"Sluts do it for money, wives do it for refrigerators"
Cold Open: Firefighters
3 Stars
Chevy Chase orders firemen to check doors
There's a fire in the building and Chase and a bunch of firemen run around the hallways checking doors. Chase keeps telling the men to check the doors, over and over.
"Check that door. Did you check that door? Make sure it's checked. Check it again. What do you want, your check? It's too early, check your watch."
Remember the "doctor, doctor" bit from Spies Like Us? That's what this is for a minute and a half. It's forgettable but inoffensive and a silly way to start the show.
"Check that door. Did you check that door? Make sure it's checked. Check it again. What do you want, your check? It's too early, check your watch."
Remember the "doctor, doctor" bit from Spies Like Us? That's what this is for a minute and a half. It's forgettable but inoffensive and a silly way to start the show.
Chevy Chase Monologue
3 Stars
Chevy can't remember anybody's names
Chevy wanders around his monologue, circling a punchline like a confused puppy staring at his reflection. He keeps getting dates and facts wrong, "I used to work here 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I like the new cast, especially Marty Luger, Jon Luger, Jon Lovitz. Our musical guest is Sheila Eisenberg, sorry S. Eisenberg." Stuff like that. Knowing how big of an egotistical turd Chase is in real life probably makes me hate this more than I should but seeing as how Chase's shtick was still fresh in 1985 I can't knock this too hard. It was what it was.
Commercial: Wacky Glue
5 Stars
Russ Dalrymple shows how long Wacky Glue lasts
In the 1950s, Randy Quaid was building a birdhouse and got a piece of wood stuck to his head. He writes a letter to Wacky Glue to tell them that he likes their product but, "Did they have to be so good". We then cut to the 60s, 70s and 80s where he still has the board stuck to his head. He gets suspended from a crane on the last one and then we cut to Anthony Michael Hall with the skull of his dead father, still with the board stuck to it. Wacky Glue is indeed that good. I just thought this was perfect. It's a simple premise executed beautifully.
The Pat Stevens Show
In the 1950s, Randy Quaid was building a birdhouse and got a piece of wood stuck to his head. He writes a letter to Wacky Glue to tell them that he likes their product but, "Did they have to be so good". We then cut to the 60s, 70s and 80s where he still has the board stuck to his head. He gets suspended from a crane on the last one and then we cut to Anthony Michael Hall with the skull of his dead father, still with the board stuck to it. Wacky Glue is indeed that good. I just thought this was perfect. It's a simple premise executed beautifully.
The Pat Stevens Show
2 Stars
Pat Stevens interviews a feminist stripper
When you're a kid, or at least, when I was a kid, there was no difference between good comedy and bad comedy. It was just all comedy. SNL was my basis for comedy and nothing on SNL was bad. I either loved it or I didn't get it. If I didn't get it, it was probably because I was too young or I just didn't understand the reference. I bring this up because as a kid I never got Pat Stevens and I just always assumed that this was a character that was based on a real life person. It never crossed my mind that she just wasn't funny. So, I was really excited to see the first incarnation of The Pat Stevens Show to see the origin of this character and have it finally make sense. Fat chance. There is absolutely no set up to the character, I have no idea who she is. She is introduced as a "beauty culturist", I looked up Pat Stevens and couldn't find a real person that she is based on. The audience seems to be eating this up though. Maybe this was a character she created already and people were familiar with it, but I am completely lost. If someone can assist me in figuring out the Pat Stevens puzzle I have been working on my entire life, please do so. According to the SNL Archives, I have 19 more sketches to figure it out. Anyway, here she interviews Danitra Vance who is a feminist stripper. Vance's character is funny, Pat Stevens is not. Vance talks about her act and Stevens seems uninterested. I guess that's the point of the character, she's just a horrible interviewer. Oh well, I'm done talking about it since I know I'm going to have to watch a lot more Pat Stevens.
Ford & Reagan
3 Stars
Gerald Ford gives advice to Ronald Reagan about meeting the Soviets
Reagan is getting quizzed by a staffer but doesn't know anything, because he was a dumb old fart. Gerald Ford comes in to talk to him, but he's dumb as shit too. They do some mock interviews about meeting Gorbachev but they're both fucking morons. I apologize, I think I'm in the wrong mood to watch this. With our current political climate I almost find it impossible to laugh at political humor where the main joke is how dumb the people in charge are. So let me just try to focus on the sketch. It's fun but has a real sloppy feel to it. It seems really unrehearsed, like Chase is completely off script and pandering to the audience. He gets a huge recognition applause when he walks in, like they didn't know he was hosting the show or something. Chase seems to be having a good time but Quaid seems a step behind, by which I mean Quaid is probably following a script while Chase goofs around. At one point he has a deer in the headlights look on his face and just says, "Well...I don't know" and then the sketch just kind of ends. Maybe Quaid is just really good at playing a lost old man but I was getting a bad improv feel from the whole thing. Quaid's Reagan is a pretty funny impression and looks amazing compared to Chase's Ford which, I don't know what you can call it but it's definitely not an impression. He's playing a bumbling Chevy Chase character that falls down a lot. There's also, what I hope is, an adlib where the chair cushion makes a fart noise when Reagan sits down and they riff on the enchiladas they had for lunch. I really hope that was an adlib because I would hate it if a writer wrote, "Reagan farts when he sits down."
Sheila E.
"Hollyrock"
Commercial: Trojans
1 Star
I have no idea what this was about"Freedom. We expect it in America. Freedom to choose the way we meet the challenges of life. Freedom to compete, to risk, to fail, and to succeed. No resource is more precious than freedom. It enriches our personal lives, and the lives of those around us. And yet, it can be taken away, if we allow it, by the same government that can assure our personal freedom. Something to think about, from the people at Trojans."
I at first thought that this was a real commercial. I have no idea what the joke is. It's a commercial for Condoms but they're talking about our freedoms being taken away. I'm only assuming that this has something to do with something that was in the news at the time. I just don't get it.
Those Unlucky Andersons
4 Stars
An unlucky family keeps talking about how unlucky they are
This seems like a parody of a bad SNL sketch but it was so stupid and the performances had a certain air of non commitment that it worked for me. It's set up like a sitcom where they applaud when anyone enters the room. The Andersons keep having bad luck, it's 78 degrees and sunny, except for the area around their house, they won the lottery, but the cat ate the ticket, Anthony Michael Hall got a letter from the president, he's been drafted, did you lose your contact? No, my whole eye. Stuff like that. It's got a charm to it that worked for me, even though the sketch was insanely stupid.
Weekend Update With Dennis Miller
It feels unfair giving this a rating as I don't get most of the punchlines because the humor is too topical. Geraldine Ferraro, Margaret Thatcher and The Oak Ridge Boys are some of the names dropped this week. I will say, Miller has a charm to him and an attitude that sets him apart from any other person who has been behind the Update desk. He is making the piece more about him that the jokes and he certainly has more personality than Christopher Guest. One joke is about scientists creating holographic technology that will allow George Burns to endorse products long after he's dead, kinda eerie in retrospect. Damon Wayans shows up to talk about economics. If Reagan cuts welfare anymore the flies from Ethiopia will be coming to Harlem. His solution to America getting "mo' money" is to stop lending money to foreign countries who can't pay it back. Miller says that Wayans is like having Antonio Fargas and Milton Friedman in the same chair. I couldn't agree more?
Jose Cuervo's Party School Bowl
3 Stars
Knowledge game show for dumb schools
Chevy Chase hosts a knowledge bowl between University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale and the Jose Cuervo Institute. The questions range from how many gallons in a keg to name a president. Of course, Chase has to ad-lib to call attention to the fact that he fucks up his line. This sketch had some fun stuff in it but went on way too long. Once you get the joke (these schools and students are dumb) you get more variations on the joke. Chase asks a ridiculously easy question and the kids get it right. Then we have to have Chase interview the contestants and roll a video package about their schools.
The Life Of Vlad The Impaler
3 Stars
A neighbor complains about all the impalings
Chevy knocks on Vlad The Impaler's door. They have a very pleasant conversation about all the impalings. Chase is against them while Vlad is pro impaling. It's not the noise that bothers Chase, impaling is actually very quiet, most of the noise comes from the grieving family members. This was cute but could have been really great with a little tightening and focus. After Chase leaves Vlad goes inside to talk to his wife about impaling, which is unnecessary, but if you think impale and impaling are really funny words then this is the sketch for you.
The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
2 Stars
The story of 2 young cowards during the Civil War
This was a little all over the place. It wasn't set up that well and by the time I figured out what they were going for the sketch was mercifully over. Downey and Hall are brothers fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War but are also cowards. So they are mad at each other but also just horrible soldiers. There's a decent idea hidden in here but it was lost underneath a lot of Hall and Downey mugging. Knowing what we know now, that these guys grew into really good actors, they were just really unseasoned. When I was 17 years old I would have sucked on SNL too.
Drums Drums Drums
Speaking of mugging. A voice over guy talks about drums while Chevy makes faces and pretend to drum. They say drum a lot, Chevy makes more faces, sketch is over.
Pathological Liars Anonymous
Jon Lovitz addresses the camera from behind a desk. I'm not sure why the Pathological Liars Association needed to broadcast this message but it's just a flimsy excuse to introduce a character. Tommy Flanagan tells us about his life, how he worked for the National Enquir...Geographic making $20,000 a yea...month and won the, uh, Pulitzer prize. Times weren't always good for Tommy though, he thought about killing himself at one point, in fact, he did kill himself, but then he met his wife Morgan Fairchild and joined Pathological Liars Anonymous. Lovitz is a born performer and this characters is instantly likable, I await it being beaten into the ground.
Sheila E.
"A Love Bizarre"
Chevy Chase coughs before introducing Sheila E., because, you know, it's a bit, I guess. I always liked this song but there's something about a repetitive funk jam that is just boring to watch live. If I'm jamming to it in my car, that's fine, but to just watch a pretty lady repeat the same hook over and over gets a little dull.
Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant
Sometimes you have to just accept a sketch for what it is because I'm not really sure what the reality of this is. Hall plays Craig Sundberg, he speaks like a stoned dumb dumb but randomly will say something smart and everyone respects his opinions. He's an Idiot savant, get it? But does that mean that the things he's saying are really dumb or is he dumb and doesn't know he's smart or is he just really smart but acts like an idiot? Anyway, he explains that he's going to miss his test next week because he has to go to Moscow to judge a Tchaikovsky competition. He then gets abducted by KGB operatives for espionage. It's passable but forgettable.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Drums Drums Drums
2 Stars
Chevy makes faces while he pretends to drum
Speaking of mugging. A voice over guy talks about drums while Chevy makes faces and pretend to drum. They say drum a lot, Chevy makes more faces, sketch is over.
Pathological Liars Anonymous
4 Stars
A message from Tommy Flanagan
Jon Lovitz addresses the camera from behind a desk. I'm not sure why the Pathological Liars Association needed to broadcast this message but it's just a flimsy excuse to introduce a character. Tommy Flanagan tells us about his life, how he worked for the National Enquir...Geographic making $20,000 a yea...month and won the, uh, Pulitzer prize. Times weren't always good for Tommy though, he thought about killing himself at one point, in fact, he did kill himself, but then he met his wife Morgan Fairchild and joined Pathological Liars Anonymous. Lovitz is a born performer and this characters is instantly likable, I await it being beaten into the ground.
Sheila E.
"A Love Bizarre"
Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant
2 Stars
A dumb slacker judges a Tchaikovsky competition
Sometimes you have to just accept a sketch for what it is because I'm not really sure what the reality of this is. Hall plays Craig Sundberg, he speaks like a stoned dumb dumb but randomly will say something smart and everyone respects his opinions. He's an Idiot savant, get it? But does that mean that the things he's saying are really dumb or is he dumb and doesn't know he's smart or is he just really smart but acts like an idiot? Anyway, he explains that he's going to miss his test next week because he has to go to Moscow to judge a Tchaikovsky competition. He then gets abducted by KGB operatives for espionage. It's passable but forgettable.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Average
2.8 Stars
MVP
Randy Quaid
Wacky Glue, Ford And Reagan, Jose Cuervo Institute, Vlad The Impaler, The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
Best Sketch
Randy Quaid
Wacky Glue, Ford And Reagan, Jose Cuervo Institute, Vlad The Impaler, The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
Best Sketch
Pathological Liars Anonymous
Worst Sketch
The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
The Blue, The Gray And The Yellow
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
In some ways I like that the cold open was so short, pointless and stupid. Why waste time opening the show when you can just have Chevy Chase fall down and say, "Live From New York..."? In another way, putting Ford And Reagan in the cold open slot would not only get the political stuff out of the way but also started off the show with some energy. Chevy Chase is in the building and he's falling down! I'm always of the opinion to get the self referential stuff out of the way early. The placement of the sketches was pretty good other than that. The back half of the show was starting to fall apart which is why I was so thankful for Tommy Flanagan to show up for a few minutes.
In some ways I like that the cold open was so short, pointless and stupid. Why waste time opening the show when you can just have Chevy Chase fall down and say, "Live From New York..."? In another way, putting Ford And Reagan in the cold open slot would not only get the political stuff out of the way but also started off the show with some energy. Chevy Chase is in the building and he's falling down! I'm always of the opinion to get the self referential stuff out of the way early. The placement of the sketches was pretty good other than that. The back half of the show was starting to fall apart which is why I was so thankful for Tommy Flanagan to show up for a few minutes.
Host Analysis
I know my judgment is clouded by my feelings towards Chase, which all stem from Community. Not all of that was his fault, he was an old man surrounded by a bunch of young people and once you're on the outside of a group it's almost impossible to get back on the inside. However, knowing that Chase is a notorious prick makes it hard for me to laugh at him. I haven't even discussed the story about the behind the scenes of this episode. He pitched an idea to Terry Sweeney that he could sell a weight loss plan because of how much weight he lost due to AIDs. In bad taste for sure but considering the sketch Sweeney did last week, I can't really say Chase was in the wrong. Apparently in 1985 we were allowed to make jokes about the disease so I can't really blame Chase for maybe taking it too far. That being said, his constant mugging and ad-libs in every sketch wore thin. He seemed incapable of standing still for two seconds and maybe letting someone else get a laugh.
Final Thoughts
I know my judgment is clouded by my feelings towards Chase, which all stem from Community. Not all of that was his fault, he was an old man surrounded by a bunch of young people and once you're on the outside of a group it's almost impossible to get back on the inside. However, knowing that Chase is a notorious prick makes it hard for me to laugh at him. I haven't even discussed the story about the behind the scenes of this episode. He pitched an idea to Terry Sweeney that he could sell a weight loss plan because of how much weight he lost due to AIDs. In bad taste for sure but considering the sketch Sweeney did last week, I can't really say Chase was in the wrong. Apparently in 1985 we were allowed to make jokes about the disease so I can't really blame Chase for maybe taking it too far. That being said, his constant mugging and ad-libs in every sketch wore thin. He seemed incapable of standing still for two seconds and maybe letting someone else get a laugh.
Final Thoughts
This happens sometimes. As I look over individual sketches I think, nothing was really that bad. Some sketches were decent and the bad ones were decent ideas that just weren't fully formed or too long. But this was kind of a bummer to watch. Maybe it was my frame of mind but it felt like work watching this. I can only chalk it up to Chevy Chase, his attitude overpowered the proceedings. I think it might have been too soon to have an alumni host. We're only into the 2nd episode with a completely new cast and instead of seeing what Joan Cusack is going to bring to the show I'm watching the Chevy Chase show.
Up Next
Pee-Wee Herman hosts. This is one episode I remember from this season because I had it on a VHS tape from when it first aired and watched it a lot as a kid. I was a huge Pee-Wee fan. I don't remember any specific sketch but if memory serves me correct he stayed in character as Pee-Wee the whole show. Which, for me as a kid made perfect sense because I had no idea Pee-Wee Herman was really Paul Reubens. He was Pee-Wee Herman. I'm really interested to see how they have a fictional character host the show.
Pee-Wee Herman hosts. This is one episode I remember from this season because I had it on a VHS tape from when it first aired and watched it a lot as a kid. I was a huge Pee-Wee fan. I don't remember any specific sketch but if memory serves me correct he stayed in character as Pee-Wee the whole show. Which, for me as a kid made perfect sense because I had no idea Pee-Wee Herman was really Paul Reubens. He was Pee-Wee Herman. I'm really interested to see how they have a fictional character host the show.
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