"I'm sorry, I guess I had so much exposition to establish I got lost"
Cold Open: Risky Business
4 Stars
While the parents are at Camp David, Ron Reagan has the White House to himself
Ron and Nancy call Ron from Camp David and tell them that they'll be back soon and not to make too much of a mess while they're gone. They also left some emergency numbers and the nuclear launch codes on the fridge. Ron says he'll be fine and then he does the Tom Cruise underwear dance from Risky Business. There's nothing more to this, it's just a straight up parody but it was pretty perfect for a cold open, especially with a host not known for comedy. Interestingly, this is the 4th season of SNL I've recapped and the 2nd time I've seen a host do this same bit. Nicole Kidman slid around in her underwear in her season 19 monologue. This one is a bit more time appropriate than that one. Small note, I know it's 11:30 at night but it's still live TV on network television, maybe go with boxer shorts? Tighty Whities don't leave much to the imagination.
Ron Reagan Monologue
2 Stars
Ron is actually the 2nd most powerful person in America
Ron isn't sure if he's hosting because he just got a job as an editor at Playboy or if it's because his dad is the President of the United States. Ron also clears up some confusion about the chain of command, it's not the vice president, secretary of state or first lady who is second in charge, it's actually the president's youngest son. This isn't great or funny by any means but Reagan comes off affable and charming and capable of making fun of himself.
Rerun of Where You're Going for I think the 9,453rd time this season
Rerun of Where You're Going for I think the 9,453rd time this season
The Pat Stevens Show
2 Stars
Pat Stevens interviews Little Richard
Pat reads some viewer mail which is usually the most boring part of this sketch but then she brings out her guest Little Richard and I kind of wish she just stuck to reading letters. Damon Wayans is playing Little Richard and it is the most subtle Little Richard impression you've ever seen. An impression should probably be bigger and more exaggerated than the actual person but Wayans just sounds like a gay stereotype. He references his billion dollar lawsuit against the American public for not recognizing his genius and Pat seems oblivious to anything he's saying. Wayans seems to realize that the bit is failing as he mugs to the camera and tries to peek up Dunn's skirt when she closes her eyes to picture happy images.
Dalkon Shield Trout Lure
Dalkon Shield Trout Lure
1 Star
The Dalkon Shield is now used to catch fish
Well, I needed some context for this. Apparently the Dalkon Shield was a female contraceptive that caused severe injuries, and sometimes death, in a large percentage of people who used it. The company had to pay huge settlements out to plaintiffs in the 80s, so now it's an SNL sketch with absolutely none of that information. Downey is just standing in front of a picture of the Dalkon Shield trout lure with a stupid expression on his face as he explains how it's good for fishing. Cusack comes up with some fish she caught and the sketch is over almost a quickly as it started.
Back To The Future
Back To The Future
3 Stars
Ron Reagan travels back in time to get his parents together
I loved this premise and idea but at 12 minutes, this definitely needed some trimming. This was like a short film rather than a sketch. Ronald Reagan is calling his agent because he's not getting any work, Nancy is drinking and smoking, Ron Jr. skateboards in. Nancy tells Ron Jr. all about how she met his father and then leaves so Jon Lovitz can burst in as Doc Brown. He's invented a time machine from a blender he stole from a 7/11 run by some angry Libyans. Ron transports back to the set of Hellcats Of The Navy where he pushes Ronald out of the way of a falling sandbag. Nancy now has the hots for her son, he tries to talk her into falling for Ronald but she only like conservatives, not bleeding heart liberals like Ronald Reagan. Ron then goes to his dad and explains trickle down economics and tax cuts. Ronald and Nancy fall in love and Ron travels back to 1986, after he tries to save Doc Brown's life, who was also on the set of the movie for some reason. He wakes up in Danitra Vance's house where she recognizes him as the president's son and tells him to get the hell out of her house. This was fun but it's about a fourth of the episode, I started to think that this was going to be the whole show.
The Nelsons
"Walk Away"
The Nelsons were actually the first unsigned band to ever play on SNL. Ricky Nelson, their dad, died in a plane crash the year before this and their manager talked Lorne Michaels into getting them on the show. Their first album 'After The Rain' is one of my guilty pleasures but I was not a fan of this. They have a rockabilly style that just didn't work for me.
Weekend Update With Dennis Miller
"Settle down, don't make me give you the business end of this arm"
Miller opens up by talking directly to the Reagans who he knows are watching, by yelling at Ronnie to "Wake up, Babe!". He then praises his latest state of the union speech and then apologizes for being such a suck up. He wishes Ronald a happy 75th birthday, "75 years old and he has access to the button? My grandfather's 75 and we won't let him use the remote control." We also get a visit from the Weekend Update dancers who are here to present a report on the rising oil prices to the tune of a Billy Ocean song. They come out and dance, this was just the right amount of stupid.
A. Whitney Brown shows up to present a commentary. Who the hell is this guy? Dan Vitale has been credited twice with barely a speaking part and A. Whitney Brown gets his own commentary on Update? Anyway, he's pretty funny. He talks about the pronunciation change of Uranus and foreign aid going to people without countries. My favorite line was when he talked about how there is no sense in beating a dead horse, aside from the pure joy you get out of it.
Penn & Teller
3 Stars
Penn & Teller do some upside down magic
Penn & Teller are upset that they aren't seen as real magicians but more comic magicians so they do some magic tricks that people like David Copperfield and Doug Henning could never do. They make things levitate, float, bounce and disappear but then the camera pulls out and it is revealed that they have been upside down the whole time. This is something that could only be done on TV, but much like their last appearance, I questioned where the magic came in. This is difficult surely, but hardly something I couldn't have done.
The Limits Of The Imagination
Penn & Teller are upset that they aren't seen as real magicians but more comic magicians so they do some magic tricks that people like David Copperfield and Doug Henning could never do. They make things levitate, float, bounce and disappear but then the camera pulls out and it is revealed that they have been upside down the whole time. This is something that could only be done on TV, but much like their last appearance, I questioned where the magic came in. This is difficult surely, but hardly something I couldn't have done.
The Limits Of The Imagination
3 Stars
A man wakes up to find his family doesn't recognize him
Randy Quaid shows up as the floating head again to tell us some things that they can do to us. The best one this time is when he says he can make us wince and turn away and then starts to chew on a big piece of tin foil. Ron Reagan enters his living room and his wife, Joan Cusack, doesn't seem to recognize him. Jon Lovitz comes in as his neighbor and also doesn't recognize him, Downey comes in as his son and has the same reaction. The cops come in to arrest him but he shows his ID and they recognize him as Paul Jensen, the man he claims to be. Cusack, Lovitz and Downey also begin to see that he is who he said he was. Maybe it was the tie or a new haircut. One of the cops even says that he's on their bowling team, "We didn't recognize you for a second, but now we do.". This was really really really really stupid, but I liked it because it knew how stupid it was. A Twilight Zone twist where the twist is intentionally dumb.
Shakespeare In The Slums
Randy Quaid shows up as the floating head again to tell us some things that they can do to us. The best one this time is when he says he can make us wince and turn away and then starts to chew on a big piece of tin foil. Ron Reagan enters his living room and his wife, Joan Cusack, doesn't seem to recognize him. Jon Lovitz comes in as his neighbor and also doesn't recognize him, Downey comes in as his son and has the same reaction. The cops come in to arrest him but he shows his ID and they recognize him as Paul Jensen, the man he claims to be. Cusack, Lovitz and Downey also begin to see that he is who he said he was. Maybe it was the tie or a new haircut. One of the cops even says that he's on their bowling team, "We didn't recognize you for a second, but now we do.". This was really really really really stupid, but I liked it because it knew how stupid it was. A Twilight Zone twist where the twist is intentionally dumb.
Shakespeare In The Slums
3 Stars
An actress describes her new version of a Shakespeare play
Flotilda Williams explains Romeo And Juliet to the audience as it is performed in her 'Shakespeare In The Slums'. Romeo talks to Juliet on her balcony, but in this version she's in a low rise apartment and he ain't looking in her window because he's a freak, but because he's in love, and he ain't talking to himself because he's crazy, but because it's a play and Juliet talks softly because hollerin' off your back porch is ignorant. Watching this made me realize that the show really didn't have any idea on what to do with their first black female cast member so she had to go off on her own, which is kind of okay by me because she was a smart, talented and funny lady with her own style so these 3-4 minute narrative pieces were the best they could do for her.
The Nelsons return to sing "Do You Know What I Mean" which is another rockabilly inspired song that didn't connect with me.
Flotilda Williams explains Romeo And Juliet to the audience as it is performed in her 'Shakespeare In The Slums'. Romeo talks to Juliet on her balcony, but in this version she's in a low rise apartment and he ain't looking in her window because he's a freak, but because he's in love, and he ain't talking to himself because he's crazy, but because it's a play and Juliet talks softly because hollerin' off your back porch is ignorant. Watching this made me realize that the show really didn't have any idea on what to do with their first black female cast member so she had to go off on her own, which is kind of okay by me because she was a smart, talented and funny lady with her own style so these 3-4 minute narrative pieces were the best they could do for her.
The Nelsons return to sing "Do You Know What I Mean" which is another rockabilly inspired song that didn't connect with me.
David's Date
1 Star
A Woody Allen obsessed man is anxious on his dateJon Lovitz is David, a man obsessed with Woody Allen. Every week he goes to a screening of Annie Hall and discusses it with other New York intellectuals. Joan Cusack is his girlfriend who doesn't see David as an intellectual but a pathetic man living in a fantasy world. As she leaves Lovitz addresses the camera ala Alvy Singer in Annie Hall. I didn't get this at all.
FINAL ANALYSIS
"A man with a face that's easy to forget, a story with a plot that's easy to write"
Average
2.5 Stars
MVP
Terry Sweeney
Risky Business, Back To The Future
Risky Business, Back To The Future
Best Sketch
Risky Business
Worst Sketch
The Dalkon Shield Trout Lure
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
With a 12 minute sketch, a guest performance, 2 character pieces at the end of the night and the host only appearing in 2 sketches, this barely felt like a real episode. The cold open was great, I would have moved Back To The Future to the lead off spot, cut Dalkon Shield Trout Lure and move The Pat Stevens Show to the end of the night.
Host Analysis
Ron Reagan was only in 2 sketches and in 1 of them he played himself so it would be unfair to criticize him at all.
Final Thoughts
A pretty weak episode all around, which is to be expected from a host with no comedic background but none of the blame can really fall to Reagan. He was only in 2 sketches and he handled himself well. The lackluster-ness of this episode came from all the other crap surrounding those 2 sketches, a boring commercial parody, a Jon Lovitz character that misfired, a guest performance from Penn & Teller and a Pat Stevens segment that had no business being on air. Combine all that with a dull musical guest and you got all the makings of a turd.
Up Next
To add insult to injury, Jerry Hall hosts next week's episode. Why a comedy/variety show insists on having hosts with no comedy or variety experience is a question that has been asked for 43 years now.
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