Saturday Night Live Season 2 Reviews - Episode 3 - Eric Idle / Joe Cocker / Stuff

“I got a snag in my pantyhose”

Cold Open: The Real Chevy Chase

2 Stars

Richard Belzer plays Chevy as the real Chevy is still in the hospital.  The real Chevy calls to prove this is an imposter and once again says “Live from New York…” via telephone.  On one hand I understand that people are expecting Chevy because he’s always been there but this felt way too inside baseball and too meta.  I was confused even knowing the history behind this, I can’t imagine how a casual television watcher understood.  It’s fun to see a young Belz but this bit would have probably been funnier and less messy with Garrett.

Eric Idle Monologue

4 Stars

Eric screams Here Comes The Sun in a hilarious fashion.  Jane interrupts and tells him they’ll do it at the end of the show.  In what will start a fun Monty Python-esque linking of sketches she walks him to the first sketch.

Not really a monologue per se but a fun opening.

Genetic Counselor

4 Stars

Of course this predates it but I’m reminded of a sketch from the Gabriel Byrne episode in Season 21.  A very Eric Idle sketch, lots of back and forth quick jokes as a couple decides traits of their unborn child.  Male or female, tall and thin or short and stocky, fur or quilted, tongue or dipstick, feet or pods, it gets more and more absurd.  Fun performances all around, solid execution of a simple premise.

AM-FM

5 Stars

Dan’s definitely becoming my favorite cast member this season and this is a total performance piece for him as he effortlessly switches from an AM DJ to an FM DJ.  It’s a good thing Dan’s so good since everything here feels dated.  AM radio being commercial and FM radio being underground was completely flipped when I was a kid.  I only know of 70s era FM radio from my dad talking about it.  I don’t even know if radio is still hanging on to be honest.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I decided to gamble on a radio station over plugging in my phone.  But anyway, Dan’s awesome in this as he transitions from bright and sunny commercials for Wally Winky Wonderloaf to a raspy stoner talking about the Dead.  Pretty solid punchline with Dan also doing the news announcer for both AM and FM…and what’s this?  Another Monty Python-esque transition as Dan’s broadcast is playing on a radio in the next sketch?

Damn you, SNL, I don’t know how you pull this off.  You always manage to impress me by just putting in a tiny bit of effort.  Having links between sketches shouldn’t feel like a crazy gimmick.  It’s because you so often strive for mediocrity and sameness that doing the simplest thing feels like a game changer and a new height in sketch comedy direction.

The Killer Bees

4 Stars

Not only does the sketch start with Dan’s DJ from the previous sketch but we get a little snippet of Eric scream/singing Here Comes The Sun again.  The Killer Bees have come to steal Swine Flu vaccines or something, the context doesn’t really matter as this is more an excuse to break down a sketch meta style.  Now that I’m expecting metaness with the bees it loses a little fun when they show up but there was still plenty here I liked.  The nurses question Eric’s English accent which leads to him playing La Cucaracha on guitar and the cast chastising him and degrading English actors.  The only well-wisher is Laraine who Eric invites back to his dressing room.  Just a lot of silliness I appreciated.  We also got to see Richard Belzer again as one of the bees, further adding to the confusion of the cold open.  I wonder if anyone thought he was replacing Chevy.

Eric’s Song

Eric scream/sings a little more Here Comes The Sun before once again being stopped by Jane.  They agree to wait until the end of the show and introduce Joe Cocker.

Joe Cocker

“You Are So Beautiful”

When I watched the first season I believe I said John’s Joe Cocker impression was one of the best things ever on the show.  I stand corrected, the real Joe Cocker hypnotized me.  It’s not like this is the first time I’ve ever seen Joe Cocker but I was still glued to my television.

Farewell

2 Stars

Baba Wawa says goodbye to NBC as she moves to a new network.  Not much to say about this, just more of the same Ws for Rs bit.  This is one of the things from this early era of SNL where I’m not sure if I don’t like it just because I don’t like it or because it’s perhaps just dated or overplayed.  I do feel like I’ve seen this too many times, I also don’t really have any strong familiarity with Barbara Walters outside of SNL parodies, but I also can’t recall a time where I really enjoyed Baba Wawa outside of just enjoying Gilda as a performer.

Weekend Update

Jane Curtin fills in for Chevy again.  Once again I enjoyed her opening phone call telling one of Chevy’s friends she doesn’t know where he keeps the batteries.  And once again I gotta ask, are these jokes?  Like, people are laughing but I don’t know why.  If it weren’t for their laughter I would have no idea this was supposed to be a comedic segment.  The crowd laughed at the name Efrem Zimbalast Jr, so I can only assume this is before my time.

I did like Garrett Morris reporting on the circumsicion of The Statue Of David along with Alan Zwiebel as a rabbi who respects the work done by the vandals.

Epifix

4 Stars

Our mid-Update commercial has Dan pitching a headache remedy that involves choking yourself and injecting a drug into your upper lip.  I’m not sure if there’s some drug reference I’m missing here but once again Dan injects energy into the show with his performance.  His painful scream when administering the medicine woke me up.

Back to Update and if you like jokes about the comic strip Mary Worth then you’re in luck.  And we end with a clip from The Tonight Show where Ed Ames demonstrates axe throwing.  He winds up and then just starts hacking away at the dick.  I did enjoy this so thumbs up to the Update diversions but a big thumbs down to anything Jane had to say.  Despite being a likable presence I was losing interest during the setups.

No Beatles

Lorne’s back with an update to the offer he made last season to The Beatles.  Turns out the only reason Eric is hosting is due to him promising to bring The Beatles with him but there was an issue with Ringo’s trousers so instead we’re getting a film of The Rutles.

The Rutles

5 Stars

The Rutles perform I Must Be In Love on an Ed Sullivan like show mixed with A Hard Day’s Night like montage sequences.  A pretty spot-on spoof of something that was already cheeky to begin with.  Eric’s narrator at the end makes this a classic with lines like “a musical legend that would last a lunchtime”.  And terrific ending as he chases down the camera filming him on a speeding truck.

Behind The Lines

3 Stars

Another solid performance from Dan tonight as the motormouth of SNL spars with the wordsmith from Monty Python.  Dan and Eric speak quietly in code in a Nazi bar then switch to loud German when anyone else is in earshot.  Dan eventually messes up and says the quiet part loudly and gives them away.  Then we get a weird and weak ending with John telling them that he’s Inga.  It was fun while it lasted and great seeing Dan and Eric go toe to toe but the awkward ending left me cold.

Eric’s Song

Eric once again starts a song, this time an Australian tune about animals, but Garrett interrupts and they intro Joe Cocker.

Joe Cocker

“Feelin’ Alright”

Man, did I love this.  You got Joe Cocker which is already great then you add John as Joe Cocker to duet.  Unless I’m missing something this is the first instance of the impression meeting the real person trope we’ve seen many times since.  Unfortunately that means that I don’t think John’s impression has much gas left.  And according to SNL Archives this is the last time we see it.  Good.  Nice to see it go out on top.

Dragnet

3 Stars

I feel really dumb.  I didn’t get the Dragnet pun until almost the end of the sketch.  I spent the whole time wondering why they were wearing dresses.  Dragnet, drag, net, I get it.  Dan does his Joe Friday a decade before doing it in the film adaptation of Dragnet.  Enjoyed the Monty Python feel of having the middle of this sketch on film but it’s just dudes in dresses.  They arrest John, also in drag, who breaks the fourth wall to say that drag just doesn’t work in America.  Eric invites Dan back to his dressing room and John and Laraine throw to a movie.

Drag Racing Today

4 Stars

Again it’s just dudes in dresses but it’s fun.  I also appreciated the pun this time of drag racing.  And again I’m digging the Python feel of the show with the linking of sketches and bits shot on the grainiest film stock.

John intros the musical guest still in drag.

Stuff

“Foots”

This was pretty rad.

The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau

5 Stars

Part of me is upset that animals may have been harmed in this sketch but the other part of me was absolutely delighted by the anarchy.  I also loved the absurdity of the cheap toy submarine before Eric starts pouring minestrone, chicken, wine, cheesecake, and coffee into the fish tank.

Talent Spot

2 Stars

Garrett as Ken Norton has issues with the ruling of his last fight.  I have no context for this.  He thinks the fight should have been decided by the talent competition which for him is singing Pagliacci, which he does so at least it’s an excuse to hear Garrett sing a little.

Cufflinks Of The Gods?

2 Stars

Giant comedians from other planets left their mark on Earth.  That’s the premise of this forgettable sketch.

Pong

1 Star

According to SNL Archives, this is the last time I’ll see a Pong sketch.  Can’t say I’ll miss them, I totally zoned out for this.

At the Goodnights Eric finally sings Here Comes The Sun with the cast

FINAL ANALYSIS

“I don’t want a baby with a shrimp head”

Average

3.3 Stars*

Way too low, honorary 4 Stars

MVP

Dan Aykroyd

Genetic Counselor, AM-FM, The Killer Bees, EpiFix, Behind The Lines, Dragnet, Drag Racing Today

Best Sketch

AM-FM

Worst Sketch

Pong

How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It

The show really ran out of steam near the end.  It would have been nice in retrospect to spread out those late night filler pieces throughout the show and end with Stuff.  I like what they were going for in the cold open but another pass could refine it.  But everything from the monologue to Jacques Cousteau is “Best Episode Ever” territory.

Host Analysis

Outside of maybe Elliott Gould and Buck Henry he’s definitely my favorite host we’ve had so far.  It’s weird to say this but this felt like an episode of SNL hosted by Eric Idle.  That doesn’t sound like praise but we haven’t gotten that a lot yet in the show’s run.  A lot of episodes feel like comedy specials featuring the Not Ready For Primetime Players.  Eric was prominent throughout the show but I never felt like he was dominating the proceedings.  He worked well with the cast, especially Aykroyd, and blended in with the show perfectly.  This is what I want SNL hosts to do.  Plus he’s a naturally funny guy so he’s a perfect fit to host a late night sketch show.

Final Thoughts

Chronologically, this is my favorite episode so far.  Not saying it’s my favorite of all time (I would be way too scared to start compiling that list) but this was better than anything from Season 1 and might be the first great episode of SNL.  It has a bit of a unique taste to it, almost like a Python/SNL sandwich.  I hope Eric rubbed off on them a bit.  I don’t expect the rest of the season to be like this but maybe we’ll see glimpses of this kind of show here and there.

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