S46.E01: Chris Rock / Megan Thee Stallion

[TV Diva Queen]

47 minutes ago, Ottis said:

First, I was thankful SNL was on and big props for everyone on the show giving it a go. This ain't easy when there *isn't* a pandemic. The audience was definitely flat. I guess I don't blame them, given the circumstances. Probably desperate to be out, and laugh at SNL, and terrified at the risk it posed.

I loved the embarrassing names skit, and just wish there had been more names. I was surprised at the NBA bubble skit - very surprised. Didn't think that kind of skit would fly in today's #metoo world, whether it was based on truth or not. Also, just on a personal note, I didn't like that they spent any time on people who were into cheating with and gold digging from NBA players. 

Carey's Biden was interesting. He really nailed the set of the face and the voice. But then sometimes he would become a bit too manic to be Biden. 

I didn't know there was an actual Drew Barrymore talk show, and that the set looked like the show. The whole skit I kept wondering why they were doing it. It was one long, spacy Drew skit for me.

 

 

 

Sadly there is.  I don't watch the show - but the skit and impersonation was spot on.  I know this because in Chicago we are LUCKY to have it on 2 channels and they are hyping the crap out of it...its just awful 

[Pete Martell]

There was some fan speculation that Bill Murray is briefly in the new opening credits (you see someone with short white hair holding a balloon over their face). From the people who made them, looks like it was him.

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 10/4/2020 at 12:51 PM, Lola82 said:

For those concerned about audience safety, this is part of the current requirement.

“All guests will be required to take a mandatory COVID-19 test upon arrival. This is a self-administered lower nasal antigen test with results yielded before the show.”

I know those tests aren’t foolproof but along with wearing masks and temp checks, I wouldn’t be concerned that this is a super spreader event.

I'm more concerned about the optics.  Most people just surfing by aren't going to know about the testing, or other measures.  I sure didn't, and I spent a lot of the show wondering about the audience, and the performers as well, because I was pretty sure they weren't in an NBA-type bubble.

Even the first responders--I figured they all already work together so they're okay being together in this setting, but I had to think about it, and most people aren't going to think about anything and just think it's okay to have live audiences now.  And now that I hear that SNL paid the audience members so they would be employees, that's just foul.  I hope they're withholding social security taxes on each one's behalf.

[helenamonster]

20 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

The whole setup makes me nervous, and I don't see how it is sustainable. Seth Simons, who tends to write various articles critical of SNL, was confused about how they got around some of the regulations, and found some comments from an audience member which said they were paid $150 because that way they were employees. 

 

What else can I say but yikes?

18 hours ago, possibilities said:

I think they said the audience members were all first responders. If that's true, then I'm sure they understand the risks and have been observing precautions and testing like crazy for months now, which would make them less llikely to be carriers than a random selection of fans or tourists (are there any tourists in NYC these days?).

From the looks of it, I thought there were two sections, each bunched close to each other but far from the other section. I was wondering if maybe they were pods of a sort-- like they invited responders from the same squads to attend together, and sat them with each other, and then the other group was from another team? That would make more sense than seating them with strangers. And 1st responders would know better than to take stupid risks. Of all people, they have seen it all and know how bad it can be.

The people in the floor seats were essential workers, but the people in the bleachers weren't. If you go the page where you can register for tickets, there is a separate option for those in healthcare: https://1iota.com/show/462/saturday-night-live

[Jody]

On 10/4/2020 at 10:40 AM, Pete Martell said:

Sorry. I didn't word that right before I edited. With a few exceptions they have kept featured players to two seasons for many years now. The main exceptions were Amy Poehler (who was so respected in the comedy world and got a positive enough viewer response to where she was promoted to main cast midseason), Will Forte (which his agent wanted, I think...?) and Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant (because if they hadn't they would have had about a dozen featured players).

       Maybe, I Am Wrong, But I Can't imagine how Cecily And Aidy Would Be A Dozen Featured Players IF They Had Stayed Feature Players ! I Think Possibly IT Would Be More Like Around Maybe SIX Feature Players Instead OF A Dozen Feature Players!

On 10/4/2020 at 2:27 PM, Robert Lynch said:

But that shoulder to shoulder thing bothers me. There was a huge chubby man who was close proximity with two small ladies and those seats are not comfortable at all. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and New York is already having a spike in the boroughs. Who knows where most of the audience comes from...they are either New Jersey or tourist related.

      They Did NOT Have Regular People In The Audience ! Those Were First Responders Like Nurses And They Had Masks And Face Shields ! !

[Ms Blue Jay]

5 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

Sadly there is.  I don't watch the show - but the skit and impersonation was spot on.  I know this because in Chicago we are LUCKY to have it on 2 channels and they are hyping the crap out of it...its just awful 

I feel like I've only seen positive reviews of it.  I feel like the media really wants to push Drew and punish Ellen ;). 

[Pete Martell]

1 hour ago, Jody said:

 

       Maybe, I Am Wrong, But I Can't imagine how Cecily And Aidy Would Be A Dozen Featured Players IF They Had Stayed Feature Players ! I Think Possibly IT Would Be More Like Around Maybe SIX Feature Players Instead OF A Dozen Feature Players !

Season 39 brought in Brooks Whelan, John Milhiser, Mike O'Brien, Noel Wells, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney. They also knew they were going to have Colin Jost join the cast midseason. So with Aidy and Cecily it would have been nine. I was just spitballing. 

(they didn't know they were going to cast Sasheer Zamata - she would have made it ten)

[RealHousewife]

On 10/4/2020 at 10:40 AM, proserpina65 said:

Yeah, that was my impression, too.  They made Biden look crazy when he wasn't, and they seriously underplayed the Trump lunacy.

Which is exactly why it didn't work for me.  It's not even parody Biden.  He did get the voice right, though.

 

I can see this. Looks like I'm in the minority here who still found the skit funny as hell though. 

"Imagine if science and karma could somehow team up to send us a message how dangerous this virus could be. I'm not saying I want it to happen, but just imagine it did."

[Robert Lynch]

11 hours ago, helenamonster said:

What else can I say but yikes?

The people in the floor seats were essential workers, but the people in the bleachers weren't. If you go the page where you can register for tickets, there is a separate option for those in healthcare: https://1iota.com/show/462/saturday-night-live

Holy crap!

[TV Diva Queen]

12 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I feel like I've only seen positive reviews of it.  I feel like the media really wants to push Drew and punish Ellen ;). 

Really?  I've never been a fan of hers, I'm old enough to remember her when she was a little kid and I didn't like her then either.  LOL  Your theory makes sense though.  

[Robert Lynch]

22 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

It reminded me a lot of the Kristen Wiig movie Welcome to Me.

Pretty much.

[Jody]

On 10/5/2020 at 8:20 PM, Pete Martell said:

Season 39 brought in Brooks Whelan, John Milhiser, Mike O'Brien, Noel Wells, Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney. They also knew they were going to have Colin Jost join the cast midseason. So with Aidy and Cecily it would have been nine. I was just spitballing. 

(they didn't know they were going to cast Sasheer Zamata - she would have made it ten)

       I Did Not Even Think About Brooks, John, Mike, Noel, Colin OR Sasheer ! I Was Thinking About The Cast Around The End OF 2012 And I Thought A Couple OF Them Might Leave !

On 10/3/2020 at 10:56 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Wait, Chris Rock? So that’s his dad on Fargo?

off to check peacock for “my mom married Keenan Thompson “. I guess it’s on the premium tier. 

          You are probably Joking, but There IS NO Program called MY Mother Married Kenan Thompson ! That was just for The Sketch !

On 10/3/2020 at 11:59 PM, Galileo908 said:

Cold Open: "Tuesday feels like 100 days ago." Boy ain't that the truth? Jim Carrey killed it only a minute in. It's hard to remember that he's got lots of sketch experience and he's also one of the best SNL hosts of all time. 

"Former Vice President - "
"ALLEGEDLY."

I don't think any debate sketch could top "Lockbox" vs "Strategery" but this is coming damn close. I was DYING at the laser pointer. "It's a wand that cures the Covid." Yeah, it went on a bit too long and Maya as Kamala fell a bit flat, but this was cathartic. We all need that Click remote, Jim.

Monologue: "My heart goes out to Covid." Chris Rock started strong. It's still weird to see everyone in masks. The band, the audience, even Chris himself was carrying one the whole time.

Oh yeah, the new intro looked nice. And hi, new people! Kenan's bit in the intro was him saying "I ain't ever leaving!"

Name Change Office: Oh, it's one of THESE sketches. I died at "Edith Puthie," and then came "Alma Holtzhert." Good to see Pete again, and he looked like he was having the time of his life. Sure, it was easy jokes, but we needed something dumb right now and I loved it.

Bottom of Your Face: I liked this one. Going from WAP to No Sex in The Champagne Room was a turn I wasn't expecting.

Whoa, half of the band is in the Tonight Show studio. That's pretty cool.

Tony Hawk: Oh, it's a look into the future? Is this kid supposed to be Jared Kushner and Chris Rock is warning him about how he doomed the planet? Nope, it's about advertising the Tony Hawk Pro Skater remakes. And then it was about the mom marrying Kenan Thompson and then it just ended. That was weird.

The Drew Barrymore Show: I know that this show exists, how dead on is this? I miss Abbey Elliot's impression, but Chloe was great. Those SNL At Home episodes were a gold mine for her. So good to see her lead more sketches.

WU: "The problem is that it's almost TOO funny." Well said. 2020 has been too on the nose lately. You watched the cold open, there was no way they could've made it weirder, even with the remote from Click. Colin and Che have been spitting some hard truths and the audience just sounds dead. Of course they'd bring in Chen Bao after the TikTok stuff.

“'Well, let’s cancel the whole season and forget it ever happened,” said the New York Jets.' Shots fired. Colin getting on the board of BET had to been one of Che's jokes.

And maaaan, they saved Kate as RBG right for the end. So much for her showing up as a ghost.

NBA Bubble Draft: This went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Drafting to see which wife/mistress/escort/side piece joins the NBA Bubble. Everyone got a chance to shine. Favorites were Heidi, the one that kept ordering BWW (dream woman material right there), and Kate. Yeah, of course she was looking for the WNBA Bubble Draft. But again, it fell flat with the audience. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Really, it seems that this would've been right at home in Chris Rock's era back in the 90s.

Epic Virtual Fight: Heh, an SNL at Home sketch with a budget and a studio. I liked Kate and Aidy's parts, of course. I missed them being together.

Well this show certainly earned an A for effort. Was it the material? Or the audience not feeling it? There was certainly something off. There was certainly rust. Next week is Bill Burr and expect his monologue to be just as long, and definitely angrier. Megan Thee Stallion did a pretty good job, I have to say.

            I Think that Abby just does Drew's Voice, But Chloe does Drew's Mannerisms and Every thing ! I think that maybe The Audience did not know about the NBA Draft Bubble because I did not even know about that ! Also, These are Nurses and They Don't know things that Happen in The Culture ! Was That Stunt People A Cut Sketch Because I Don't Remember Seeing That The First Time Around !

On 10/4/2020 at 12:12 AM, ebk57 said:

And I think that's what made me feel a little ... icky ... about it.  I just don't feel like this fits in at this point.  

I did think Jim Carrey was really good as Biden, but the sketch seemed to pause a lot.  Maybe the cue cards weren't changing fast enough.  I also thought most of the news jokes on Update were great. 

There were parts of the show that worked really well and parts that didn't.  Lots of commercials and the show ending with the musical guest was a little weird.  I did enjoy Megan Thee Stallion.  It really seems like they just need time to get back in the rhythm of the show.  

I'm really glad the show is back and hope things smooth out.  

Oh, and I loved Kate / RBG.  Lovely moment

           IT might be that the Cue Cards were not changing fast enough, BUT, IT might be that they thought it would be funny to show Joe Biden getting angry and trying to Calm Down ! Also, Probably, The People who change the Cue Cards are Rusty Also !

On 10/4/2020 at 1:47 AM, Traveller519 said:

This one felt a bit like the first "at home" a bit of trying to figure things out. Weekend Update was definitely the strongest part.

Pete should have played Adam Silver. There's only so many supremely gangly folks out there and Silver and Pete are two of them.

Was Melissa there? I feel like her impression skills would have been worthwhile in the Drew Barrymore sketch

               I don't Know IF Melissa Can Do An Impression OF Drew Barrymore ! I Don't Remember Whether Melissa was There OR Not ! I Thought She Was There ! Maybe, She Was In Some OF The Ensemble Sketches !

On 10/4/2020 at 2:16 AM, Pete Martell said:

She was in the goodnights. Her pieces must have been cut. 

I was surprised they had Chloe playing every white female role in that pre-tape. Melissa normally may have had one of those. It must have been for safety reasons.

           I Think They Were Showing Off Chloe's Impression Skills ! Maybe, Melissa Can Not Do Any OF Those People And They Did Not want To Do any People That Melissa Can do ! I Don't think That Is For Safety Reasons !

On 10/4/2020 at 2:49 AM, ruby24 said:

I have to say, the way the audience was set up did not look that safe to me. I know they had masks on, but...did they really quarantine and test all the audience members for this? They were sitting very close together and there were a lot more of them than I thought there'd be. 

I know I wouldn't have felt comfortable in that environment. If everyone's going to be laughing and cheering in an indoor space for 90 minutes I think they ought to at least all have N95 masks on.

I don't know. If this is what they're going to do every week I wouldn't be at all surprised if something bad happens.

            I Think Every Body Is Worrying Over Nothing ! I Don't Know IF Their Family Could Get Sick Or Other People In Public, But They Test And Wear Masks AT Their Work And I Thought Every Body In The Audience Were Wearing A Mask And Maybe Even A Face Shield ! ! Every Body In My Opinion Was Tested ! NBC AND Lorne Want Every Body To be Safe And They Wipe Every Thing Down Whether IT Is The Seats OR The Week End Desk !

On 10/4/2020 at 9:58 AM, Pete Martell said:

It would take a lot to be worse than some years (for me the early '00s are about the worst SNL has ever gone), but beyond the poor political material, they desperately need to work on execution of ideas - this is not a pandemic problem either. Incoherent sketches need to be shaped up, unless they are well-crafted oddball pieces, which most of them are not.

With a few exceptions, SNL has kept new cast members under FP status for two seasons for the last 20 years. 

          There Was Also1994 Or When They Had Nancy Walls And Jim Bruer With Goat Boy ! There Was Like 2012 With Kristen Wiig And Fred Arminson And Hosts Like Taylor Lautner Who Did The Twilight Zone Movie ! I Think the Worst Was The 1980's Except Eddie Murphy And Joe Piscopo ! The 1980's Had Gilbert Gotfried And Did Headless Harry And That Pornographic Thing With The Weather Map ! !

On 10/4/2020 at 2:27 PM, Robert Lynch said:

But that shoulder to shoulder thing bothers me. There was a huge chubby man who was close proximity with two small ladies and those seats are not comfortable at all. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and New York is already having a spike in the boroughs. Who knows where most of the audience comes from...they are either New Jersey or tourist related.

              The Studio Audience In The Studio Now Are Nurses And People Like That ! They wear Masks And Get Tested And They Want To Be Safe So They Would Not Be In The Audience IF They Were Concerned About Their Safety ! ! ! They Do NOT Let Regular People Like Tourists Be In The Audience This Season !

[Jody]

On 10/4/2020 at 6:54 AM, cambridgeguy said:

I'm surprised the debate sketch didn't have a bit about how most of Trump's attendees refused to wear a mask.  Because what's the worst that could happen, right? 

At least Carrey tried to mimic Biden's voice - Sudeikis just talked really loud and Harrelson didn't bother.  It's also a sign of how things have changed over the years.

Sudeikis Biden - harmless goofball

Harrelson's Biden - senile and a bit creepy

Carrey's Biden - simmering rage hidden by a big smile and not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer

     I Think ALL THREE Fit Joe Biden ! ! ! Jason Was A Harm Less  Goof Ball And Joe Is Good Ole Joe ! Woody Was Senile And A Bit Creepy And I Think Joe Biden Is Like That ! Jim Carrey Is Simmering Rage, But Has A Smile And Not That Sharp And That Is How Joe Biden Is !