endless (cf. the Mom Celbrity Translator). To work, it requires solid performances, which we had with Andy as the frustrated son and Jane as the concerned and mommishly kooky mom. B+

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SNL Recap October 2, 2010: Bryan Cranston/Kanye West

October 4, 2010

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Live from New York, it’s 93-year old sex machine Ernest Borgnine!

Cold Opening – Rahm Emanuel Hands the Chief of Staff Reins to Peter Rouse
Andy’s Rahm Emanuel impression is fun enough, but this was o better than your standard crazy/scary person act. Bobby had little to as Peter Rouse. B-

Bryan Cranston’s Monologue
The premise of the back-up singers getting Cranston’s name wrong was a good idea, but they didn’t stick with it long enough.  That is a premise that can take you far, but for some inexplicable reason, they got his name right by the end of it. B

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SNL Recap September 25, 2010: Amy Poehler/Katy Perry

September 27, 2010

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This is my first time venturing into an episode-by-episode, sketch-by-sketch breakdown of SNL, as I have only previously presented year-end wrapups.  These recaps will be snappier than the season recaps, with a sentence or two of comments per sketch, followed by a letter grade, as that is my preferred system for judging entertainment.  These are quick reactions, so I reserve the right to change my mind at some point down the line.

Cold Opening – Christine O’Donnell at the RNC Headquarters
K-Wiig is given yet another character, and … she nails the impression of the latest Tea Party sensation. But, like many cold openings these days, the sketch overall was excessively dry, oddly enough considering the main topic was masturbation. B

Opening Montage
Was there any reason why Nasim came before Taran Killam?

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