Tag: Rickie Lee Jones

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October 7, 1989 – Rick Moranis / Rickie Lee Jones (S15 E2)

Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars

COLD OPENING
Jackie Mason (host) apologizes & endorses Ronald Lauder for NYC mayor

— Hilarious Jackie Mason impression from Rick Moranis.
— Lots of rapid-fire funny lines.
— Strange how both cold openings this season so far have a meta segue into “Live from New York” with the speaker (George Bush, Jackie Mason) having an exchange with someone off-camera who keeps urging him to say “Live from New York”, which he initially refuses to do.
STARS: ***½


MONOLOGUE
host plays with SNL Band, works around the studio, delivers a baby

— Love the immediate deviation from a normal monologue, with Rick excitedly rushing over to the SNL Band to play with them. This is only the beginning, folks.
— Yes! Now he’s gone completely wild, going from playing with the SNL Band to riding around on a camera crane seat, dancing his way backstage, ironing Jon Lovitz’s pants, displaying special camera effects from the control room, applying Nora Dunn’s make-up, and even helping a woman give birth! And all of this occurs while the SNL Band plays a very extended version of SNL’s theme music. This is easily the longest the theme music has ever been continuously played in an SNL episode, clocking in at around 4½ minutes.
— Words cannot express how much I’ve always loved this overall monologue. Extremely fun, out of the ordinary, and easily one of my absolute all-time favorite monologues ever.
— For some reason, later airings of this episode would remove a portion of the scene where Rick is riding around on the camera crane seat (the fourth screencap above with Rick high in the air on the crane isn’t shown in reruns). The reruns would also replace the applying-Nora’s-make-up and delivering-a-woman’s-baby scenes with the dress rehearsal version. The most noticeable difference is that the dress version of the Nora scene has a smaller and completely different group of people standing in the background (which humorously includes a still-pantsless Jon Lovitz) than the live version has. (side-by-side comparison between dress and live below)

STARS: *****


THE BIG BITCH BULLDYKE BUSTOUT OF ’89
Leona Helmsley (NOD), Zsa Zsa Gabor (VIJ), Bakkers (JAH) & (host) go nuts

— Wild beginning with the prison fight involving Nora’s Leona Helmsley, Victoria’s Zsa Zsa Gabor, and a heavyset black woman.
— Excellent Zsa Zsa make-up on Victoria.
— From what I remember of my old viewings of Comedy Central’s 60-minute version of this episode back in the day, I swear they cut the part showing the “The Big Bitch BullDyke Bustout of ’89” title. I had no idea that off-color title for this sketch even existed until I was surprised to later see it during NBC’s airing of this episode on “Classic SNL” in 2002. I’m guessing Comedy Central removed the title of this sketch for censorship reasons, due to the combo of the words “bitch” and “bulldyke” (which probably seems fairly tame for Comedy Central standards today in 2019, but remember, their edited version of this sketch was made sometime back in the 90s).
— I love the sudden entrance from Rick as Jim Bakker. Also, if you’ve ever seen a picture of the real Jim Bakker, you’d agree that casting Rick Moranis as him was a no-brainer.
— Great to see the return of Jan’s Tammy Faye Bakker.
— Love the banjo music playing during the map footage screen transition.
— The beginning of the convenience store scene has a funny little part with Jon’s purchases: a Playboy, a Penthouse, a large coffee, and a No-Doz.
— Always a very funny visual of Jan’s Tammy Faye having mascara running down her face whenever she cries.
— I’m loving all the insane intensity of this sketch.
— Ha, the car-driving-off-a-cliff stock footage is the same one that was used in the Toonces sketch that debuted in the previous season’s finale and would famously go on to be used in future Toonces sketches.
— A very strong overall sketch and featured great performances from all involved.
STARS: ****½


HONEY, I SHRUNK HANS & FRANZ
the tiny musclemen deal with a mouse

— I really like this idea of a crossover between Honey I Shrunk The Kids and Hans & Franz.
— Funny visual of Hans and Franz lifting a lemon and pistachio nuts.
— I like how their guest is an obviously-greenscreened mouse.
— An unintentionally amusing blooper when Hans and Franz say that their mouse guest has left even though the greenscreen is still showing the mouse behind them, which they then kinda acknowledge with an ad-lib.
— Hans, to a sucking-up Rick Moranis: “Don’t be kissing our tiny buttocks now.”
STARS: ***½


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Satellites”


WEEKEND UPDATE
Mr. Subliminal comments on Manuel Noriega & the situation in Panama
PHH gives George Steinbrenner Health Watch update for hopeful Yankee fans
detestable stereotype Frenchy (JOL) offends & disgusts during commentary

— I really liked Dennis’ opening bandaged middle finger bit regarding a picture of Bush.
— After sounding fairly low-energy in the previous week’s season premiere, Dennis’ delivery is back to its usual self.
— Kevin’s Mr. Subliminal makes his very first Weekend Update appearance.
— An unintentional laugh from Kevin’s accidental Noriega/Norwegian line flub.
— Another overall great subliminal routine from Kevin.
— Loved the rowdy audience response to Dennis’ Ben Johnson/horse joke.
— Great idea of a segment called the George Steinbrenner Health Watch, featuring a rare Update appearance from Phil Hartman.
— A funny new Jon Lovitz character: Frenchy, “the man you love to hate”.
— I love Jon’s constant “I’m Frenchy!” and “Didn’t mean to offend anybody”.
— Kinda feels like they’re setting up Frenchy to become a recurring character, but we end up never seeing him again.
— Loved Dennis’ Jim Bakker joke at the end.
STARS: ****


RESORTS INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
Merv Griffin (host) does all the work at his money-losing hotel

— Can’t judge the accuracy of Rick’s Merv Griffin impression, but he’s coming off very funny, especially the laugh he keeps doing.
— I like how it’s gradually being revealed that Merv Griffin is doing all the work in his casino, even being the parking valet.
— The laundry bit is really funny.
— An appearance from Phil’s Donald Trump impression.
— Much like the first time he played him, Phil’s Trump doesn’t sound as good as it would sound in later appearances his Trump makes. In these early Trump appearances, Phil’s just doing a generic fast-talking, somewhat-high-pitched New York accent, not really capturing Trump’s voice or cadence.
STARS: ***½


WILD HORSE
(PHH), (host), (MIM), (NOD) unsuccessfully try to ride a wild horse

— This sketch has a goofiness that I’ve always really liked. Despite this being a very repetitive, thin sketch that mainly consists of a close-up of each character bouncing out-of-control on the back of a wild horse and then a dummy of that character being thrown to the ranch fence, I’ve always found this sketch funny. This cast is just always good at pulling off silly sketches like this.
— I wonder why Mike was the only performer who didn’t get a dummy of himself thrown into the scene. Mike did his own stunt instead.
— Good ending gag with a male horse being thrown to the ranch fence like the humans were.
STARS: ***½


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Ghetto Of My Mind”


NEW COMMISSIONER
new commissioner (PHH) alters baseball rules in memory of Bart Giamatti

— I’m getting a lot of laughs from the increasingly ridiculous and over-the-top new baseball rules created as a dedication to the recently-deceased Bart Giamatti. I also like how the people at the conference are giving increasingly more hesitant applause at each insane new rule that’s announced.
— The already-funny dialogue is being made that much funnier by Phil’s fantastic low-key, mock-serious delivery here, which is tickling the hell out of me. This is one of the best displays of Phil’s ability to make absurd dialogue sound hilarious by delivering it completely straight.
— Phil: “From now on, everyone in this room, including myself, will be known as A. Bartlett Giamatti.”
— Love Phil’s angry response to Kevin’s reasonable objection to the new baseball rules.
— Great ending with everybody singing the new “Bartball” anthem.
STARS: ****½


BABY TALK
in a bar, (JAH), (NOD), (VIJ) bother a cute guy (host) with baby talk

— Some pretty good laughs from the ladies’ increasingly baby-ish gushing over Rick’s cuteness. Jan is especially funny at doing the baby voice.
— Reminds me a little of a bar sketch they would later do the following season with Jeremy Irons.
STARS: ***


WORD BUSTERS
contestants have to come up with the correct pain response

— Mike’s cheesy facial expression as Mark Linn-Baker (from Perfect Strangers) is dead-on.
— Love the format of this gameshow sketch, with contestants getting hit until they utter the correct pained response they’re supposed to.
— Mark Linn-Baker, during a long-winded answer to the question of how he’s so good at this game: “…a vast medical knowledge, nerve endings, pressure points and the like. I could go on.” Phil (deadpan, but with a fake smile): “Please don’t. I was asking out of politeness.”
— I particularly like the segment with Jan and Kevin, culminating in Jan’s collapse to the ground producing a “crash” sound instead of the correct “thud” sound.
— Kevin’s silent cocky facial expression throughout this sketch always makes me laugh.
— The speed round with Jon and Mike is hilarious.
— Nice touch with Jon’s bleeding lip at the end.
STARS: ****


GOODNIGHTS

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A very strong episode, and a nice bounce back after the a-little-too-average season premiere. The quality was very consistent tonight, nothing was weak, a lot of the sketches were exceptionally solid, and we got one of my personal favorite monologues of all-time.


HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Bruce Willis)
a fairly big step up


My full set of screencaps for this episode is here


TOMORROW
Kathleen Turner. Random thought: the musical guest in the episode I just reviewed, Rickie Lee Jones, strongly resembles Kathleen Turner. They should’ve had Jones as the musical guest for Turner’s episode, just so we could be treated to the freaky sight of them standing side-by-side during the goodnights.

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March 27, 1982 – Blythe Danner / Rickie Lee Jones (S7 E15)

Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars

COLD OPENING
Alpo pitchman Lorne Greene (JOP) is the meat dogs really prefer

 

— A short cold opening with a quick, funny punchline of Lorne Greene getting attacked by the dog because Greene himself is “The Meat Dogs Love”.
STARS: ***


TALENT ENTRANCE


MONOLOGUE
MAG ruthlessly forces host to do impersonations of random celebrities

 

— I’m confused over the inconsistency of when they decide to do Talent Entrances. The last two episodes just went straight into the monologue without a Talent Entrance, whereas one preceded tonight’s monologue. It’s baffling; how do they decide when to randomly do these Talent Entrances?!?
— Mary’s brief Eleanor Roosevelt impression is pretty funny.
— I’m loving Mary’s increasingly faster and bossier requests to Blythe.
STARS: ***½


COME ON OUT AMERICA
America is turning gay- “Wouldn’t you like to be a homo too?”

   

— I remember hearing that this is a parody of a specific soda commercial from that time.
— Some of the shots of happy townspeople are amusing, especially the random Nixon one.
— Overall, I found this commercial to be pretty funny and well-made, but for various reasons, I’m sure I would’ve laughed at it even more in 1982.
STARS: ***


THE NEW CELIBACY
discovering their celibacy was accidental, (ROD) & (TIK) rush dinner

     

— A very long delay before the camera fades into this sketch at the beginning. Also, when the camera finally does fade in, Christine can be seen making a late entrance.
— Tim’s “Don’t touch me, I’m a time bomb” line was great.
— This is getting really funny with Robin and Tim frantically speeding through dinner to get to their lovemaking.
— Great delivery from Robin of the line “Just give me meat!”
— Excellent part with Robin and Tim sultrily eating their meal while staring at each other.
— Overall, a very strong lead-off sketch for the night.
STARS: ****½


20/20
Geraldo Rivera (JOP) badgers baby delivery during hospital expose

  

— Joe’s Geraldo impression is pretty good.
— I like the surgeons going “Who the hell is this guy?!” when Geraldo enters the delivery room while reporting to the camera.
— Short sketch overall. Not sure where else this could’ve gone, but I kinda wanted more from it.
STARS: **½


THE KHADDAFFI LOOK
— Rerun, for the billionth time this season. At this point, I can’t even get any enjoyment out of this ad’s catchy jingle anymore.


POETS
reclusive poet (MAG) finds her kindred spirit in burglar Tyrone Green

  

— A laugh from Robin “treating” Mary to the joy of tweezing Robin’s chin.
— Eddie’s “I don’t know nothin’ about your wazoo” was a funny line.
— I’m liking Eddie’s various confused reactions to Mary’s speech to him.
— Ah, they’ve revealed Eddie is playing his Tyrone Green character from the classic “Prose and Cons” short earlier this season.
— Eddie (and eventually Mary) quoting the familiar “Cill My Landlord” poem got a good audience reaction.
— Pretty amusing ending.
— Overall, a good sketch and featured several very funny lines from Eddie.
STARS: ***½


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Pirates”


FAB FIFTIES
some of the less appealing facets of the ’50s have resurfaced in the ’80s

 

— Brian’s amusing delivery of “Abortion’s illegal, so you’re ruined for life… you tramp” was VERY Bill Murray-esque.
— Interesting premise, pointing out how the 80s seems to be bringing back the worst aspects of the 50s. This is serving as a nice snarky contrast to how people usually tend to overglorify the 50s.
— Blythe’s delivery doesn’t seem right for this commercial AT ALL. She also stumbled over one line really badly.
STARS: ***


SNL NEWBREAK
MAG reports from Vince Edwards’ house instead of Shuttle landing site
Yvonne DeMouchier (ROD) gives fashion tips to Best Actress nominees
JOP gives Georgetown the NCAA championship on merit of coeds’ looks
BDM announces the birth of BIM’s son Homer Banks Murray

        

— We get the arrival of Christine Ebersole as Brian’s new co-anchor, while Mary is announced as being “on assignment”.
— WTF was with the random shot of Christine laughing and saying to the audience “It’s okay” as she puts on her clip-on mic?
— Wait, what the hell is going on? There seems to be major microphone issues in general at the start of this Newsbreak. Brian sounds like his mic isn’t working and you can hear very loud moving sounds off-camera. And what the hell was that high-pitched rewinding sound I just heard? All of this is completely drowning out Brian’s first joke (something about Norton from “The Honeymooners”).
— Haha, the technical difficulties are now getting a great audience reaction and Brian has acknowledged that his clip-on mic hadn’t been applied yet. It’s sad that this blooper is probably the hardest I’ve laughed at SNL Newsbreak all season.
— Mary’s commentary was pretty weak.  I did like her opening ad-lib about the earlier technical snafus with Brian and Christine’s mics.
— Christine’s delivery as a Newsbreak anchor so far is okay, I guess. Nothing special, though; pretty generic.
— Strange seeing Robin in an SNL news commentary. Didn’t realize until now that, unless I’m forgetting something, she’s the only person in this cast who had never appeared at the SNL news desk until now.
— Robin’s fashion critic commentary is very weak and her delivery is not working.
— Boy, I don’t think I’ve laughed at a single news joke from Brian or Christine so far.
— Joe’s SNL Sports commentary was kind of a letdown tonight.
— A very nice ending with Brian mentioning that he’s recently become an uncle thanks to his brother Bill Murray.
STARS: **


MICHAEL DAVIS
Michael Davis [real] juggles a bowling ball, an egg, a tomato

   

— Some good laughs from his “razor-sharp bowling ball” test.
— I really like the idea of his stunt being to juggle a bowling ball, egg, and a tomato while eating just the tomato.
— Great unplanned bit with the audience member tossing the tomato back to Michael right as Michael’s about to tell him not to do that.
— Funny line from Michael about people juggling in India.
— Wow, very impressive part with him seamlessly going from catching the tomato from the audience member to immediately juggling that tomato with the bowling ball and egg.
— Ha, he ate the egg by mistake!
— Overall, the usual fantastic Michael Davis segment.
STARS: ****½


THE UNCLE TOM SHOW
Gumby (EDM) tells Snyder (JOP) of toon scandal

 

— Is there supposed to be music playing during the opening credits? We can’t hear anything except the announcer’s intro. Seems to be a technical error.
— I’m surprised to see this sketch again. Never knew this became recurring.
— The debut of Eddie’s Gumby! I thought we wouldn’t first see him until season 8.
— Eddie’s choice of playing Gumby with a curmudgeon Jewish accent is brilliant. But wow, his delivery in this debut is VERY different from the trademark angry delivery that I remember him having. He’s speaking in a much more low-key voice here. I guess he didn’t develop the angry delivery until subsequent Gumby sketches.
— Great part with Eddie’s Gumby explaining how Wilma Flintstone is a slut.
— There’s the very first utterance of “I’m Gumby, dammit”, but it ain’t the same without his now-famous angry delivery.
— Wow, the audience is kinda dead so far.
— Okay, the audience getting more into it.
— Overall, a pretty good sketch, but definitely not as strong as some of the future Gumby sketches I remember seeing.
STARS: ***½


MEET THE PEOPLE
panelists’ rude questions offend Princess Di (CHE)

   

— Blythe’s method of making people seem less dignified by picturing them going to the bathroom is pretty funny.
— Not too funny of a premise with all the panelists asking Princess Di crude questions.
— Overall, aside from a few lines, I didn’t care for this sketch. Just didn’t work for me.
STARS: **


BLYTHE’S PLEA
lack of funding forces legitimate actors like host to do shows like SNL

 

— Wow, this sketch is over already? This had a pretty funny initial idea, but it didn’t go anywhere near as far as it should’ve. It felt like they ended this too early or something.
STARS: *½


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Lush Life”
musical guest performs “Woody & Dutch On The Slow Train To Peking”


GOODNIGHTS

  

— Pretty funny continuation of the ending of the Blythe’s Plea sketch, by showing Blythe in the fish costume.
— Oh, we find out that was Joe’s own dog in the cold opening.

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS:
— A pretty good episode. Excluding SNL Newsbreak, there was a consistent quality throughout the night until it really trailed off with the last two sketches. As a whole, this was an overall perfectly satisfying show.


HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Robert Urich):
— A fairly big step up


My full set of screencaps for this episode is here


TOMORROW:
Daniel J. Travanti

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April 7, 1979 – Richard Benjamin / Rickie Lee Jones (S4 E16)

Sketches are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars


COLD OPENING
DAA gives a sub (Marvin Goldhar) tips on how to do absent JOB’s bits

 

— They reveal that John Belushi’s out this week because he has an ear infection. I had forgotten that I always heard there was an episode John was absent in towards the end of his final season. An ear infection’s not REALLY the reason for his absence, is it? Was he out filming scenes for a movie (“1941”, perhaps)?
— John’s substitute actor is pretty funny.
— Dan does a pretty good impression of John’s Samurai gibberish.
— That may have been one of the corniest segues to LFNY I’ve ever seen, but at least the soon-to-depart Dan gets a LFNY after all the LFNYs they’ve been throwing at the also-soon-to-depart John’s way lately. John got five consecutive LFNYs in the last five episodes, which I just realized may be an all-time record for a cast member not named Chevy Chase.
STARS: ***½


OPENING MONTAGE
— Don Pardo announces Belushi as “John Belushi… absent!”


MONOLOGUE
away from wife Paula Prentiss, host kept company in NYC with GIR

  

— Richard has a likable presence, and his story about his night out with his new girl is pretty funny.
— I had a feeling it would be revealed that the girl he’s talking about is Gilda.
— Gilda’s angry reaction is good.
STARS: ***


THE PEPSI SYNDROME
Jimmy Carter (DAA) is nuked; Rodney Dangerfield cameo

             

— Ah, yes, this is an epic sketch that I’ve always heard about and I’ve always wanted to see. Supposedly, it’s one of SNL’s longest sketches of all-time.
— I love the set-up of this premise, with Bill’s coca-cola spill accident.
— Richard’s analogies to what being exposed to the radiation is like are pretty funny.
— I really like this part with Franken and Davis as the Two-Mile Players mime troupe, especially them getting called out on their un-mime-like talking.
— Exciting sketch so far, and I love how extensive this all is.
— This part with them discussing Amy Carter reminds me, I remember hearing that when this sketch aired in SNL’s Presidential Bash special from 1992, they LITERALLY fast-forwarded through the Amy Carter discussion portion of this sketch while Dana Carvey popped up on-screen as Ross Perot (who Carvey was co-hosting that Presidential Bash special as) to explain that he only wanted to show the best parts of the sketch. I love Carvey’s Perot impression, but man, that sounds annoying as hell having him “pop up” on screen to interrupt a classic SNL sketch like this.
— Garrett in drag once again.
— Funny with Bill cruelly tricking Garrett’s janitor character into mopping the nuclear core room.
— HAHA, this part is excellent with Rodney Dangerfield randomly being brought in to explain in a stand-up comedy-esque way how big President Carter is now. Hilarious!
— Now this epic sketch has included Gilda’s Baba Wawa, who we’re seeing for the first in a fairly long time.
— Great surprise with Garrett as a now-giant janitor being Giant President Carter’s new First Lady.
— Overall, that sketch was absolutely fantastic. Fully-deserving of its classic status. I enjoyed this so much, I didn’t even notice how long it was.
STARS: *****


NERDS & MILT
Todd hopes to score with Lisa at his brother Milt’s (host) apartment

       

— Interesting setting for Todd.
— Richard’s funny as a germaphobe nerd.
— Todd’s attempt at trying to act all suave and romantic to Lisa are hilarious.
— Bill’s genuinely making Gilda crack up by making her sip her drink so fast, which is obviously an ad-lib.
— Oh, there’s the famous “I can see your nose hair!” part, which is often shown as a clip in highlight reels representing 70s SNL.  That clip used to be what always immediately came to my mind whenever I would hear about these Nerds characters.
— Love how Todd is removing each cushion on the couch one-by-one while still locking lips with Lisa.
— Jane’s sex/hard-boiled egg analogy was really funny.
— Overall, a great sketch, and probably my favorite of all the Nerds installments so far.
STARS: ****½


WEEKEND UPDATE
BIM reports on Chico Escuela’s attempt to rejoin the Mets
BIM makes his Oscar picks in his usual cavalier fashion
Roseanne Roseanndanna travels from rising beef prices to gross seafood

         

— Oh, this is the pre-taped Chico Escuela commentary I mentioned in a recent review, where he interacts at a baseball stadium with Mets players.
— The interview portion between Chico and Bill is pretty funny.
— I like how Chico’s tell-all book about the Mets is simply titled “Bad Stuff ‘Bout the Mets”.
— We get yet another follow-up to the “you left this at my apartment last night” bit between Bill and Jane, which has become a running gag.
— Hey, an Update joke about John Belushi.
— The second annual edition of Bill’s Oscars Predictions, which is a segment I always love.
— I liked Bill’s shame in admitting he didn’t see friend-of-the-show Buck Henry’s movie “Heaven Can Wait”.
— Overall, another good Oscars Predictions segment from Bill.
— Oh, man, here’s Roseanne Roseannadanna ONCE AGAIN. I am SO tired of how this season’s Weekend Updates have gotten so predictable in which recurring guests are going to appear. As I pointed out in my last review, there’s a narrow cycle of Father Guido Sarducci, Rosanne Rosannadanna, and Chico Escuela.
— Rosannadanna’s almost starting to reach Emily Litella levels of tediousness for me, and you guys probably remember how sick I got of THAT character (Litella). Rosannadanna’s a funny character, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d eventually tire of her with how frequently they’ve been using her and how formulaic all her appearances are.
— I admit, the ending of Roseannadanna’s commentary with her reciting a poem written by her grandmother gave me a few chuckles.
STARS: ***


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Chuck E’s In Love”


A BIRD FOR ALL SEASONS
by Aviva Slesin- fancy feathered-friend fashions

     

— Bill doing another short that features cutaways to animals doing human things. Is this film made by the same person who made that singing dogs short earlier this season?
— The movie trailer part is cracking me up a lot.
— This is getting funnier and funnier.
— I assume this short’s a dig at NBC’s troubles at the time with Fred Silverman’s questionable programming decisions.
— I like the pizza sitcom trailer with Italian-accented birds.
— “Produced & Directed by Aviva Slesin”. Ah, so this IS by the filmmaker who made the singing dogs short. Wonder why her(?) films always star Bill. He IS great in these, though.
— Overall, a very silly short that I enjoyed a lot.  Quite an improvement over the singing dogs short.
STARS: ****


SCOTTISH RESTAURANT
Scottish restaurant charges (host) & (LAN) extra for basic amenities

   

— Funny how Dan’s using a torn-in-half paper bag as two tablecloths because he’s wearing the actual tablecloth as a kilt.
— HA at the nasty-sounding Scottish food.  It’s funny cuz it’s true.
— LOL at Richard and Laraine having to pay for every little thing at the restaurant, even for being handed the bill itself. No wonder the restaurant was empty when they arrived at the beginning of the sketch.
STARS: ***½


LITTLE CHOCOLATE DONUTS
— A rerun from last season. Obviously, they’re only airing this to make up for John’s absence.


MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Coolsville”


GOODNIGHTS

 

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS:
— Another very good episode. Of course, the epic, brilliant Pepsi Syndrome sketch is the centerpiece of the show, but the rest of the episode was strong, too, especially the Nerds sketch. SNL has been on a streak of great episodes since Gary Busey.
— They did surprisingly well for an episode without Belushi. Until the Little Chocolate Donuts rerun, I had completely forgotten about his absence tonight. I’m still dreading his (and Dan’s) upcoming departure, though.


HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Margot Kidder):
— a very slight step down


My full set of screencaps for this episode is here


TOMORROW:
Well, the streak of great episodes we’ve been having lately was nice while it lasted, as our next episode just so happens to be…. (*cue suspenseful music*) the infamous Milton Berle