S44.E16: Sandra Oh / Tame Impala

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Sandra Oh hosts; Tame Impala musically guests.

Airing Saturday, March 30, 2019.

[JZL]

Wow-- 15 years since Sideways.  Paul Giamatti had hair, ffs.

[Pete Martell]

[Pete Martell]

[Pete Martell]

I must like Sandra Oh if I sit through clips of Timberlake and Mary Katherine Gallagher...

[GoldenGirl90]

.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Alexis2291

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm liking this episode.  I'm happy for Sandra.

What was Tame Impala's first song?

I just hope they do "The Less I Know the Better"!  (or something else I'll equally like!)

Okay I don't know the second song either, but I did like it.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[VCRTracking]

"Cheques" is definitely my favorite sketch of the night!

[Ms Blue Jay]

6 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

"Cheques" is definitely my favorite sketch of the night!

The women looked so beautiful.  Loved how Kate was styled.  That was a good one.

[vb68]

I've been really enjoying this show, but Cecily (aka Jeanne Pirro) falling out of her chair on Update was the laugh I've needed all week. And then it happened twice.

Update was on fire. 

Watching Kenan tear it up in that song sketch reminded me of the first time he did "What Up With That?".

This finally felt like Ego's big coming out as a cast member episode. About damn time. 

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: Once again props to that makeup crew, I keep forgetting that it's Robert DeNiro as Mueller. It's been a long week, since this sham of a summary happened on SUNDAY. I liked seeing Aidy as William Barr.

Monologue: Sandra Oh! They had to bring in other castmembers to liven her monologue up. I don't have high hopes for the rest of the show. I like her, though.

Discover: And here's the "Us" spoof. I think I (and the audience) would've gotten more out of this had I actually seen the movie. Ego did a great job, though. And Kenan's bit was the only part that made me laugh, though.

Empire: And here's a Jussie Smollett sketch. Meh. They could've done so much with this premise, but nothing really happened. He was wearing a MAGA hat, and that was never addressed, for one.

"The killer left me a bag of clues?!"
"You're still alive, Jussie."

"I am the Gay Lee Daniels!"
"Jussie, *I* am the Gay Lee Daniels!" 

The Duel: Now this was funny. Sandra was so good in this one. Is it wrong that I laughed every time she got shot?

Jacked: So the entire sketch revolved around Sandra Oh as Trent's weird girlfriend instead of how he got jacked in the future? This was weird. Also, Alex and Mikey playing the same character was something that needed to happen way sooner than this.

Putin: I don't know what the hell to make of this Putin sketch. So...the Mueller summary made Putin look weak? You'd think he'd be happy. Apparently that was Bowen Yang as Kim Jong Un. Maybe now they'll finally add an Asian cast member to the show?

WU: Wow, "Toxic Optimism" describes us white people so perfectly. "If he's do dumb, how come he's president?" was a joke SNL told once back in the day, and not something the sitting president pretty much says to people. As great of a job Cecily is doing as Jeannie Pirro, I want even the fake version off my tv screen.

The zebra joke was great, as was Aidy complaining about the one female space suit. "Only one gets to be Moon Queen!"

Louise: Kate is great as weird, old women. "Doctor says I'm dying tomorrow, so...kiss." Kind of said that this was the best live sketch so far.

Cheques: The art of dramatically writing out cheques is a lost one. I loved this one so much. 

Roots of Rock: The secret formula to a good sketch: Just let Kenan go all out while singing. Well, it's one way to bring back What Up With That, because I wouldn't have been surprised if the two characters were related.

I would've loved it if Electric Shoes interrupted the second Tame Impala song.

SAT II: So a sketch about moody students? I needed more of Kate & Aidy's characters in a longer sketch that isn't on at 12:55.

This episode started pretty week, but it really picked up steam at update. But I still thought it was pretty underwhelming, even if Sandra Oh was giving it her all.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Oh my god the Substitute Teacher sketch.  Utterly ridiculous.  I liked it, wish it was longer. 

The thing about Kenan is everything he does is so full of joy.  He always looks so joyful. I don't even think I know how NOT to enjoy a Kenan sketch.

Sandra's end of the night thank yous were great.  She's so happy!

Edited March 31, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Mystery]

The Cheques commercial and Cecily's commitment to Judge Jeanine were about the only things I really liked. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Roots of Rock: The secret formula to a good sketch: Just let Kenan go all out while singing. Well, it's one way to bring back What Up With That, because I wouldn't have been surprised if the two characters were related.

I would've loved it if Electric Shoes interrupted the second Tame Impala song.

😂😂

I thought it was great that they did the "Us" parody.  Very timely, and they used their black actors well in roles of importance.  

Edited March 31, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[MrWhyt]

Pretty solid episode, I don't think any flaws could be attributed to Sandra Oh (but being Canadian she'd apologize for them anyways). Laughed my ass off at the Duel. I would like to hear more about these electric shoes.

[SHD]

Wow, I’m not seeing what everyone else is. The only thing I really laughed at was the Tishy sketch. And good lord, that “Electric Shoes” sketch made me want to throw something at my TV. Tedious.

That last sketch...were Aidy and Kate a subtle nod to My So-Called Life? They seemed vaguely Jordan and Angela-ish.

[freddi]

Yay, *finally* they had enough time for the sign off, and it was worth it to see Sandra Oh go crazy!

Also, “Cheques”.  So true, no one tries to buy off the undesirable future son-in-law with a credit card!  

Edited March 31, 2019 by freddi

[vb68]

5 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Well, it's one way to bring back What Up With That,

Jinx. 😉

BOY Sandra was on cloud nine in the goodbyes. The cast seemed to like her, too.

[Lantern7]

Good episode. Has anybody gotten credit for coining the phrase "the gay Tupac" in terms of Jussie? Because I think that would go to Jaboukie Young from The Daily Show.

Fuck you, SNL. I don't spell "checks" with a "Q." 😜

17 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

As great of a job Cecily is doing as Jeannie Pirro, I want even the fake version off my tv screen.

Cecily sold it so hard. I think one of her shoes flew off the second time she fell over. I mean, if I heard an actress of SNL would pratfall, I would have thought of Aidy. The real one sucks. Kinda like seeing Kate playing KAC in sketches, then seeing the real deal.

Is there a count on how many male characters Kate has played? I'm just curious. Her portraying Rudy Giuliani as a Nosferatu-style vampire never gets old.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I enjoyed seeing Alex wearing glasses. 🤓 "Tishy" is lucky! 😉 

[possibilities]

I was seriously depressed that they gave Sandra Oh almost nothing interesting to do. She's very capable and was acting super-enthusiastic, but it's like they had zero inspiration so they cast her in generic roles and bland female stereotypes. She got to be two girlfriends, just another woman at Louise's alleged 85th (and I think she was the one woman who didn't get asked to kiss), the MC who kept getting cut off by Kenan, and the SAT substitute tutor. Why is it that the host can't be the center of the sketch, and has to be the sidekick and support role in almost every sketch she's in, while being absent from half the show entirely?

The duel reminded me a bit of a Monty Python sketch. I also thought Cheques was okay, and I thought WU was good. I liked the US/Discover mash up. I actually liked the SAT prep also. They keep having these classrooms that go off, and I think this one was the one I found the funniest so far.

They keep getting different kinds of music and I keep not liking any of them. I'm starting to wonder if I don't like music anymore. I thought I did like music, though. It's weird.

Maybe Sandra didn't want to be in any of the political things, and that's why she was missing from half the show. But I still think she was grossly under-utilized, and then used very generically.

[JakeyJokes]

38 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Good episode. Has anybody gotten credit for coining the phrase "the gay Tupac" in terms of Jussie? Because I think that would go to Jaboukie Young from The Daily Show.

Fuck you, SNL. I don't spell "checks" with a "Q." 😜

Cecily sold it so hard. I think one of her shoes flew off the second time she fell over. I mean, if I heard an actress of SNL would pratfall, I would have thought of Aidy. The real one sucks. Kinda like seeing Kate playing KAC in sketches, then seeing the real deal.

Is there a count on how many male characters Kate has played? I'm just curious. Her portraying Rudy Giuliani as a Nosferatu-style vampire never gets old.

She was Jeff Sessions and Wilbur Ross, so 3 in TrumpWorld, and Justin Bieber would make 4.

[SHD]

8 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I was seriously depressed that they gave Sandra Oh almost nothing interesting to do. She's very capable and was acting super-enthusiastic, but it's like they had zero inspiration so they cast her in generic roles and bland female stereotypes. She got to be two girlfriends, just another woman at Louise's alleged 85th (and I think she was the one woman who didn't get asked to kiss), the MC who kept getting cut off by Kenan, and the SAT substitute tutor. Why is it that the host can't be the center of the sketch, and has to be the sidekick and support role in almost every sketch she's in, while being absent from half the show entirely?

The duel reminded me a bit of a Monty Python sketch. I also thought Cheques was okay, and I thought WU was good. I liked the US/Discover mash up. I actually liked the SAT prep also. They keep having these classrooms that go off, and I think this one was the one I found the funniest so far.

They keep getting different kinds of music and I keep not liking any of them. I'm starting to wonder if I don't like music anymore. I thought I did like music, though. It's weird.

Maybe Sandra didn't want to be in any of the political things, and that's why she was missing from half the show. But I still think she was grossly under-utilized, and then used very generically.

Sandra was also the interpreter in the Putin sketch. Not that that disproves your point. I always feel like the host disappears for a good chunk of the show because of the musical guest/WU block that they’re usually not involved in.

I thought the same about the Duel sketch. Reminded me of the Salad Days fake Sam Peckinpah movie skit from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

I know Tame Impala are very popular but they just aren’t my thing, either.

[Mibbitmaker]

This one was pretty good.

Really missed opportunity in the cold open: they should've ended it with the same rhythm as the rest of the sketch:

Mueller scene. Mueller: "LIVE..."

Bob Barr scene. Barr: "...FROM NEW YORK..."

Oval Office. Trump & Giuliani: "...IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!"

Duel sketch: I hate these kind of things. Objectively, it was funny, but that level violence is too much. At least (from what I saw) it didn't seem to be the endlessly gushing blood.

The Piro bit on Update: It generally doesn't bother me to see the Trump World villains parodied the way seeing the real thing would, mainly because I need to see them be satirized. Loved the falling over, it was like a Chevy Chase fall, a Gilda willing to bash herself into things, and Belushi at the end of an Update rant, all in one (two, actually). Nice old school "flashback" from Cecily!

I haven't seen "US", but I did appreciate the show finding a good way to parody those same-actors-talking-to-themselves-over-the-phone commercials.

[VCRTracking]

[Pete Martell]

I decided to just skip the cold open and the non-correspondent parts of WU because I would have probably hated most of it and ended up bitching. If I missed anything brilliant let me know. 

Sandra Oh's energy was infectious. She clearly loved being on the show. As this was something she'd wanted to do for years, seeing her get to host and get such a thrill out of it was just a delight. I wish she'd had a bit more to do but she was in just about every sketch and was never out of step for a second. 

I was briefly happy in thinking they were going to let her have her own monologue. As if. Still, it was alright - she wasn't completely overtaken by the cast or the format and still got to be herself. Leslie was a good foil.

Ranking in order of my enjoyment:

Cheques - This reminded me of the commercial parodies they would have done in the late '80s. Can't you see Jan Hooks, Phil Hartman, and Nora Dunn all over this bit? Getting to see the ladies in stylish costumes and old Hollywood melodrama was a nice change of pace. And unlike most pieces it didn't go on and on and on.

Future Self - When I started back with SNL this past year, it took me a while to figure out who was who of Mikey Day/Alex Moffat/Kyle Mooney/Beck Bennett, so it amused me that they had three of them playing the same character (with Kyle Mooney tagging along). I always feel like Alex is a bit redundant and Mikey isn't far behind (I think I'd prefer him on WU), but they have their moments as a double act. This was one of them. The slow build of confusion and disbelief over his choice of girlfriend until he figured out why genuinely made me laugh. And Mooney as the former bully turned employee who mostly just shows up to also not know why he's with her was a neat subversion of the usual cliche. 

Louise's Birthday - I probably should have hated this sketch, but somehow even at 5 minutes it didn't seem too long, and Kate McKinnon was hilarious, especially the way she said "kiss." I enjoy her weird characters so much more than her political impressions. 

The Duel - A decent combo of "oppression of women in society" tropes and grossout humor, perfectly balanced by Sandra Oh. Everyone else in the sketch was fine too - call it lowered expectations, but it was a pleasant surprise that Pete Davidson actually managed to commit to a character and not just feel like he was playing himself. 

Us parody - I haven't actually seen Us, and I have a feeling your real entertainment may come from whether or not you actually have. Judging by the audience response I'm not sure how many of them have seen it either. I was just glad to get to see Ego have a bit of a showcase, because I don't want to see her go yet - she's barely had a chance. 

Judge Janine on WU - I can't stand her, she is just a loathsome person, but Cecily's version of her may have been at its best here. I really loved the bit where she said William and Roseanne would have their own show with the "damn dirtiest couch." And the pratfalls. And Colin's genuine laughter at them. 

Anne McClain WU - From perusing the comments section on the upload, I see that the story didn't quite match what actually happened, but focusing just on a woman being unable to go into space because only one woman can probably did make for better comedy. Aidy Bryant was very funny here.

Kremlin Meeting - The whole idea of "oops we were wrong Russia and Trump never colluded" felt like some half-hearted mea culpa on SNL's part, or an admission that they may be winding down their Putin impression. I hope not as Beck's Putin is probably one of the better parts of their crappy political output, especially when he made sure to tear off his shirt at the end. Beyond listening to the attempts at Russian accents, this wasn't very funny, but I was mostly just thrilled they didn't do what I thought they'd do, and pass a white man off as Kim. 

Test Prep - I never watched My So Called Life, but I enjoyed Kate's version of the character. Everyone was fine in what was obviously a filler sketch. I guess the most memorable part will be Pete trying and trying not to break. 

Electric Shoes - Not really bad, not really funny, Pleasant and passable enough, I suppose. If Kenan is leaving this season I wonder if this sketch was sort of passing the torch to Kyle Mooney as taking over these old clip show hosting gigs. 

Jussie Smollett - This felt like SNL HAD to go for the obvious material, rather than actually caring about doing so. I also rolled my eyes a bit at making sure two other black cast members were in the sketch in case of racism accusations. The only part I laughed at was when he pulled the KKK letters out of his bag. 

As for the college admissions cut for time sketch - it was a good idea stuck in an unfocused, meandering 6 minutes. The ending could have been pretty funny but had no real buildup. I can see why they cut it. 

[wknt3]

5 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

Roots of Rock: The secret formula to a good sketch: Just let Kenan go all out while singing. Well, it's one way to bring back What Up With That, because I wouldn't have been surprised if the two characters were related.

I would've loved it if Electric Shoes interrupted the second Tame Impala song.

I thought they missed the obvious opportunity of having Keenan come out with Electric Shoes during the goodnights. You know Will Ferrell would have done it!

[Pete Martell]

36 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

I thought they missed the obvious opportunity of having Keenan come out with Electric Shoes during the goodnights. You know Will Ferrell would have done it!

SNL doesn't do that type of loose structure anymore. I miss it sometimes. One of the only exceptions I remember in recent years was when they had Aidy as "Barbecue Becky" (or whatever that awful woman's name was) popping up in several sketches last season.

[Ottis]

I love that the SNL studio audience doesn’t know what to do with skits that poke fun at their favored groups. The Jussie skit reaction, or lack of it, was funnier than the skit itself. 

Then SNL, knowing it, had to go immediately to a skit that made fun of white men, to make everyone feel better (The Duel).

The Tischy skit made me laugh. “You’re arm is still broken?” 

The show is sure depending on the southern district of NY. Which seems awkward, because when you are investigated by people who openly hate you, I’m not sure how much other people will listen. That was the point of a special prosecutor. 

Ike Turner and church camp, heh. And a tip. Che was on fire. 

Go Louise! Six-way Spider-Man. 

Electric shoes was just annoying, even with Keenan. 

Tame Impala almost sounded like some 80s British groups. Almost. 

[Phishbulb]

I could appreciate the old-timeyness (and obvious Julio Torres-ness) of the "Cheques" piece, but it also made me kind of sad. Are we really SO digital now in everything that writing checks has become something "old-timey"? I was under the impression people still wrote checks. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Oh yes, people still write checks because I still get stuck behind them at the grocery store checkout line. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[JakeyJokes]

45 minutes ago, Phishbulb said:

I could appreciate the old-timeyness (and obvious Julio Torres-ness) of the "Cheques" piece, but it also made me kind of sad. Are we really SO digital now in everything that writing checks has become something "old-timey"? I was under the impression people still wrote checks. 

Most restaurants won't accept them anymore. I work at a department store and we only accept them for bill payments now. I'm an older millennial and wouldn't be surprised if a 20-year-old today wouldn't know how to write a check -- people can even pay their rent digitally now.

That said, next time I DO write a check I will do the same flourish like I'm paying off my husband's mistress.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Sandra Oh spent, what a decade on Grey's Anatomy?  Maybe she'd have a better role in a sketch if they did something like that.  Actually, a Killing Eve sketch would make more sense.  I'm stuck in the past.   I totally see the point that she basically was forced to play generic roles.

She was good, though.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[helenamonster]

I thought Sandra was really good, and agree with others that I wish they had given her more to do. She was clearly game and capable--it's so bizarre to me when they waste hosts like that, and yet don't make the same effort to hide the hosts who appear to be there under duress. It was a solid episode but I still lament the wasted potential.

Cecily's Jeanine Pirro is divine, and I have so much respect for any cast member--whether it's her or Chris Farley or whoever--who commits to pratfalls like that. I'm afraid to do cartwheels on the beach.

It appears Kenan really misses doing "What's Up With That?" lol.

11 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

Discover: And here's the "Us" spoof. I think I (and the audience) would've gotten more out of this had I actually seen the movie. Ego did a great job, though. And Kenan's bit was the only part that made me laugh, though.

Putin: I don't know what the hell to make of this Putin sketch. So...the Mueller summary made Putin look weak? You'd think he'd be happy. Apparently that was Bowen Yang as Kim Jong Un. Maybe now they'll finally add an Asian cast member to the show?

As someone who's seen the movie I thought it was a pretty solid parody, and thought going down the avenue of those incessant Discover commercials was very clever. I think they safely assumed enough people had seen it given that its ticket sales from opening weekend exceeded expectations, but it is still a horror film--even when they're popular there's a niche-ness to them that does not carry over into the zeitgeist the way films that appeal to more general audiences do.

I admire your non-toxic optimism regarding this show getting an Asian cast member. I mean, they had two Asian women host this season after nearly twenty years of zero so they're definitely heading in the right direction, but I'm not gonna get my hopes up. Prove me wrong, Show!

1 hour ago, Phishbulb said:

I could appreciate the old-timeyness (and obvious Julio Torres-ness) of the "Cheques" piece, but it also made me kind of sad. Are we really SO digital now in everything that writing checks has become something "old-timey"? I was under the impression people still wrote checks. 

The only thing I have ever regularly written checks for in my adult life was my rent, and this year my apartment's management company switched to paying through an online portal. I wouldn't be surprised if the void check I recently provided to my new employer to verify my bank account info for my paycheck direct deposits is the last check I ever write.

I liked the bit where they pointed out the "simple" steps of writing a check. Honestly I hated having to do it and was always stressed I'd mess something up and bankrupt myself. Unless I need to make some devastating secret go away, no more checks!

[Pete Martell]

3 hours ago, Ottis said:

Then SNL, knowing it, had to go immediately to a skit that made fun of white men, to make everyone feel better (The Duel).

I didn't see that as making fun of white men as much as it was making fun of the idea of a woman sacrificing so much of herself (literally) in the name of mores or customs. Then when she finally stopped, she ended up getting blown away (literally). 

[Pete Martell]

11 minutes ago, helenamonster said:

I thought Sandra was really good, and agree with others that I wish they had given her more to do. She was clearly game and capable--it's so bizarre to me when they waste hosts like that, and yet don't make the same effort to hide the hosts who appear to be there under duress. It was a solid episode but I still lament the wasted potential.

I think part of the issue is that in recent years the hosts seem to get more chances in the film pieces, while the regular sketches are where the cast get more of the opportunity. Whether it's because they don't think the hosts can really work live, I don't know. I was glad they did give her that one sketch where she could have fun (the Future Self sketch). 

[Phishbulb]

Maybe it's me, but it seemed like to me she was kind of doing an imitation of Awkwafina in that sketch. Maybe as a nod to the fact that Awkwafina played her when she hosted? 

[Liamsmom617]

 The only stuff that really made me laugh was Weekend Update (Cecily‘s Jeannine Pirro was flawless as usual!) the  "Substitute Teacher" sketch, and the "Cheques" thing....but damn, I am so thrilled that I didn’t just fast forward through the musical guest as I often do (watching on DVR), and maybe I’m just late to the party, but I’m so loving Tame Impala‘s music now! Going back to the 80s, SNL has Introduced me to some great music. Doesn’t happen often anymore, but it sure did this week! 

Edited March 31, 2019 by Liamsmom617

[saber5055]

I love Sandra Oh, but Oh, what a disappointing show this was. It wasn't her fault, I blame the cr*ppy and not-funny writing. The only time this episode got a laugh from me was when Jeannine Piro fell out of her chair. The whole of WU was pretty good AND funny ... that must have different writers than the rest of the show. Everything else ... eh.

Bring back John Mulaney, as host AND as a writer.

[Pete Martell]

27 minutes ago, Liamsmom617 said:

 The only stuff that really made me laugh was Weekend Update (Cecily‘s Jeannine Pirro was flawless as usual!) the  "Substitute Teacher" sketch, and the "Cheques" thing....but damn, I am so thrilled that I didn’t just fast forward through the musical guest as I often do (watching on DVR), and maybe I’m just late to the party, but I’m so loving Tame Impala‘s music now! Going back to the 80s, SNL has Introduced me to some great music. Doesn’t happen often anymore, but it sure did this week! 

I mostly just knew them because of Rihanna covering their song "Same Old Mistakes." It's that soothing type of music I think we need more of now.

[Peace 47]

I kind of find myself agreeing both with the posters who liked the show and those who diskliked it.

Cheques was my favorite.  I just wrote a check to a coworker this week for someone else’s retirement gift.  She probably wanted to kill me for it, lol.  But Judge Jeanine was a close second.

I thought that The Duel was really well costumed, shot, directed and acted.  The seriousness of, and commitment to, the setup was what made the comedy work.

I also really dug Tame Impala’s second new song (Borderline):  I look forward to that on Spotify.

On the other hand, I thought the writing was weak on quite a lot of the show.   They have staked a lot of comedy on the Mueller investigation, and I didn’t think the Cold Open was a particularly strong conclusion to any of that, but then again, their political cold opens have generally been weak for me this season, other than Damon with The Kavanaugh hearing, so maybe that was just par for the course.

As people noted above, the Keenan singing sketch was basically exactly “What’s Up With That?” (which I enjoyed in its time, but this was too derivative for me to even crack a smile).  I really don’t care for any of the “weird woman in a normal situation” sketches (going back Wiig’s thousands of variations on this theme) so Louise’s birthday irritated me.

I do like Sandra Oh, though.  I’d like to see her turn up again.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

45 minutes ago, Peace 47 said:

Cheques was my favorite.  I just wrote a check to a coworker this week for someone else’s retirement gift.  She probably wanted to kill me for it, lol.  But Judge Jeanine was a close second.

Probably! We're still trying at work to convince one of my older coworkers to get on the Venmo train. At least she had PayPal, so I paid her that way. 

I really enjoyed this WU. Almost every joke had me laughing. "Well, this week made me feel insane." & "White OJ" & the ICE agents pulling into a Home Depot parking lot... oh lordy. "We still got two Dakotas left." 😆

[Mystery]

3 hours ago, helenamonster said:

II liked the bit where they pointed out the "simple" steps of writing a check. 

Yes, in particular the warning that you had to write a line immediately after your written numbers or some unscrupulous person would fill in extra zeroes or something. That brought me back!

3 hours ago, Phishbulb said:

Maybe it's me, but it seemed like to me she was kind of doing an imitation of Awkwafina in that sketch. Maybe as a nod to the fact that Awkwafina played her when she hosted? 

I got shades of Awkwafina, too. 

1 hour ago, Peace 47 said:

On the other hand, I thought the writing was weak on quite a lot of the show.   They have staked a lot of comedy on the Mueller investigation, and I didn’t think the Cold Open was a particularly strong conclusion to any of that

I expected them to do better with that. But since Barr suddenly walked back his "summary" at the end of the week, that might have taken some air out of whatever they had planned to do. I expect they won't touch this subject again until the full report is made public. 

[peeayebee]

15 hours ago, SHD said:

Wow, I’m not seeing what everyone else is. The only thing I really laughed at was the Tishy sketch. And good lord, that “Electric Shoes” sketch made me want to throw something at my TV. Tedious.

I basically agree, though I suppose I liked a little more than you did. I loved the Tishy sketch. Sandra Oh was really good in it, as was everyone else. 

I also found the Electric Shoes sketch tedious. I was really hoping that the end would be Ida May socking him in the face to shut him up so she could perform.

4 hours ago, helenamonster said:

I liked the bit where they pointed out the "simple" steps of writing a check. 

I loved this, too. I wonder how many people in the audience have never written a check (or cheque).

The Duel was so well done, and again Oh was great in it. She was very good thruout the show.

The Cold Open wasn't very inspired.

The Discover Card/Us parody was clever. I haven't seen the movie, but I've read enough about it to understand the references. However, it didn't seem to go over well with the audience. 

The Putin sketch was a good idea, but I don't think it really worked.

Cecily Strong falling out of her chair was hilarious. She did it so well. I also liked Aidy as the astronaut. I liked her line about girls can be astronauts when they grow up, but not at the same time.

I kind of liked the school test prep sketch, but not as much as other people here. I never watched My So-Called Life. Was the sketch really a takeoff on that? I did like Pete's final VO: The thing I learned the most was… each other."

I'm not a fan of Kate's Guiliani. Can someone explain why she always holds her hands like that? I've not seen Guiliani do anything like that.

Oh, and I hated the office break room sketch. Kate trying to get everyone to kiss was gross. A dirty old woman isn't better than a dirty old man.

Edited March 31, 2019 by peeayebee

[Ottis]

4 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I didn't see that as making fun of white men as much as it was making fun of the idea of a woman sacrificing so much of herself (literally) in the name of mores or customs. Then when she finally stopped, she ended up getting blown away (literally). 

Agree, and the implication was that the men, both of whom were white, were so caught up in their own needs that they never noticed nor cared about the woman who was actually getting shot. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I thought the word she was trying to elicit was "inscrutable", which would be more of a (very old) stereotype, not sneaky.

13 hours ago, Mibbitmaker said:

Really missed opportunity in the cold open: they should've ended it with the same rhythm as the rest of the sketch:

Mueller scene. Mueller: "LIVE..."

Bob Barr scene. Barr: "...FROM NEW YORK..."

 Oval Office. Trump & Giuliani: "...IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!" 

That would have been far better.

[rmontro]

I've never seen "Us", so I didn't get the Discover sketch at all.

I also laughed every time Sandra Oh got shot in the Duel sketch.  I found it kind of disturbing that I was laughing, and wondered what it said about me. 

I don't usually care for Weekend Update, but I did enjoy Cecily Tyson throwing herself out of her chair.

Tame Impala was pleasantly mellow, but the main thing I liked about them was their lighting.

The main thing that separates Electric Shoes from What's Up With That is that it's missing Jason Sudeikis' dancing.  The tune is not quite as catchy either.  Fairly generic Keenan sketch, but it's effective.

Ooooo-wee!  What's up with that?  What's up with that?

Why was the show called What up with that, when the lyrics said What's up with that?

[peeayebee]

18 minutes ago, rmontro said:

I don't usually care for Weekend Update, but I did enjoy Cecily Tyson throwing herself out of her chair.

Heh. Cecily STRONG, not Tyson. I've been catching myself before making that mistake.

Quote

The main thing that separates Electric Shoes from What's Up With That is that it's missing Jason Sudeikis' dancing. 

I was missing Jason's dancing, too!

[JZL]

For anyone interested in Tame Impala, do yourself a favor and check out the older albums, Innerspeaker and Lonerism and/or the Youtube vids for "Solitude is Bliss," "Expectation," "Enders Toi," "Nangs,"and the Conan live version of "Let it Happen."  And check out the band Pond, which I like more lately.  (Several of the same people-- Parker produces)

I think the first song was "Patience" and the second was "Borderline," both from the impending album.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming . . .

CO:  Wow that was lousy.  I think they had the premise, set, make-up, and costumes all done then wrote the actual sketch 10 minutes before airtime.  That might also explain the horrorshow of De Niro exclusively reading cue cards when his character is supposed to be reading from a piece of paper that he is actually holding in his hands.  What the fuck!?  If reading glasses were needed I'm sure the real Mueller uses them too. 

Good for Sandra Oh!  Some of the writing was uneven but she was great.

The Kenan "Electric Shoes" sketch was barely funny the first time he broke back in, then it was annoying.  I rarely FF through sketches, but did for that.  Sometimes the mere repetition becomes funny, but this didn't work for me.

Edited April 1, 2019 by JZL

[ottoDbusdriver]

Wasn't impressed with Tame Impala's first song, so I switched channels during the second song.