Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
SANTA’S MY BOYFRIEND
St. Nicholas-smitten AMP, KRW, MAR sing “Santa’s My Boyfriend”
— A nice change of pace for a cold opening.
— A funny and charming reveal that the new boyfriend the ladies are singing about is Santa.
— Fun chemistry between Maya, Amy, and Kristen. Whenever I think of SNL’s short-lived Rudolph/Poehler/Wiig trio of female cast members, this cold opening is always the first thing to pop in my mind. They may not be as acclaimed a female group as the Fey/Dratch/Rudolph/Poehler group, but I like this group, and they would end up being the last female cast for years (at least until Kristen leaves the show) that has any kind of cohesion.
— Very solid song from the ladies, and this is something I can kinda picture appearing in a very early SNL era, such as with Gilda, Jane, and Laraine.
STARS: ****
MONOLOGUE
host, Alvin (BIH), Simon (FRA), Theodore (ANS) sing “The Chipmunk Song”
— Being so used to Justin Timberlake’s hosting stints, it’s hard to believe this is only his second time hosting. He’s already coming off as a comfortable veteran host here.
— A fun and silly concept of Justin singing with Alvin and The Chipmunks, played by the cast.
— Bill constantly alternating between portraying Alvin in a bro-ish way and a conventional way is solid.
— I love Justin’s occasional Dave-esque angry yells of “AAALLLVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!”
STARS: ****
COMPETING CHARITIES
singing & dancing mascot & Salvation Army Santa (WLF) compete for change
— Like the first time Justin played this character the last time he hosted, I admire Justin’s fun energy, but I don’t care for the sketch itself. I had remembered tonight’s installment being the best installment of this sketch, but it’s not holding up well for me in my current viewing so far.
— I admit, I am finding Justin’s soup-themed take on Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop” catchy.
— Pretty funny line from Justin about how Christmas isn’t about kicking a cup of soup in the “croutons”, after Will has kneed him in the groin.
— I remember a fellow SNL reviewer from back at this time in 2006 (who’s username was “Mike (male)”, I believe) pointing out that Justin was so damn good in this sketch that he was even able to withstand ALL of the props accidentally falling down in the background during his and Will’s duet at the end.
— What was with the awkward look on Justin’s face at the end after he and Will say in unison “Bring it on in to Salvation Army/Homelessville!” He looked like something genuinely might’ve been bothering him, but maybe I’m looking too much into it (as I often tend to do).
— Overall, slightly better than these Dancing Mascot sketches usually are, but that’s still faint praise from me.
STARS: **½
TARGET
Target Lady & stock boy (host) exasperate holiday shoppers (MAR) & (WLF)
— You’d be forgiven for mistakenly thinking as soon as this sketch shows up that this is the Target Lady sketch where Justin plays his memorable “Classic Peg” character, but this is actually a different Target Lady sketch, in which Justin plays a completely different and far-less-remembered character. Justin plays Peg in his next hosting stint in season 34.
— SNL couldn’t even be bothered to put fake blood on Justin’s lip? It seemed silly when the camera cut to a close-up of him with a non-bloody lip after Maya pointed out that his lip is bleeding.
— Not sure how to feel about Justin’s character in this sketch so far. It certainly doesn’t hold a candle to “Classic Peg”, that’s for sure.
— I like Justin’s knowing, foreshadowing delivery of “I hope a third thing doesn’t happen to theeeeeeemmmm” regarding the frequent misfortunes happening to his chapped lips. Otherwise, I’m not caring for the comedic conceit of his character.
— The Target Lady material is getting the usual blah reactions from me. At least we got a long break from this character after her last appearance prior to this (almost an exact year earlier, in the preceding season’s Peter Sarsgaard episode), a long break that I remember lulled me into a false sense of security back at this time, with me assuming SNL had given up on doing these sketches.
STARS: **
DICK IN A BOX
(host) & (ANS) sing about giving a phallic present
— Here comes another all-time very famous and legendary Lonely Island Digital Short.
— Great early 90s R&B look to Andy and Justin’s characters.
— Kristen doing absolutely solid work as usual, even in her silent, simple role of a sensual, sultry girlfriend.
— Hilarious reveal of what’s in the box that Justin gives to Kristen.
— An extremely catchy song. I particularly love the melody of the “See, I’m wiiiise enough to knoooow…” part, which I think is actually a sample from a real song from the early 90s (not sure which song, though).
— Maya’s emotional, heartfelt reaction to her dick-in-a-box gift is very funny.
— Even the little part where a shot of Andy sliding down a banister is played back-and-forth in forwards and reverse is so perfect.
— A particularly hilarious, stand-out part with the steps on how to make a dick in a box (“1: cut a hole in the box… etc.”).
— Another perfect little touch is the false ending, where Andy and Justin are shown on a stage singing the lyric “It’s my (*bleep*) in a box!” in unison, and then they stand in a frozen pose with their arms cheesily up in the air while the music stops, making you assume that’s the end of the short (I know *I* thought so when this short originally aired), only for the music, singing, and dancing to suddenly continue out of nowhere. I love that fake-out.
— Excellent ending with Andy and Justin getting arrested.
— Overall, absolutely perfect and epic, and by far breaks the slump of good-but-not-great Digital Shorts that this season has had. I remember how it was especially exciting to witness this short as it aired live and ALREADY have that feeling that you’re watching something truly special, something that you can tell will be the talk of the town online for the next week or so, especially after having seen how Lazy Sunday got that treatment an exact year prior.
— Until now, I had recently been of the (possibly unpopular) opinion that, as great as this short is, its later sequel, Mother Lovers, is actually superior to it. I’m now re-thinking that opinion, as I ended up enjoying Dick In A Box during this current re-watch more than I expected to. We’ll see how I feel about how the great Mother Lovers stacks up against this when we reach that episode.
STARS: *****
THE BARRY GIBB TALK SHOW
Jimmy Carter (DAH) & others discuss Iraq
— I’m sure to a good number of people, Dick In A Box immediately being followed by Barry Gibb Talk Show is a tremendous one-two punch (hell, just listen to the audience: their exuberant applause as the screen fades to black at the end of Dick In A Box turns into absolutely WILD screaming when the screen then fades in to this Barry Gibb sketch), but for me, the return of Barry Gibb Talk Show hurts the momentum that the show gained with Dick In A Box, as I never cared for Barry Gibb Talk Show as a recurring sketch. I’ve always felt it should’ve just stayed a one-off, as the sketch only worked for me in its debut. However, at least this sketch will keep up the huge energy that’s been in the air tonight.
— Here we have Jimmy Fallon during the odd, awkward, dark stage of his post-SNL career, after his failed attempt to become a movie star, but before his successful attempt to become a late night talk show host.
— I will say that I always love that Barry Gibb Talk Show theme song, at least.
— I got a chuckle from Justin’s Robin Gibb unhappily doing a facepalm in reaction to Kristen-as-Sandra-Day-O’Connor’s corny “Stayin’ Alive” pun.
— There goes Justin’s obligatory character break that happens once in every installment of this sketch, though this particular break was just a very mild and quick smirk.
— Speaking of breaking, I once again give credit to Jimmy for getting so into character as Barry Gibb that he refrains from his usual habit of breaking easily.
— Darrell’s Jimmy Carter routine feels kinda out of place in this sketch.
STARS: **
DRY EYES
game show contestants (host) & (FRA) try to keep from crying
— Unless I’m forgetting something, this is the very first game show host Bill has ever played. As we know now, he would go on to be one of SNL’s best-ever at regularly playing game show hosts.
— I love Bill’s reaction to Fred losing the first round by instantly crying.
— Very funny little part with Justin jovially laughing off Bill disclosing the sad fact that Justin’s father left him at a young age.
— Whenever Justin is fighting to keep from crying, I love the intense, wide-eyed look he stares into the camera with while turning his head slightly to the side (the third-to-last above screencap for this sketch).
— Fred is so good at making comical crying faces.
— What was the point of casting Kristen in the EXTREMELY brief, silent walk-on role as a game show model who walks Fred off of the show? SNL might as well have gotten an extra to play that role.
— The Sad Songs round Justin performs in is pretty solid.
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
host performs “My Love”
WEEKEND UPDATE
Lou Dobbs (DAH) wants two walls & a trap door built along Mexican border
New Jerseyite same-sex couple’s Christmas wishes have been fulfilled
— Darrell-as-Lou-Dobbs’ line about eating a taco was pretty funny.
— A laugh from Darrell-as-Dobbs’ unconventional concepts regarding a Mexican border wall.
— Darrell’s overall Lou Dobbs commentary was short and sweet.
— Some really solid Update jokes tonight.
— Blah, the return of the Same-Sex New Jersey Couple. Sure, these characters are progressive compared to SNL’s demeaning portrayal of gays prior to this season, but these characters do nothing for me otherwise.
— I remember an SNL reviewer from back at this time in 2006 (I think the same reviewer I mentioned earlier: “Mike (male)”) made a good point when complaining that the fact that the second question Seth asks the Same-Sex New Jersey Couple in their so-called “topical” commentary tonight is a completely off-topic “What are you guys gonna get each other for Christmas?” is proof that SNL was really pushing it bringing these characters back tonight when the writers clearly didn’t have much of a way to tie them to current events this week. Did SNL just desperately want to use that groan-worthy mistletoe gag?
— What was with both Seth and Amy waving goodbye to us in unison in a cheesy, exaggerated manner during their sign-off? Inside joke, I take it?
STARS: ***½
HIP HOP KIDS
beats & dance moves harm chances of escape from mineshaft
— I recall disliking this sketch in my original 2006 review of this episode (link here), to the degree that, on the now-defunct saturday-night-live.com message board where I originally posted that review, a board member who usually really liked my reviews actually called me out on being “way off” on my negative opinion of this Hip Hop Kids sketch (gee, thanks for telling me that MY OPINION is wrong). In fact, I’ve noticed over the years that a lot of people seem to have a high regard for this sketch. I’ll go through this sketch with an open mind this time, in an attempt to see what all the hoopla is about.
— Surprisingly, this is Jason and Kenan’s respective first appearance of the night, and for Jason, it ends up being his ONLY appearance of the night.
— There goes Maya doing that slowly-lean-back-in-a-staccato-manner dance move in yet another sketch.
— Amy: “That’s a stalactite, Jo-Jessica! You gotta recognize your sedimentary rock formations!”
— Oh, I love the voice Jason’s using.
— Jason’s using some of the same dance moves he would later famously use on a regular basis in the future What Up With That sketches.
— I’m already starting to come around on this sketch. I’m finding it fun and amusing, even if I still wouldn’t call it particularly great.
— Second episode in a row with Bill being unrecognizable under make-up he wears as a monster, this time with him being accompanied by an also-unrecognizable Will as a fellow monster.
— What the heck is Amy cracking up at?
— Funny reveal of Amy and Justin having eaten some of their friends.
— Now it’s Justin’s turn to crack up again.
— SNL would strangely and randomly bring this sketch back THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS LATER, with a completely different and less-fun host (Ryan Phillippe) and with almost all of the characters being replaced with new ones (even Kristen oddly plays a different-named character than the one she plays in the first installment of the sketch). I doubt many people remember that second installment as well as this Timberlake one. The only things I remember about the second installment are Andy playing a voice-of-reason character among the hip hop kids, and then-cast-member Abby Elliott doing a really bad and unconvincing attempt at speaking in an urban voice.
STARS: ***½
ELF AUDITION
(host)’s stepmom Virginiaca tries helping her audition to be a Macy’s elf
— I remember someone (possibly SNL Archives, back when that site used to include tidbit notes for some sketches) pointing out the misspelling of the word “freight” in the sign in the background of this sketch that states “frieght elevator” (the second and third above screencaps for this sketch).
— Speaking of the background, Kenan can unintentionally be seen standing outside of the door entrance, waiting for his cue to enter (the second above screencap for this sketch).
— UGH, the obligatory return of the painfully-unfunny and hacky Starkish– uh, I mean Virginiaca. Ha, that gaffe of me nearly referring to Virginiaca as Starkisha was actually genuine, which just goes to show you how similar those two characters are.
— So I guess we’re supposed to ignore the fact that Virginiaca had a completely different white stepdaughter in the previous installment of this sketch?
— Speaking of Starkisha, the gag with Virginiaca pointlessly using her cellphone to call up the person standing right next to her was actually used before in a Starkisha sketch (the one from the season 30 Paris Hilton episode), further proving my point that there are almost no differences between the Starkisha and Virginiaca sketches, except the fact that the Virginiaca sketches are even worse.
STARS: *
A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM NANCY GRACE
Nancy Grace (AMP) is sympathetic to those making false rape accusations
— At least we get a change of pace for Amy’s Nancy Grace, with her being taken out of her TV show.
— Sounds kinda odd hearing the audience very lightly giggling throughout Amy’s serious, non-comedic intro speech about sexual assault. I’m assuming the audience (who has been very energetic tonight in general) is eagerly awaiting the comedic conceit of this sketch.
— Some chuckle-worthy lines from Amy, but something is a little off-putting about this sketch to me. The dour, slow pacing of it, along with the dark (and not the good kind of dark humor that I love) rape-themed subject matter, all feel very odd and out of place in this high-energy, fun-loving Christmas episode.
— I got a laugh from Amy’s threat to pull out the Duke boys’ hearts and eat it.
— Overall, not awful, but I probably would’ve appreciated this sketch more elsewhere. It just felt too wrong, jarring, and momentum-killing for the tone of this episode, especially as the final sketch of the night. How do you close a fun-loving Christmas episode with THIS (the following Timberlake musical performance notwithstanding)?
STARS: **
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
host performs “What Goes Around”
BAND SHOT
— The show has apparently had to cut a scheduled sketch at the last minute, as the show comes back from a commercial break just to show the SNL Band playing for a few seconds before the show immediately goes back to another commercial break. At least the rarely-shown-by-this-point SNL Band gets some much-needed airtime, and at least I now know SNL didn’t originally plan on that dour, out-of-place Nancy Grace piece being the final sketch of this otherwise-upbeat Christmas episode. I wonder what cut-at-the-last-minute sketch was scheduled for this spot.
GOODNIGHTS
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Not too bad. I don’t find this episode to be anywhere NEAR the classic that a lot of people seem to, but there were a few strong things in the first half of the show (particularly the centerpiece of the show: the priceless and legendary Dick In A Box), and, as I mentioned earlier, almost all of this episode had a fun-loving, upbeat energy (partly helped by Justin Timberlake’s presence), which is nice to see in a Christmas episode, and somewhat helped my mood towards this episode. However, this episode was bogged down by how weak a lot of the recurring stuff was, as well as the odd note the Nancy Grace sketch ended the show on.
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Annette Bening)
a slight step up
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
We enter the year 2007, with host Jake Gyllenhaal
Cameron Diaz, Timberlake’s then-girlfriend, introduced his first performance
Fallon introduced the 2nd performance.
I thought this episode was just okay. Like Luda one month prior, JT is a superb host working with middling material. “Dick in a Box” was another instant masterpiece, as you said. The Nancy Grace sketch was an odd way to end the show then, but it feels tone-deaf in the wake of #MeToo.
I honestly think this is one of the funniest SNL episodes ever. And sorry, but I’m on the bandwagon that The Barry Gibb Talk Show and (especially) Hip Hop Kids are two of the greatest things ever. I’ve been quoting Hip Hop Kids for almost fifteen years.
Aside from this episode just being awesome all around, here’s the main thing I remember about it. I remember most of the Internet at the time thought the name of the song was actually “Cock in a Box.” Because they bleeped out the word, for some reason almost all the reviewers and fans on the internet thought it was “cock.” I was one of the few people online at the time who kept pointing out that “dick” is a funnier word, and I bet they’re saying dick.
Anyway, the uncensored version came out a little bit later, and that’s when it was officially confirmed to be dick. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud that I was actually right about something. TAKE THAT, 2006 COCK TRUTHERS.
“An extremely catchy song. I particularly love the melody of the “See, I’m wiiiise enough to knoooow…” part, which I think is actually a sample from a real song from the early 90s (not sure which song, though).”
It’s not a sample, but rather an interpolation from the R. Kelly song “Your Body’s Callin'”.
I wish the show would do more cold opens like this. Opening with something quick and silly is such a better energy-jumpstarter than a long, dry—and in modern days: stuntcasted—political/topical open. That’s something the show has lost track of for years.
It’s almost ironic that they use Alvin and The Chipmunks in the opening, considering their first live action film would come out JUST under a year from this episode (this was on December 16, and the film would be released the following December 14). Of course, they obviously couldn’t promote that due to coming in the middle of their strike-triggered hiatus, but it’s almost surprising (though understandable) that they didn’t bring them back to promote (or perhaps mock) the films.
Always a good time when JT is hosting. Such a fun episode to end 2006. I remember thinking it was Cock in a Box, and Dick is infinitely funnier. Stooge, I’m with you on the Barry Gibb theme song. I still find myself singing it randomly.
I feel as if laying out every sketch shows most SNL episodes to be weaker than they might feel, but I think that this episode has enough good, and enough strong material (the cold open and “Dick in a Box” are bona fide holiday staples, I admit to having a soft spot for the mascot sketches, “Hip Hop Kids” is a gem, and “Dry Eyes” is a very underrated game show sketch) to make up for the painful death that the episode ends on with two horrible sketches killing the Christmastime fun. Still, Timberlake is able to bring literally everything up, demonstrating his strengths as a host that would be fully actualized in his superior S34 gig.
Tomorrow’s the Jake Gyllenhaal episode? I remember having a soft spot for it, though I can also see why people wouldn’t enjoy it in equal parts. I’m just the kind of dumb idiot who thinks that the dancing meatball sketch is a beautiful stroke of the stupidest form of funny.
I share your 2006 opinion about the Hip Hop Kids. This version doesn’t work for me at all – Timberlake is incredibly annoying, and it’s just a thin, tryhard exercise. I hadn’t ever known about this one until watching this episode in a stream recently – the 2009 version is on Youtube and I generally prefer that one quite a bit; it’s not a classic, but Andy is better in the central role, the material is tightened up and enhanced by having Andy point out how stupid they are, and Jason is put into a much larger role.
This episode makes me feel like the Grinch because I have little time for Timberlake’s mugging and ain’t-I-cute theatrics, and those are ALL OVER this episode. It’s especially annoying to me in the Clear Eyes sketch, which is so thinly written it barely even feels like it has an existence beyond a showcase for said mugging. I also had to skip parts of that Wrappingville sketch, which I rarely would with a heavy Forte piece, but Timberlake is just unbearable. It’s like the child star who never grew out of that spotlight – the same type of thing Kenan was accused of, but Kenan wasn’t handed an entire episode. And I could only make it about halfway through the Barry Gibb Talk Show before I had to skip the rest – Fallon jumping around and doing that falsetto stuttering had the smell of flop sweat, and as it wasn’t something I enjoyed much the first time around, seeing it done yet again, word for word, 3-4 years later is just kind of sad. I was reminded of some of those cringeworthy later moments with Molly Shannon before she left.
I did enjoy the monologue, mostly because of Bill as Alvin (absolutely perfect), although Fred and Andy were also good and Justin was alright. Target Lady is pretty much what you expect – it feels very underwritten, as does the one coming up with Drew Barrymore. You’d think even Kristen was tired of the character, yet she somehow continues for 6 more seasons.
Virginica, or whatever, is as lousy as ever – I guess we’ll be in the boutique setting when these get coughed up onscreen again.
The cold open is lovely, and I agree with you about being reminiscent of the early years. A certain caste system seems to set for the women in once Maya leaves and Amy phases herself out, but they’re all on equal footing here. I suppose it helps that Maya and Kristen were/are very good friends. The harmonized LFNY is a very very nice touch – probably one of my favorite LFNYs, actually. I can see why this one shows up in the Christmas compilation specials.
I’m also something of a grouch about the music video Lonely Islands, as they don’t usually connect for me and eventually just start to feel like money thrown at the screen, but Dick in a Box is pretty fun stuff. Andy and Justin are a good comedy contrast to each other as well, moreso than Justin and Jimmy (I imagine today there would be a lot of comedy segments on talk shows and such with a big rivalry between Andy and Jimmy over Andy “stealing” Justin away).
Darrell gets the Lou Dobbs cadence but it’s hard to enjoy the impression, partly since Dobbs is still on TV saying the exact same things. Some good jokes in this Update though, and, tired as the material is, I still find Bill and Fred enjoyable as the Jersey couple (I could’ve done without the silly teases but I prefer them to Kissing Family type shock value). It helps that they are just about done now, if memory serves.
I agree with you about the Nancy Grace sketch being out of place, and it’s a bit of an odd piece all around, but one thing that can be irritating with SNL is when they impersonate a celebrity, they sometimes move toward trying to make you like them, because the performer often wants to be liked or doesn’t want to be seen as mean, or what have you (this has been an issue with recent decades in particular). I appreciate that this whole thing just basically says yes, Nancy is a horrible person, with no sugarcoating. Amy also gives a great performance.
So, yeah, not an episode I care that much for, but I do get why some love it.
Promos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op9puGd7jm4
Looks we’re on the same page on Timberlake episodes, John. haha, glad at least I don’t feel so alone now!
Not a mark against this episode, but the fact that every single sketch aside from the cold open and Dry Ice (which is a gameshow) either was recurring or eventually would get repeated tells you all you need to know about what’s to come by S34…
The game show was dry EYES because they kept crying !
In the ‘Creating Saturday Night Live: Wardrobe’ video on YouTube you can see a breakdown of this episode at 5:25, that shows the titles of the sketches cut after dress and cut on air. Two were cut on air it would seem! That video also mentions how JT’s costume change from the monologue to ‘homelessville’ is one of the quickest done on the show at 10 seconds.
Thanks. That’s fascinating to see. I notice an Anderson Cooper piece. Seth had always played Cooper up to that point – I wonder if he still would’ve or if Justin might have had the role this time.
I mainly remember the charming Cold Open with the SNL ladies and “Dick in a Box”, which I thought and still think, is overated though I can see what others may get out of it…and maybe Competing Charities and Barry Gibb Talk Show which I might have gotten some enjoyment out of…
@BillK/Stooge— the Barry Gibb theme song is a rewrite of The Bee Gees’ own “Nights on Broadway” (1975; #7).
@Mario Lanza- “cock truthers” has just entered my daily vocabulary. Thank you.
Thanks Kubelsky! Downloading it on iTunes now. LOL
OT, the Peacock app on the 1st day is really disappointing. The earliest season is 23, it’s only one, and that’s the Best of John Belushi, which is easy to find elsewhere. I hope they eventually give us every season, unedited.
Only the current season is uncut on peacock. The rest…of course…remove music performances and sketches with licensed music. Such a huge let down considering for the last year they said the entire library would be available with incredibly strong hints that it would be uncut. You would think they would have a clause with the musical guests that NBC owns the performances and can use them in future reruns.
Does anyone know if the premium version of Peacock has more SNL? Even edited versions of seasons 6 to 25 would be an improvement. Someone nicely posted a link to some Daily Motion SNL, but most of those were taken down. I wish I knew where some of you were getting these full episodes. A guy was selling hour long, full seasons on IOffer, but I can’t get to the buyer part of it any more. It allows you to sell.
I have the premium version and its the same stuff. The top tier just removes commercials and doesn’t add anymore content. The SNL Vault clip channel doesn’t even allow you to pause (I use an Apple TV). Unless they will be continuing to roll out more in the coming weeks this is a HUGE letdown to use SNL fans. We want sketches and music. Hell I want all band shots and bumpers left in too. As Chris said even Comedy Central-esque 1 hour versions (those had music) versions would be huge. Sorry to hijack this episodes comment threat, but there is no other place to really share this information.
I’d be shocked if more recent (say, since season 35) SNL contracts did not allow the usage of music-in-sketches or musical performances. That would incredibly antiquated and backward thinking not to write that in. Which, knowing NBC, is probably the case
Have to agree with John, this episode is not my jam. It’s a bit of any empty vessel and showcases a key reason why comedy became a secondary concern in the modern era of SNL. The musical elements come at a steady clip, rarely with the requisite comedic conceit attached.
The Cold Open is a welcome change of pace and is performed admirably. I can totally see why it gets regular rotation on Christmas specials. It’s kind of funny too. Less than hilarious, but you know, kinda funny. At the very least it brandishes a concept. It’s a thin one, but then again, so much of this era of SNL’s best sketches are thin premises with a high level of execution…
…which I guess is a good way to segue to Dick In a Box. Basically all the juggernaut Digital Shorts are slight, silly premises executed wonderfully. That’s not a slam. If Adam Sandler brought conceptual comedy down to its molecular level during his run, the Lonely Island guys turned those molecular ideas into a spectacle – which is a joke in and of itself. The Lonely Island would have sharper concepts and even better songs (their albums really are rad), but Dick In A Box is possibly a pinnacle of this form. And the song is catchy as hell which, frankly, is half the battle…
…which leads us to The Barry Gibb Talk Show which almost entirely hinges on the fact that the opening “Nights On Broadway” parody is insanely fun and catchy. The sketch was originally a delightful 10-to-1 curio in 2003, but the repeats add literally nothing. It’s just the fun of the opening song and then…nothing. The Jimmy Fallon School of Comedy – fun and energetic seem like comedy, but they’re merely comedy adjacent…
…speaking of which – that goddamn contemptible Whateverville sketch. This sketch comprises the biggest chasm between my own personal taste and what the general public seems to enjoy. But it once again speaks to the original concept that music>comedy in the context of SNL (and particularly the cloying neediness of Timberlake episodes 2-5). If audiences are cheering, they don’t notice that there’s nothing to laugh at…
…the monologue is a lot like that. It’s a cute little piece that plays on nostalgia and…that’s it, just the nostalgia. There’s no joke, just the familiar beats. Hader kind of (?) tries to add some spark with his performance, but I don’t think there’s really any element of subversion, just…you know, a recreation of Alvin & the Chipmunks, which is fine, I guess.
Also fine is the game show sketch. It ALMOST seems like they had a solid concept to hang the sketch around, but John once again nails it – it’s frightfully thin.
Then it’s the regular dross of Target Lady and Kenan’s regrettable drag thing and then the Nancy Grace misfire and I’m left wondering what, aside from DIAB, we’re so excited about.
I know a lot of it is Timberlake himself, who hosted here at the absolute peak of his powers (the transition from DIAB into the Barry Gibb Talk Show is probably the highest point of his career). The kids loved him, the critics loved him, SNL loved him and he only had to get there by sacrificing a couple women along the way (Britney and Janet say hi). He could bring his no doubt talented, but also no doubt needy child actor energy to SNL and have the crowd eat it up. He had star power, but his episodes don’t really coalesce. There are definite highlights to come (the Dick In A Box guys never disappoint), but the regurgitation levels are high, even if the audience doesn’t give a shit. When you’re cheering, who needs to laugh?
Not to just pile on to your thoughts, but that’s very well put, Carson, especially about the veneer of comedy (which is difficult to explain without seeming like a sneering ass – you manage to explain it very well). I will admit that the Janet stuff does make it harder for me to have an unbiased opinion about Timberlake, but again I don’t mean to bring down anyone who enjoys these episodes.
I can accept this being almost a carbon copy of the last Timberlake episode, which had kinda come out of nowhere. I remember at the time being delighted to see the Dancing Mascot and Barry Gibb Show again. But they really should have stopped it here, or at least stopped them for a long portion of time.
I enjoy Dry Eyes–Timberlake’s bonus round is great, where he gets super defiant and reacts to all of the sad songs.
I will agree with whoever mentioned above that the second Hip Hop Kidz is, surprisingly, better than the first. I think Philippe’s meathead characterization was actually better than Timberlake’s, Sudeikis is funnier in that one, and Samberg is really funny as the voice of reason. It’s actually the one I remember way more than the Timberlake one, for whatever reason.
When I reviewed this episode of SNL for Blogcritics, people gave me shit for not effusively praising “Dick in a Box”. My review intimated that “Dick in a Box” was ripped off from somewhere, and that it parodied R&B effectively. The comments, in response, let me know about Mr. Show’s Three Times One Minus One and brought up blue-eyed soul. THAT was my gateway to Mr. Show – that and the show’s DVD season sets were at most $5 new in discount stores, so I’m not ashamed to admit this.
I think this episode earns its reputation due to three segments – “Santa’s My Boyfriend”, “Homelessville” and “Dick in a Box”. Those became fixtures of the Christmas best-of specials, and “Dick” later became a candy you could suck on all night if you wanted it that much ( https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itsugar-tickles-taste-buds-and-funny-bones-with-saturday-night-live-themed-candy-and-novelty-line-274456771.html ). With those highlights, it’s easier to skip over Target Lady and Virginiaca, and even in 2006 I found Homelessville a retread of Omeletteville. Much of this episode is an excuse for Timberlake to reunite with Fallon, though at least diminishing returns aren’t COMPLETELY at play here.
Hey Cameron. This episode was NOT so Justin could be with Jimmy Fallon ! He DID ONE Sketch with him ! That WAS Barry Gibb ! He was with Andy on Dick In A Box ! He was with Amy, Maya , Will And Bill And A Couple OF Others with Hip Hop Kids ! He was with Kristen in Target Lady ! He was with Will although you could not Tell It with Homelessville ! He Wasn’t Even with Jimmy in the Monologue ! He was with Andy, Fred And Bill in the Monologue !
Yeah, JEEZ, Cameron. ?
Whoever said that SNL is more about music than comedy these days hit it right on the head! It seemed like every episode in Season 45 had some sort of musical sketch, almost all of which sucked. I can only take so much more of Pete Davidson rapping about dumb shit before I lose my mind.
Maybe it’s just how it looks in the screenshot…but could they not find a green shirt for Samberg’s Theodore Chipmunk? ??
Dick in a Box works so well in part because of the homage to a specific early ‘90s kind of musical act (Color Me Badd and I Wanna Sex You Up). And then it just gets wackier. Backstage at the CMA’s! Maya and Kristen also do a great job selling it.
I agree with Jakey here and it’s the main reason I still think the original “Dick In A Box” works better than the sequels “Mother Lovers” and “3 Way (The Golden Rule)” or whatever the one with Lady Gaga was called. I’ll explain the issue I had in May 2009 with “Mother Lover” in the comments of Stooges’ review of Timberlake’s S34 episode because I want to save it for when he gets to that just to see if he remembers what I wrote about it in my review that I posted on those old defunct boards he mentioned.
Also, I remember reading somewhere that Timberlake had a cut dress sketch where he played Michael McDonald of Doobie Brother’s fame advertising his new fast food restaurant called “Michael McDonald’s”. He even mentioned this briefly in a Jon Stewart era Daily Show interview as well as his Update commentary from the S34 episode that Tim McGraw hosted where he just explains how this episode would’ve played out if he’d originally hosted it as planned. I guess it’s safe to say THAY was one of the pieces cut for time from this episode?
I forgot to post this at the time of the review – it’s an obituary for Katreese Barnes, one of the main forces (alongside Lonely Island) for the musical output of this era. She passed away last August. Andy also says a few words.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/16/arts/music/katreese-barnes-dead.html
I recently read (I think it was an excerpt from the Shales anniversary book) some comments from Jim Downey about the Nancy Grace sketch in this episode, and how Lorne was nervous because it was airing in a Christmas episode. So it’s interesting that what you mention in your review was on Lorne’s mind as well. I do see his point, but I’m still glad Downey managed to get it through.
Katreese’s efforts in bringing Dick In A Box yo life won her an Emmy award, along with The Lonely Island and Asa Taccone. Katreese had the daunting task of replacing Cheryl Hardwick when she retired after the 1999-2000 season, but she did quite well in that second piano chair. She was ultimately promoted to musical director alongside Lenny and Leon, but when she was getting treatments for breast cancer, she stopped playing in the band but still stayed on as musical director. Tuffus Zimbabwe replaced her on stage.
WHAT GOT CUT-
Getting Off at Five O’Clock
Justin plays a toy store employee who is very happy he’s getting out at 5 and makes up all these songs about it. It sounds really stupid, and it was, but Justin was hilarious.
Justin Timberlake: Roomate
Will played a guy who kidnapped Justin Timberlake and told his date he was his roommate. This was really funny, and had a great ending, I was really upset it got cut.
Daytime Drama Condoms
The joke was that on soaps everyone gets knocked up despite protesting they used a condom. So this was an ad for condoms that won’t really work. Yea, it wasn’t that funny.
Anderson Cooper 360
Yay, Seth in a skit! Anderson Cooper interviews two soldiers who have an exit plan for Iraq. Their plan being….to just leave the country. This was decent, but didn’t get a good reaction.
McDonalds
Michael McDonald (Justin Timberlake) opens up his fast food restaurant called….McDonalds. This was really dumb, but I loved every second of this skit. There were a lot of great lines, and Will Forte had the line of the night. He came out as Donald McDonald, the restaurant’s mascot and said:
I am required by law to tell you that I am a convicted sex offender.
I about died right there. Emily Spivey, a writer, told me this was her favourite skit of the year. It was cut for time purposes.
Even though he’s not in it, this monologue always reminded me that if they ever made an actual good Alvin & the Chipmunks film, Jason would be perfect as Dave Seville.