"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, but I will fuck you up"
Cold Open: Presidential Address
3 Stars
Bill Clinton addresses the nation one last time
Not only are we saying goodbye to Bill Clinton as President, we’re saying goodbye to Darrell’s impression (at least on a regular basis). This reminded me of Dana’s last address as George Bush when Clinton won. Slick Willie says he’s gonna enjoy being a private citizen and no longer have responsibilities. George W comes in with his Big Mouth Billy Bass to start setting up his new office and Bill gets one final "Live from New York...".
Mena Suvari Monologue
3 Stars
Mena has fantasies about the cast
Mena takes a walk backstage where she meets Will in his Spartans cheerleader outfit. "Oh no" I say to myself. I thought this was a long dead character. But it's a fake out and Will is just going to undo his top to reveal rose petals ala American Beauty. We then get Molly as Mary Katharine Gallagher lying on a bed of roses followed by Lorne picturing a naked Tracy on the same bed of roses. I love the running joke of Tracy just hanging around with Lorne backstage and questioning what their relationship is. A self referential "let's parody the movie the host is known for" style monologue that worked for me. The gag got a big repetitive but we got 3 and then we were out.
Gatorade Love Bucket
4 Stars
Mena takes a walk backstage where she meets Will in his Spartans cheerleader outfit. "Oh no" I say to myself. I thought this was a long dead character. But it's a fake out and Will is just going to undo his top to reveal rose petals ala American Beauty. We then get Molly as Mary Katharine Gallagher lying on a bed of roses followed by Lorne picturing a naked Tracy on the same bed of roses. I love the running joke of Tracy just hanging around with Lorne backstage and questioning what their relationship is. A self referential "let's parody the movie the host is known for" style monologue that worked for me. The gag got a big repetitive but we got 3 and then we were out.
Gatorade Love Bucket
4 Stars
Gatorade is now for other occasions
The title makes this seem a little dirtier than it is. Now dumping Gatorade on someone's head isn't just for winning sporting events as Molly gets soaked on her wedding day, an old lady gets drenched blowing out her birthday candles, and two kids get the sports drink poured on them after a school play. Fun visual and, just like the monologue, 3 times and we're done.
Airport Security
1 Star
The title makes this seem a little dirtier than it is. Now dumping Gatorade on someone's head isn't just for winning sporting events as Molly gets soaked on her wedding day, an old lady gets drenched blowing out her birthday candles, and two kids get the sports drink poured on them after a school play. Fun visual and, just like the monologue, 3 times and we're done.
Airport Security
1 Star
Unhelpful security guards annoy passengers
Maya and Mena are working the metal detector at the airport. They're both horrible at their jobs and spend the majority of their time chit chatting or berating passengers. Maya and Mena are both doing stereotypical black voices which is okay for Maya, I was not a fan of the host in this for I think obvious reasons. Nothing about this worked for me. The only interesting thing about this was looking at it from a time capsule angle. We only have 8 more months were you can make airport security jokes without any controversy, Maya and Mena's accents and attitudes are both kind of offensive in hindsight, and then Jerry comes out as a flamboyantly gay security guard (trying to go out like Damon Wayans?). So it wasn't all that funny at the time and it hasn't aged well.
Janet Reno's Dance Party
3 Stars
Maya and Mena are working the metal detector at the airport. They're both horrible at their jobs and spend the majority of their time chit chatting or berating passengers. Maya and Mena are both doing stereotypical black voices which is okay for Maya, I was not a fan of the host in this for I think obvious reasons. Nothing about this worked for me. The only interesting thing about this was looking at it from a time capsule angle. We only have 8 more months were you can make airport security jokes without any controversy, Maya and Mena's accents and attitudes are both kind of offensive in hindsight, and then Jerry comes out as a flamboyantly gay security guard (trying to go out like Damon Wayans?). So it wasn't all that funny at the time and it hasn't aged well.
Janet Reno's Dance Party
3 Stars
Janet Reno says goodbye
We got a goodbye from Bill Clinton in the cold open and now we say farewell to Will's Janet Reno impression. She's still having her house party with a group of captured teenagers. We get a clip package of old sketches, which shows us both Kevin Spacey and Rudy Giuliani, surprised we didn't get a fake clip like they did when we said goodbye to Norm's Bob Dole. Then the real Janet Reno bursts through the wall and it's so weird seeing the two of them together. Will Ferrell is a pretty tall fella but he's only half a head taller than Janet. Nice to see she has such a good humor about such an unflattering impression and unlike Joe Pesci and Judge Judy, this is Will's last appearance as Reno which is how it should be.
Rap Street
2 Stars
We got a goodbye from Bill Clinton in the cold open and now we say farewell to Will's Janet Reno impression. She's still having her house party with a group of captured teenagers. We get a clip package of old sketches, which shows us both Kevin Spacey and Rudy Giuliani, surprised we didn't get a fake clip like they did when we said goodbye to Norm's Bob Dole. Then the real Janet Reno bursts through the wall and it's so weird seeing the two of them together. Will Ferrell is a pretty tall fella but he's only half a head taller than Janet. Nice to see she has such a good humor about such an unflattering impression and unlike Joe Pesci and Judge Judy, this is Will's last appearance as Reno which is how it should be.
Rap Street
2 Stars
Grand Master Rap and Kid Shazaam interview Aaron Carter
There's something odd about hearing Darrell as the announcer for this sketch. I can't put my finger on why but it's along the same lines of Mena's character in the Airport Security sketch. Horatio's mustache starts to fall off during this sketch which makes him laugh and this basically turns into a sketch about subpar mustache glue. Mena comes out as Aaron Carter and raps about his birthday party. Basically the same sketch as last time just with more giggling and less Tom Green.
The X-Presidents
4 Stars
There's something odd about hearing Darrell as the announcer for this sketch. I can't put my finger on why but it's along the same lines of Mena's character in the Airport Security sketch. Horatio's mustache starts to fall off during this sketch which makes him laugh and this basically turns into a sketch about subpar mustache glue. Mena comes out as Aaron Carter and raps about his birthday party. Basically the same sketch as last time just with more giggling and less Tom Green.
The X-Presidents
4 Stars
Bill Clinton wants to join the superhero team
Bill Clinton is ready to suit up and join The X-Presidents and he's brought with him a costume and a robot that has powers but he can also have sex with. The uncounted votes for Al Gore arise from the Potomac and attack Bush's inauguration. Bill's robot has a naked magnet that disarms the crowd, Dick Cheney has another heart attack, and with the problem solved Bill is tasked to sexually satisfy Barbara Bush. The regular Partridge Family style ending is replaced with Bill singing End Of The Road by Boyz II Men while The X-Presidents bring women into their dressing room. This was way better than the last one. Adding Bill Clinton and his sex robot (who at one point keeps shoving cigars into itself) provided a big boost.
Wake Up Little Susie
Bill Clinton is ready to suit up and join The X-Presidents and he's brought with him a costume and a robot that has powers but he can also have sex with. The uncounted votes for Al Gore arise from the Potomac and attack Bush's inauguration. Bill's robot has a naked magnet that disarms the crowd, Dick Cheney has another heart attack, and with the problem solved Bill is tasked to sexually satisfy Barbara Bush. The regular Partridge Family style ending is replaced with Bill singing End Of The Road by Boyz II Men while The X-Presidents bring women into their dressing room. This was way better than the last one. Adding Bill Clinton and his sex robot (who at one point keeps shoving cigars into itself) provided a big boost.
Wake Up Little Susie
3 Stars
A woman in a coma is romanced by an orderly
From the producers of Save The Last Dance comes another interracial teenage drama, this one starring Tracy as an orderly who falls in love with a woman in a coma. Her father forbids it, Tracy thinks it's because he's black but it's because she's in a coma and has no idea who he is. This went on a little too long after you get the joke and it kind of keeps repeating but both Tracy and Will (as the girl's father) are fun and it's nice to see Tracy in a sketch before Update.
Weekend Update
From the producers of Save The Last Dance comes another interracial teenage drama, this one starring Tracy as an orderly who falls in love with a woman in a coma. Her father forbids it, Tracy thinks it's because he's black but it's because she's in a coma and has no idea who he is. This went on a little too long after you get the joke and it kind of keeps repeating but both Tracy and Will (as the girl's father) are fun and it's nice to see Tracy in a sketch before Update.
Weekend Update
Tina has a nice bit where she speaks in Spanish to all the maids of the politicians who are at the inauguration. She tells them to steal their checkbooks and wipe their ass with their toothbrushes. Other than that, this whole segment was a momentum killer. We get another visit from Jacob Silj who shouts everything due to his Voice Emodulation Syndrome. It's the same bit we've seen before but added a nice touch with Jacob's inner monologue also being very loud.
Lenny Kravitz
"Again"
A good song but unfortunately since Weekend Update started putting me to sleep this slow ballad isn't doing much for me.
Veronica & Co.
1 Star
A foreign super model hosts a talk show
Oh no. I didn't like this the first time. Can I request that we don't see this again? I don't know why you thought I wanted more. Did you think I liked it? Oh, that must have been my mistake. No, I hated this sketch the first time I saw it. It's understandable. I'll try to be more clear next time. I'll be honest, for the first time ever doing these recaps, I watched this sketch in double speed.
Audition
2 Stars
Oh no. I didn't like this the first time. Can I request that we don't see this again? I don't know why you thought I wanted more. Did you think I liked it? Oh, that must have been my mistake. No, I hated this sketch the first time I saw it. It's understandable. I'll try to be more clear next time. I'll be honest, for the first time ever doing these recaps, I watched this sketch in double speed.
Audition
2 Stars
The DeMarco Brothers audition for Lenny Kravitz
Ana starts this with a silly dance to Are You Gonna Go My Way and I kind of want to see more of this instead of what I know what's coming. I like the DeMarco Brothers and enjoy both Parnell and Kattan in this but much like in the Charlize Theron episode they are putting the bulk of the sketch in the hands of the musical guest and Lenny Kravitz doesn't have the best comic timing. It ends well with both of them putting on wigs to dance to American Woman and they end up taking off their shirts and dry humping.
Lenny Kravitz closes out the show with "Mr. Cab Driver" and close out the show he does as there isn't much room for anything else. He plays through the bumpers and the goodnights are abruptly cut off.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Ana starts this with a silly dance to Are You Gonna Go My Way and I kind of want to see more of this instead of what I know what's coming. I like the DeMarco Brothers and enjoy both Parnell and Kattan in this but much like in the Charlize Theron episode they are putting the bulk of the sketch in the hands of the musical guest and Lenny Kravitz doesn't have the best comic timing. It ends well with both of them putting on wigs to dance to American Woman and they end up taking off their shirts and dry humping.
Lenny Kravitz closes out the show with "Mr. Cab Driver" and close out the show he does as there isn't much room for anything else. He plays through the bumpers and the goodnights are abruptly cut off.
FINAL ANALYSIS
"That's not funky"
Average
2.6 Stars
MVP
Tracy Morgan
Monologue, Airport Security, Wake Up Little Susie
Monologue, Airport Security, Wake Up Little Susie
Best Sketch
The X-Presidents
Worst Sketch
Veronica & Co.
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
Kind of a stinker episode and this one has definite pacing problems. Airport Security is a horrible lead off sketch. I would have started with Janet Reno or Wake Up Little Susie. Then I would move The X-Presidents or Rap Street to after Update because the back half of this episode has absolutely nothing.
Host Analysis
A very weak host but I was expecting that. Her best performance came from the sketch where she played a coma patient. I don't even want to reiterate her borderline racist performance in Airport Security.
Final Thoughts
A really weak one. January episodes are usually on the forgettable side but after the stellar Charlie Sheen episode last week I thought we were bucking that trend. This didn't have much in it that I enjoyed. The TV Funhouse was my favorite segment, and really the only one I would recommend. This was also chock full of recurring bits and, again, after the last episode I thought we were dodging that trend as well.
Up Next
Jennifer Lopez acts as host and musical guest
What was she promoting Loser?
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