Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
STATE OF THE UNION 2010
Barack Obama (FRA) scapegoats Martha Coakley & lays out his policy agenda
— SNL’s State Of The Union cold openings have a reputation for being very long, which makes me very nervous about this particular one, given how bad “Fredbama gives a speech or an address” cold openings typically are.
— There’s the SNL State Of The Union tradition of constantly doing cutaways to real footage of certain politicians in the crowd.
— Some really tepid humor here, such as Fred’s Obama complaining about the horrible condition the Bush family left the White House in when the Obamas took over.
— I got a pretty good laugh from the cutaway to a famous clip of Brendan Fraser laughing in an odd, seemingly-drunken manner at an awards show.
— An actual strong gag, with the cutaway to footage of stone-faced military generals being the only ones in the crowd who aren’t standing up and applauding when Fred’s Obama announces he will end the ban on gays in the military.
STARS: **
MONOLOGUE
host channeled Don Draper in his TV appearances predating Mad Men
— Pretty much right out of the gate here, Jon Hamm is coming off as his usual charming and funny self.
— I love the clip of Jon as a Don Draper-esque new “kid” in a Saved By The Bell-esque 90s teen sitcom.
— The other clips of Jon doing his Don Draper shtick in out-of-place settings are also very funny, especially the Def Jam scene with Jon apparently channeling Martin Lawrence’s infamous feminine hygiene SNL monologue.
— I like how obvious it is that Jon is performing the various “taped” clips live, as he can be seen straightening his suit and/or walking back onstage whenever the camera cuts back to him on the home base stage after the respective clips have ended.
STARS: ****
1920’S PARTY
at a 1928 party, Lilia (KRW) contrives to sing but then fails to do so
— Yet another display of Fred’s gay stereotype routine.
— I never cared AT ALL for these Don’t Make Me Sing sketches (as little as they appeared) back when they originally aired, and I recall dismissing them as typical annoying, one-note Kristen Wiig sketches that were dominating the show at the time. With this being the debut installment, I’ll try to go into my current viewing with an open mind.
— The countdown bit Kristen does during the Bill Bailey song made me laugh.
— I love Jon’s delivery of “That was it, you missed it.”
— Despite the aforementioned highlights, I’m not caring for the actual main conceit of this sketch.
— Overall, meh. Still not a big fan of these sketches, though I found a few more merits than I did in previous viewings.
STARS: **
SERGIO
sexy shirtless saxman Sergio (host) haunts hexed (ANS)
— Hilarious sudden initial appearance of Jon as Sergio (who’s apparently based on a character from the movie The Lost Boys) during Andy’s business presentation.
— I love the “Sergio” title screen showing up at the end of Sergio’s first appearance, and how the camera quickly cuts away from that title screen right after it first shows up. I also love the audience reaction to that.
— Funny wild dancing from Jenny during Sergio’s second appearance.
— Great fake-out with the wind that starts blowing during the therapy session turning out to just be from an open window instead of another Sergio appearance, and then Jason, after closing the window, suddenly explodes (literally) and turns into Sergio.
— Even though the ending gag with the “baby” who Kristen births turning out to be Sergio was rather predictable, it was made absolutely hilarious by the excellent detail of Sergio being covered in…uh…birth goo (whatever the technical name for that is).
STARS: *****
NEW SENATOR
visions of alluring Scott Brown (host) scotch Democrats’ strategy session
— Oh, gee, what a surprise – Fred not only playing yet another gay role, but his second gay role in tonight’s episode alone.
— Some good laughs from almost all of the thought bubble fantasy sequences each democrat is shown having of Jon’s charismatic Scott Brown. Bill’s Robert Byrd having a fantasy of Jon’s Scott Brown as a black-and-white 1920s flapper girl is particularly funny, as is the look on Bill’s face during that (the last above screencap for this sketch).
STARS: ***½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Haven’t Met You Yet”
WEEKEND UPDATE
Sonia Sotomayor (NAP) laments the Supreme Court’s lack of diversity
Snooki (BOM) has leveraged Jersey Shore’s popularity into a new contract
— I’m enjoying Nasim’s laid-back, streetwise portrayal of Sonia Sotomayor.
— The return of Bobby’s Snooki. Very big and energetic applause from the audience upon Bobby-as-Snooki’s entrance tonight.
— As usual, Bobby’s fun performance as Snooki is better than the actual written material he’s given.
— Jenny makes what I believe is her only Weekend Update appearance during her entire short-lived SNL tenure, still beating out one of her predecessors, Casey Wilson, who sadly got zero Update appearances during her year-and-a-half on the show.
— I admit to getting a cheap laugh from Bobby’s Snooki explaining why her nickname is Spalding (“Because I’m orange, leathery, and I get passed around by sweaty dudes!”).
STARS: ***
GAME TIME WITH RANDY AND GREG
alien Greg assimilates Frank Reich (host) & starts multiplying
— The third and final appearance of this recurring sketch.
— That voice Bill uses as Greg never fails to amaze and amuse me.
— Hilarious abrupt ending of Greg’s interview of Jon’s Frank Reich, with Greg suddenly attacking him.
— Excellent turn with Jon’s Reich now having become a Greg-like alien.
— The usually-Weekend-Update-only Seth Meyers continues his tradition of playing the voice of a caller in every single installment of this recurring sketch.
— Funny bit with the two Gregs muttering to each other while analyzing a globe.
— Oh, hell yes! Now Greg is multiplying more and more over the course of the sketch, with the multiple Gregs played by various SNL cast members and writers. Classic.
STARS: *****
HAMM & BUBLÉ
musical guest is host’s unwilling partner in Hamm & Bublé eatery venture
— A brilliant way to do a sequel to/variation of the Jon Hamm’s John Ham sketch from Jon’s first episode.
— I love Jon sternly explaining to Michael Bublé that, for the sake of this restaurant, Bublé’s last name is now pronounced “bubbly” because the true pronunciation of Bublé doesn’t work in this context.
— The menu items are hilarious, especially the drink with chunks of ham in it.
— Fantastic turn with Bublé musically disclosing to us viewers the dark backstory of how this restaurant came to be, whenever Jon steps away.
— Jon’s sternness towards Bublé continues to be great, especially him telling Bublé, “You are on the thinnest of ice.”
— Jon to us viewers: “If you can find a better place for pork and champagne…..keep it to yourself.”
STARS: *****
CLOSET ORGANIZER
Closet Organizer (WLF) doesn’t really handle everything thrown at him
— A very well-loved piece among SNL fans.
— Priceless concept to this commercial.
— Such a fantastic sequence with one crazy thing after another being thrown at Will as the Closet Organizer, in rapid succession.
— Very funny little gag thrown in with the Closet Organizer secretly stuffing the pair of panties into his pocket.
— Jon’s testimonial is absolutely HILARIOUS, especially how it has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of this commercial. Hell, even just Jon’s mere look in that wig and goatee is hilarious in itself.
— An overall absolutely perfect commercial.
STARS: *****
COURT STENOGRAPHER
incompetent court stenographer Elinda Nade (FRA) interrupts proceedings
— OHHHHHH GOD. Leave it to motherfucking Fred Armisen to ruin the streak of perfect segments tonight’s episode had going with the three segments that preceded this sketch.
— With the debut of this horrible, annoying-as-hell character, Fred lately seems to be getting to the point of his infamous “bad years” (2009-2013) where he’s literally getting worse and worse with each passing episode. How much further can this man sink on a week-to-week basis?
— Fred: “I can’t find my crackers”, repeated 100 painfully unfunny times. Fucking kill me.
— Kenan’s spiel about people not being good at their jobs provided my first (and what will probably remain my ONLY) chuckle of this entire sketch.
— (*deep sigh*) Now we get a callback to the earlier aforementioned irritating “I can’t find my crackers” catchphrase, with Fred now repeating it even more times. This is…just…(*sigh*) I no longer have any words for the awfulness of this sketch.
STARS: *
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Sharon Jones [real] perform “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)”
BAR
in a bar, Closet Organizer bristles when patron (host) pigeonholes him
— So many hilarious non-sequiturs and bizarre one-liners in Will and Jon’s conversation so far.
— Ha, an excellent sudden callback to an earlier piece in this episode, with Jon recognizing Will as “the freakin’ Closet Organizer guy”! Fantastic. It’s a rarity to see SNL segments overlap like this, especially in more recent decades.
— Even the names of Will and Jon’s characters are hilariously bizarre (Tarkey Fensington, Resden Bonure).
— I love Will lightheartedly re-enacting the Closet Organizer commercial to Jon’s amusement.
— A solid angry rant from Will when he gets fed up after Jon hesitantly requests Will organize his closet.
STARS: *****
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE
Barnes & Noble started with just homeless bathrooms
— A funny dignified conversation about bathrooms for homeless people, made even funnier by Bill and Jon’s solid professional delivery.
— Hilarious reveal that Barnes & Noble’s decision to fill their store with books was a complete afterthought after accomplishing their goal of building a store for homeless people to go to the bathroom.
— Even the random ending reveal of the female voice-over of this whole sketch (Kristen) turning out to have been Madonna the whole time is funny.
STARS: ***½
GOODNIGHTS
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— SNL knocks it out of the park with another VERY strong Jon Hamm episode. Ignoring a few things I didn’t care for, particularly an absolutely dreadful Fred Armisen showcase, this episode has plenty to love, including a few universally-praised classics. The post-Weekend Update half of the show was ESPECIALLY fantastic, with so many segments receiving a perfect 5-star rating from me, including three consecutive segments at one point (Game Time With Randy And Greg, Hamm & Bublé, and Closet Organizer), which must be a rarity in this SNL project of mine, as I can’t remember many other reviews in which I gave a 5-star rating to three or more consecutive segments (the only thing that immediately comes to mind is my review of the Candice Bergen episode from season 2). By this point, two hosting stints in, Jon Hamm has cemented himself as one of the most reliable recurring hosts in SNL history.
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Closet Organizer / Bar
Hamm & Bublé
Sergio
Game Time With Randy And Greg
Monologue
American Enterprise
New Senator
Weekend Update
1920’s Party
State Of The Union 2010
Court Stenographer
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Sigourney Weaver)
a big step up
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Ashton Kutcher
I remember a lot of people on the old board (rightfully) thinking the “Senator” sketch was a “Mango” ripoff…Then again, those sketches were never anything to write home about (IMO), so I guess that makes things par for the course in comparison.
When Regine debuts, we should probably chip in for a nice bottle of wine for ol’ Stooge. Some things just shouldn’t be experienced twice.
What a damn good episode–it’s sad that the only real weak spots are showcases for Fred and Kristen (although the Fred sketch is by far the weaker of the two–while I dislike “Don’t Make Me Sing” lady, I can at least see the humor being attempted).
Quite a remarkable post-Update run here too–a great capper to the Game Time sketches (of note: the guy Jon is playing, Frank Reich, is now the head coach of the Colts–Jon looks nothing like him now, I dunno about then); the hilarious Hamm and Bubbly sketch; and the brilliant one-two punch of Closet Organizer/bar conversation (“PIES! PIES! PIES! PIES!”). Sadly the Fred sketch also appears here.
Michael Buble is very funny in his sketch and if I recall, is pretty funny in his later musical guest appearances. I wonder if he’d ever like to be a host-musical guest–surely he’d be just as good as some people who did that?
I had forgotten that Nasim played Sotomayor. How many current Supreme Court justices have been played on the show? I know Kate obviously was RBG and various people have played Clarence Thomas. Matt Damon was Brett Kavanaugh.
While Hamm’s next hosting appearance (in the same calendar year) was a little weaker than his other two, he was still a very good host. I have no idea why he has never hosted since. He’s made a ton of cameos, so it’s not like he doesn’t like being on the show. What’s the deal? It seems like he was clearly being slotted as one of the most reliable recurring hosts.
I Could Only Find Tim Meadows Playing Clarence Thomas On Saturday Night Live ! Yeah, They Thought That Jon Hamm Would Be THE Fastest Person To Reach The FIVE Timer’s Club, But He Hosted THREE times And Stopped Hosting !
I think Heather Locklear/Janet Jackson also got 3 ***** in a row from you.
With the exception of that awful Fred wankfest, this episode picked up in a big way post-Update, even including one of my favorite SNL sketches of all time (the Game Time finale). I do appreciate consistently strong episodes above all else, but there’s always something fascinating when watching this happen.
While Hamm’s first episode was more solid from an early stage, this one gives him more of a chance to have some real fun, to the point where a few pieces (like the Scott Brown sketch, the digital short, and the Hamm & Buble sketch) exist mostly for that reason. The first episode was SNL being hosted by Don Draper – this one is SNL being hosted by Jon Hamm.
Of the three I would say the digital short is probably the best, because, while it feels sort of empty outside of the Hamm showcase, it’s very well-made and beyond Hamm, Jenny also gets a fun little moment (she is never the lead in these but TLI did still give her some crumbs in several different shorts).
As @Doc mentions, the senator sketch does remind me of Mango, but thankfully Hamm’s performance is much less self-indulgent than Kattan’s (apparently ALL of that was transferred to Fred, who is shockingly terrible in this) and he has an abundance of charm and enthusiasm to help sell the weak concept. Bill’s performance is also notable.
The Hamm & Buble sketch is a very clever way to continue the previous Hamm nonsense pitches, and for a non-actor, Buble is game. It’s a bit odd to watch this now, and I think only works with just the one viewing, but still holds up well enough overall.
I never can say enough good things about this Greg the Alien sketch. The perfect way to close out a recurring character – slow development followed by a shocker of an ending. The moments spent on him being so mundane in the first two sketches mean his big turn here is more unexpected and worth the wait. Bill and Hamm have their performances beautifully synced up, which I really appreciate. And the ever-multiplying Gregs is another surprising twist. Kenan, who served as a solid straight man through most of these, gets the ending, which he more than deserved. This is how recurring sketches should be paced and concluded.
Bobby is funny and determined enough to make the Snooki piece work, and they get Bill’s involvement right this time. I also enjoy Jenny’s cameo (she reminds me of Amy Poehler here). The Nasim piece, as with her last one, doesn’t click for me. For one thing, any time SNL, with its long history of mostly being white (and at this time struggling to have more than one non-white cast member), tries to joke about this type of topic, I cringe a little. Add on that they didn’t even have a Latina cast member to play Sotomayor (what’s the best one can say – at least they didn’t put Fred in a wig again??), and the weird choice to have her refer to Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RIP) as just another “white guy” (so odd that I couldn’t even tell whether it was a mistake on Nasim’s part), and there isn’t much for me to enjoy beyond Nasim’s performance. The whole “sassy SCOTUS tells it like it is!!” routine also reminds me of Kate McKinnon’s RBG yas-kween-fest to come, which I’m not looking forward to…
The closet ad is absolutely wonderful, but I do agree Jon’s testimonial is what takes it over the top. That’s why the decision to repeat this ad (with Jon edited out) a few episodes later confuses me. But this is a great ad, and as you said, I love that they then go into another sketch that has a payoff based on what we have here. Such a nice surprise by this point in the show’s history, so much so that it really works. I also appreciate that the latter sketch doesn’t try to be “wacky” and instead veers between absurdity and slice-of-life. I do wish the ending didn’t feel so rushed/undercooked, but overall it’s a true gem.
What a huge contrast between Will and Kristen/Fred in this episode. Of any of the three, Will is the one who should have been most typecast for “crazy” characters and not fully connecting with other scene partners due to being in those types of roles for many years. Yet, after 7 and a half seasons and very diminished airtime, he still manages such an oddly poignant (even if the ending is slightly rushed) piece with the host, developing a real connection, while Kristen and Fred are trapped in their own bubbles. The monologue doesn’t quite work for me – it is too long for such a one-note idea and only one segment (the stand-up comedy) does anything with the premise – but it would have had more of a chance if Kristen had not been doing her stock Kristen Wiig Wacky Character bit. “Don’t make me sing” is another example of what you have mentioned with Wiig pieces that don’t even seem to be written – they are just thrown onto the screen. The ending is incomprehensible, and yet again we see a half-dozen people sitting around with no roles other than to watch her. Kristen was in her fifth season, which in modern SNL years can often be when a cast member is hitting a new level of strength, yet it feels like we’ve already seen everything and she has nothing left to say. It’s such a shame. I saw a comment saying that SNL isn’t like this anymore. All I could think was – well, I would hope not…
The stenographer sketch is lousy, although I was still so numbed by Fred’s absolutely godawful performance in that Scott Brown sketch that I couldn’t even work up a reaction.
The Obama open was better than it could have been, to be fair, but relied very heavily on stock footage for the laughs. One particular laugh-getting shot we will be seeing again soon…
Want to add that the “Yas Kweening” John refers to is perhaps the most painful element of modern SNL. From Kate’s Clinton on forward, it’s just a curdled-on-impact approach to comedy. SNL has always had a pathologically shallow approach to political satire, but this newer brand Is almost unconscionable. The weird RGB pieces are insta-stale.
Hello John. Chris Kattan Had More Personality Playing Mango Than Fred Does ! I Liked When Jennifer Lopez Was Mango J Lo And I Liked When David Spade Said Mango Kiwi ! ! I Think AT Least Kristen Plays Different Types OF Characters, But IT Would Be Fred That Has Done Every Thing That He Could Do ! !
Kristen’s SNL tenure is just disappointing. She was and is a very talented actress and very funny. She had a number of highs. But the decision on whoever’s end to fling her into a horde of recurring, one-note, unfunny characters I think tarnishes her tenure in the eyes of many SNL fans. She was so good in straight woman-like roles or in seemingly normal yet deeply insane type parts, and yet SNL increasingly moved her off those roles.
Easily the strongest episode of a season that is getting higher ratings than I would have suspected. I’m not necessarily disagreeing with Stooge, I just think the Armisen and Wiig fatigue clouds my memories of low-key fun episodes like Barkley or Swift.
I’ll skip over Armisen’s typical lousy fare and run straight to Wiig’s lousy fare. Like Penelope, the “Don’t Make Me Sing” lady is a character with a kernel of a relatable observation, but clouded by too many tics and repetition to really register. I think there is a good, not great, sketch to be mined here, but we basically just get Secret Word Part 2 when we didn’t even need part 1. I always feel like I’m one of the many innocent bystander characters in these pieces, watching in mildly peeved horror while Wiig vamps to the delight of an unseen, Cab Sauv-sipping Lorne Michaels.
I don’t think I ever had quite the enthusiasm over the Game Time sketches that others do, but I do remember being wildly impressed with Bill’s performance. I will need to give them another look.
The Scott Brown piece is a bit of a time capsule, but I remember finding it fun. Why in god’s name could it not have been the cold open. The major downfall of this season (and, come to think of it, every season since this year) is the absolute dearth of great cold opens. If my memory serves me (and it may not), there is an absolute all-timer lousy cold open in the upcoming Zach Galifianakis episode.
The biggest joy of the Closet Organizer one-two is the pivot in tone. The second piece obviously needs the commercial parody to work, but it’s low key, slice of life performances are a big part of why it all works. I adore Potato Chip Thief like everybody else, but the ingenuity of Closet Organizer may be my favorite part of the season. John already pointed it out, but the fact that a less showy performer like Will Forte consistently shows more range and commitment than most of his castmates is kind of damning to the rest of the group. He kept growing while others – namely the show’s two most popular culprits – settled into one-dimensional mugging.
Hamm and Buble shouldn’t work, but man that piece tickled me. I’m no Michael Buble fan, but the fun he’s having with the piece is a million times more infectious than Timberlake’s peacocking performances.
Also, when I saw the strong of late-in-the-show five star pieces, my first thought went to the Heather Locklear episode, which also rattled off three in a row, then a stinker, then one more (though I like Rob Schneider’s little format subversions like L’homme d’orgasm far more than Stooge).
Hey Carson. What Was The Cold Opening In That Zack Episode ? I Don’t Like To Say His Last Name ! I Know IT’S Greek, But I Wish He Had A Name More Like Fey Like Tina ! I Really Liked Zak’s Monologue And When He Was In What’s Up With That And He Played The Saxophone When He Was With Kenan ! ! YES, I Know Fred Also Plays The Saxophone, But Zack Is Different ! Also, Besides Will Forte, Jason And Bill Are Also Good And Grow Like Bill’s Alien ! ! Bobby Can Do Funny Little Things And Some Times Andy Might Do Some Thing Funny OR Good ! !
“Let’s do this thing.” –Jon Hamm
Two things in this episode made me laugh ridiculously hard: Sergio and Closet Organizer. I do feel like I’m missing something with the idea behind Sergio, but it probably wouldn’t be nearly as funny to me with context. Love how Closet Organizer gets a callback later. That doesn’t happen often enough.
I like the general conceit of 1920’s Party, aka someone complaining about being forced to show off just so they can show off anyway- as a musician who went to a center for performing arts, I feel like I’ve been around people like that way too much- but I’m kind of bewildered on why it had to be a 1920’s party specifically. Change the pianist to a guitarist and the setting to, I dunno, a college dorm and it feels more relatable. The execution just isn’t that great, either.
I loved Michael Buble’s performance in the Hamm and Buble sketch. Never liked him as a singer but he did a great job as an actor.
I’m sure I’ve seen this ep but all these years later, I only remember bits and pieces…
A better episode than I remember. I suppose I’m putting a seventh episode on my not-very-selective list of Year 35 desert island shows, lol. Again, this season as a whole is stronger than you may recall, save for most of the Army and Wiigy sketches.
“Closet Organizer” had me *howling*.
Just came across an article about this episode, focusing mostly on the “Don’t make me sing!” sketch.
https://www.npr.org/2010/02/01/114505063/saturday-night-live-nothing-gets-funnier-the-thirteenth-time-it-happens
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Sigourney Weaver, as of October 30, 2021 🎃)
a huge step up
If we’re counting monologues, then you can also count your review of the Season 17 Jerry Seinfeld episode, as there were three consecutive five-star segments from you there.
Jesse,
What awards show did Brendan Fraser attended via archive footage for this episode?
I have no idea why you’re asking me, but it was the Golden Globes.
Jesse,
Aside from Brendan, when can you write the musical performances for S32-S34?
Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.