Yes.
The episode begins with a spoof on yet another Republican Presidential Debate on CNN.
Anderson Coop-- sorry, Wolf Blitzer moderated this debate, which sees the candidates getting even more loonier and deserving of a loss. (What else is new?)
Okay. Let’s get the obvious out of the way:
It seems Jon Rudnitsky has never watched CNN. With each passing sketch lampooning a debate on the network, they give him the role of the CNN moderator (understandably because most other male members are playing the candidates), and he fails with the impression--his voice as Blitzer is exactly the same as when he played Cooper. Just a little gruffer this time. I’m not outright annoyed at this, because at least he can give an impression (*cough* Kyle Mooney *cough*), but he needs to fix his vocals, because this is now really sad (Jason Sudeikis wasn’t a slam dunk as him either, but at least he got the basics of the voice right.) And I will be annoyed if they give him another CNN personality and gives the same result. Jon, you do have some talent, but don’t let this be the only range you have.
On the other hand, almost everyone was on their damn A-Game.
-Starting with announcer Darrell Hammond, returning to form as Donald Trump. I mean, LOOK AT HIM! I tuned in late into the CO, and I honestly thought the real deal was on the stage. But when I heard the voice and looked at the wig, then I realized “WOW. As good as Taran was, why didn’t they keep him as the official Trump impersonator? I mean, he’s always in the studio!”
Taran Killam himself does a really good job as him, but Hammond is essentially The Donald’s twin separated at birth. I wish they let Hammond play Trump more than a few times in the new year.
-Also, great job to Jay Pharoah as Dr. Ben Carson. He clearly has gotten comfortable in his role, who now seems to be so closeted that a broken feather can let him come out; and playing him as if he looks like the spawn of Dr. Evil and The Grinch.
And the voice shows it. This had me rolling in my seat.
-Beck Bennett also did really good as a whiny and scared Jeb Bush.
-And I utterly enjoyed Bobby Moynihan hamming it up as a fearmongering Chris Christie, like a bully ready taking down everyone just with his words
-Killam as Ted Cruz sounded like a calm, Southern Nature Cat. But it was so charming enough that I really liked it.
Everyone else below was middling:
-Cecily wasn’t at her best as Carly Fiorina.
-Kyle Mooney did middling as Rand Paul
Overall, it was a very hilarious CO and one of the most sharpest political spoofs this season. It was clearly Hammond that stole the damn thing like Trump has stolen the real campaign, and ran away with it. He should be Trump for now on. But a everyone else did great too, and made this a true team effort. Great job, all around.
Fave Lines:
“I might go HAM up in here right now.”
“...But I’m not asleep! I’m amp, I’m jacked, and I’m ready to throw down.”
-Ben Carson
“I have what doctors call a punchable face.” -Ted Cruz
“[...]BON JOVI FOREVER!!” -Chris Christie
“I’m young, I’m Cuban, and let’s face it, I'm the only one up here you’d swipe right for.” -Marco Rubio
“I’ve got hold of his birth certificate, and full disclosure...his real name is Jebra.”
“You pee sitting down.” and
“Jeb, you’re a very nice man...but you’re basically a little girl.”
“Jebra. Jebraaaa.”[...]“Hey, Jebra. Loser says what?” -Donald Trump
--
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have returned to Studio 8H! And it was a very welcome sight indeed, as shown in their Monologue.
After a quick mention of how close as friends they are, finishing the other’s sen--tipedes…
they then present a new original Christmas song, definitely meant to get you in the spirit of the holiday. Amy sang a bright, poppy, cheery ditty, while Tina sings a dour, gloomy, pitiful hymn.
While the start wasn’t hilarious, their song was. And was perfect for the season, obviously.
While this wasn’t the best Mono of the season, I still liked this.
--
Hillary Clinton is feeling cheerful.
In this Sketch After at her "house", she is excited from the outcome presidential season: the GOP is impossibly imbecilic and Bernie Sanders is screwed over by the DNC. So Christmas is looking wonderful.
But not to a surprise guest who appears in spirit to help her out...Hillary Clinton.
While it was absolutely a gem to see Poehler return as Clinton in her 2008 form, the real gem is this: Kate McKinnon really held her own as the current Hillary, still manic and hungry for American dominance and the White House. I was blown away by the performance. And Amy should get as much praise for still being hilary-ous. Also, shout out to the writers for keeping the characteristics of old Hillary for this sketch. A nice touch.
Also, while I knew it would happen, I was still excited to see Fey also return to form as Sarah Palin. She was still game as the addle-headed and clueless yet . If anything, I think she may be more funnier here than in her last appearances.
This was a very strong, sharp, Hillary-ous sketch and definitely one of the best of the Week.
Fave Lines:
Hillary Now:
“Let me just get in my pajamas. [being normal women’s suit wear]”
“You young, naiive girl (under breath) of 61.”
“Bernie Sanders is a human birkenstock.”
“A sweet old lady, but a sweet old lady who says ‘YAASS QUEEN’!”
Hillary ‘08:
“...then someone named Barack Obama stumbled out of a soup kitchen with a basketball and a cigarette and stole my life.”
“Yeah, I have to get back to 2008 and send a bunch of emails.” (“NO.” -Hillary Now)
Sarah Palin:
“Oh, it looks like I landed in the bedroom of a lesbian couple.”
“Oh God, that was a real fun election. I was paired up with that cute little John McCain fellow. May he rest in peace, I’m guessin’.”
“I remember he had that real funny saying! He’s say, ‘Sarah, you’re the worst thing that ever happened to me’.”
-
This is the Best Sketch of the Week. ...and possibly the season.
This is your new favorite show. Eat your heart out, Teen Titans Go!!
It’s Meet Your Second Wife!
My God this was so disgustingly shocking, yet so ungodly hilarious.
It’s like a commentary on men who leave their wives for scarily younger females (all shown here being girls [and one a baby]). And the game show format is a genius touch. As soon as the second and third “new wives” came out, I was like ‘This is like some Maury shit! No...this is some Jerry Springer shit!“
As it progresses, the hosts reveal some shockingly painful events that will happen to the male contestants after their first meeting their second wives, like they know. It’s as if they somehow gotten to the show...and it’s taped in Hell. (Wow, Sarah Palin made sense when she said she went through time and space, that could be it.) I couldn't stop covering my mouth, and reacting like child walking in on his parents. But I can’t stop laughing like adult watching THE episode of All in the Family (you know the one). This was too funny not to laugh at, and I have no more words to say. This was the best sketch this week, and can be the contender of the entire season so far.
Fave Lines:
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you again in 20 years.” -Brian
“Actually, it’s seven.” -Fey
-
“I thought this was a home makeover show.” -Elaine
“In a way, it is.” -Fey (ha, she meant “home wrecker”.)
-
“Oohhh nooooo.” -Steve (after meeting his new wife)
“How many years old are you, Stacey?” -Helen Walsh
(Stacey holds up 5 fingers[!!!])
…
“You’re right, you won’t. Sadly, Elaine will pass away in a tragic kayaking accident.” -Fey
“What?!?” -Elaine
“Sorry, Elaine, We don’t make the future, we just know it.” - Walsh
-
“Next up, we have Toby from Boston.” -Walsh
-Toby“...and Toby, you’re here with your wife of 20 years, Deanna."-Walsh
“That’s right. Hey, baby.” -Toby
-Deanna(when this part came up, I was hoping the second wife was a baby. So at first, you’d be shocked at how disappointed I was when a grown woman showed up. Then this happened...)
“Oh, son of a...” -Toby
“You a dead man, Toby.” -Deanna
[...]
“So, Alicia has a serious boyfriend, and she just found out she’s three months pregnant with-you guessed it, your second wife.”
-Deanna“Wow, I can’t breathe. Oh, my gosh, This show‘s going to Hell.” -Me
--
Remember that acting coach Gerard from last season? The guy that made his actors say their dialogue in an outrageous, overblown, overly dramatic way, not ever the way it’s supposed to be acted? Well, he’s back...this time he’s doing a movie. (Who was stupid enough to hire him?)
Well...this was funnier than the last sketch. If “funnier’ was “more above par”.
I liked the performances from Fey and Poehler, and Kenan’s Gerard is better than the last time, putting together a more stronger product. But I still found this pretty weak compared to the sketches this week.
--
I’ll get to Update and the return of the great Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in a moment, but first…a special offer from Time Life and Chad and Victoria Douglas.
You remember their variety show? Well, they have a deal for you! How about DVD of their Christmas special ?
I’ll start off with this: as good as they were, the Douglases weren’t the best part of the sketch; the performances didn’t feel like what they should be (not that I would at all), and the writing was pretty weak.
Of course, the best part came from surprise guest/fellow former female cast member/all-around delight Maya Rudolph. She commanded the stage with her performance/mini-drunken stupor/mini-bitch fit, and had me close to the TV (well, as close from the computer as I can get). I know this wasn’t the only appearance involving her here, and the other one blows this one away, but I still loved what I say here.
Other than that, this was a middling sketch, and the only thing memorable about it was Maya so...
--
BRONX BEAT’S BACK!!
Come on. Amy Poehler? Maya Rudolph? 2 and 2, right??
I’ve always loved Bronx Beat, with Amy and Maya delightfully satirizing women in The Bronx talking about things that they love (booze, sex, food, no kids) and things they hate (almost everything else), making a so damn effervescent sight every time. Plus, their accents are perfect.
(Obviously, not from New York, but they sound legit enough for me.)
And seeing the equally awesome Tina Fey as Karen from Philly was just as sweet. At first I got really irritated by her accent, but I enjoyed it because it was part of a joke. Good one, ladies!
I was so excited to see this sketch come back, and I haven’t been this happy to re-welcome it since.
Fave Lines:
“You think you got Santa comin’ down ya chimney? It’s ISIS.” -Jodi
-
“I’m through-y with Chewie.”
...
“What the hell’s a wookie?”
“A dog-man that flies a plane. PASS!”
“You know how to say ‘I’m tired of Star Wars’ in wookie? GUUUUUHHHHHHH.” -Both
-
“My dumb husband was eating meatballs with too much garlic the other night? We’re layin’ in bed, and he’s fartin’ in his sleep. And I’m blamin’ it on the dog; Dog looks at me and sayin’ ‘Uh-uh, it’s that guy’” -Jodi
-
“It’s like ‘Down-town’ Abbey.”
“Lemme tell you somethin’- If I was pregnant, I’d kill myself.” -Betty
--
And now time for the Pre-Tapes of the Week.
All of them weren’t that great. But they did get a laugh out of me.
First up, one based on America’s latest stupid obsession: Hoverboards! (aka, motorized skateboards that have nothing to do with the actual hoverboards from Back to the Future Part II)
They really hit the nail on what those popular pieces of crap, especially after the news that the cheaper models will cause fires from over-charging and overuse. It was pretty stupid to see the characters still ride on them while they’re burning up, but meh. It wasn’t best Pre-tape this week.
(or season)
This was. Ironically spoofing on a song that came out 7 months earlier.
Tina and Amy want to challenge Taylor Swift on who has the better squad. So they make their case with some odd choices....
This was hilarious. Especially seeing the names of the squad members like 2 Soupz, TT Squarsh, and Our Real-Life Gynecologist (who they share). And the rap Aidy did was funny too.
Also, super cool cameos from Gayle King another Amy--Schumer that is.
While not the best Pre-Tape of the season, this was still the best of the week, especially against “Hoverboards”.
--
The Boss is Back! And he’s bringing his friends along for maximum awesomeness.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed and I don’t have to tell you...but this performance was frickin’ electric! Everyone did great, and of course they did--they may be old, but they’ve still got it. In fact I wanted to say “You still got it” like I was the stands at a WWE Live event. Also, a shout out to the guy who performed sax; that gave me so much life that I might lose the one I have now, and reincarnate seconds later.
Mr. Springsteen and E Street performed three songs--"Meet Me in the City", "The Ties That Bind" and their great rendition of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”--and all of them sounded frickin’ amazing, proving that the guy has never slowed down (as of this post, he’s pushing 70) and is still awesome as he was during the start and middle of his career. And the E Street Band is one of the best bands ever, proving to be more than backup, they’re a family that you’d love to hang around with and jam to. I love these guys so much.
--
Time for an Update:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Although the content wasn’t as strong as last week, Jost & Che have gotten better and better.
Now, while I expected them to return to the segment that made them shine every week, and was excited when they did, I was saddened when Tina & Amy got the last minute or so of the segment. Don’t get me wrong--I’m grateful they got a segment, but at least they could’ve gave them the back half. Maybe because they had to do the rest of the show, but come on.
This was a good edition this week, and a nice middle to what has been a great resurgence the era of Jost & Che on Weekend Update.
Wraparound:
Tina & Amy were game for a return, and we were game for their return. And their performances proved it big time. It's like they truly missed working on the show and loved the perks of such (the laughter/applause of the studio audience, the idea and changes of scripts from the writers rooms, the pains of deadlines, the quick run trough's to the dressing room to change for the next sketch, the after-parties, ect.)...or that they had a new movie coming out, and needed a place to promote it, and this crossed their minds, and gave performances of their lives nonetheless.
And they certainly did, as the chemistry from the entire episode was so strong, you couldn't cut it with a sledgehammer. The timing was right, the writing was shocking and outrageous (especially during Meet Your Second Wife), yet sharp and hilarious (especially during the GOP Debate CO and, again, Meet Your Second Wife), and the performances were amazing.--the guys killed it during the GOP Debate CO, and the ladies had me gasping for air during MYSW, and I can't forget Maya Rudolph, who gave a spectacular performance during "Special Offer" and returned to form as Jodi Deitz on Bronx Beat, being even more memorable than her character's counterpart Betty, although Amy was just as amazing. This episode has a lot of performances that made me say "Well done, SNL staff. Very well done."
ConcluSLoN:
This episode ended the season midway on a high note. I've enjoyed a lot of episodes this season so far, but this one has to be one of my very favorites. Yeah, you could argue that the episode was great because of Tina and Amy, but yeah, that's one of the reasons. Strong writing, great cast performances, the nice duo aspect between them, Maya Rudolph, Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, and a nice cameo by Sir Paul McCartney during the Goodnights and credits, this episode had so much to love, and they perfectly tied it all up in a beautiful Christmas package you couldn't ask your mom and dad for. Even in the new year, this is an episode to rewatch. So please, rewatch it.
Normally, I'd mention that there would be a hiatus between Christmas and New Years' breaks, but since this review is late (and I apologize for that), I'll say that on Saturday, SNL returns with first episode of 2016, with Adam Driver, star of the now highest-grossing film of all-time (when it opened, in North America and of last year), Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Expect some other stars of it, and a sketch with Chewbacca in it.
Also, a musician I've never heard is getting a seemingly-deserved visit to the stage. His name is Chris Stapleton, and he's ready, willing and able to receive all your attention. I'm willing to do that, and I can't wait to see both guys perform. I'll try to have my review up sometime after. (Please don't have too high hopes for me.) See you guys later!
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