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Everyone loves Jon Hamm, and why wouldn’t they? He’s attractive and charming and is on a hit television show. Moreover, he has a sense of humor and being able to turn that sense of humor on himself. It is just a very winning combination. But it’s actually kind of crazy that he has hosted Saturday Night Live three times in the past three years. That is so many times! Just add him to the cast if you love him so much. Actually, that’s really not that bad of an idea. It might be just the thing this show needs. For one thing, this show is a lot different, and arguably a lot better, when the host is willing to actually DO something. On this weekend’s episode, there were multiple sketches in which Jon Hamm played straight up characters, an almost unheard of demonstration of the skill that is ostensibly the reason so many hosts make it onto the stage in the first place. ACTING! Did you know that Jon Hamm does a pretty amazing Robin Williams circa 1984 impression? Now you know. There were plenty of misses mixed in with the hits, but at least the misses were trying. So, while it does seem like maybe Jon Hamm is gobbling up hosting time that could be going to someone who’s never hosted before (Danny McBride? Freida Pinto?), at least he’s making the most of it.
To give a sense of how this episode seemed to be working harder than the previous episodes of the season, there was the audition sketch right near the top of the show, which was weird and funny in the way that sketches usually are at the end of the show. Not the beginning! Haha. That’s all upside down!
This “go for it” attitude carried all the way through to the end of the episode when they finished up with this Darlique and Barney sketch, which is great, and which really features Jon Hamm going for it. Can you imagine? A Saturday Night Live host still going for it at one in the morning? “Sorry guys, I’d love to take this seriously and actually perform a character in a comedy sketch on your famous landmark show, but it’s past midnight, so I’ve got to be in my dressing room doing cocaine and screaming at my agent on the phone about the Taylor Swift parody song I TOLD you I didn’t want to sing. See you at the after party!” No. Not on Hamm’s watch. Keep going for it.
A highlight of the episode that is not available on-line was the Back to the Future audition tapes (UPDATE: now on-line) which featured lots of funny impersonations (and finally gave that new cast member a reason to bust out his random, always decontextualized impressions of popular black actors and comedians from the ’80s and ’90s) and was very much in the spirit of the Star Wars audition tapes that Saturday Night Live did a bunch of years ago and which were also great. Anyway, not on-line. If you want to see it, just use your imagination and now it is in your mind’s eye. Oh look, Vincent Price!
If this whole season has felt like its been treading water and trying to float on previous successes, this week’s episode was no different, except that at least this week it seemed to kind of work. Like, yeah, it’s definitely hanging on your own coattails to bring Shy Ronnie back, but also Shy Ronnie is great, so who cares? Hi, Shy Ronnie!
And Garth and Kat might have been the best thing of the whole episode. They should get their own movie. Night at the Roxbury 2: Garth and Kat at the Roxbury.
Even Rihanna’s performances were decent. (EVEN RIHANNA’S PERFORMANCES.) At the very least, I am a fan of the way this season, starting with Kanye (and kind of ending with Kanye, but anyway), has allowed the musical guests some visual freedom to make their performances look more interesting and less like they’re on the set of a Very Special Grand Central Station Episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Of course, Rihanna’s performances, like the Back to the Future auditions, is not on-line. Back to the wonderful world of Your Imagination!
And so: best episode of the season so far. Whether or not that is saying much, that does not make it any less true.
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Yikes, you know? I’ve said the same thing, when the host does something, it’s a better episode. However, the writing is SHIT. Not even Weekend Update could save this episode.
I’d also like to point out that (in the hour version on Hulu I saw) there we I’d say 5-6 new ideas. Period. Full stop. This batch of writers is so reliant on past successes that their not going forward any. Did we really need another Garth and Kat sketch?
I remember being angry a few weeks ago that SNL was bad but, now, I’m not mad I’m just disappointed.
“That tiny straw’s making me hate you”
AAAAH I LOVE YOU HAMMMMER!
I didn’t watch SNL because I was at a costume party dressed as the Elephant Man. And just like Joseph Merrick, I learned that no matter how kind and dignified you are, if you are the Elephant Man, strangers at a parties do not want to stand there and talk to you.
Mans, you’ve made me so very happy.
Did your wife go as Michael Jackson?
#toosoon
Did you wear a cloak with a cap and hood? Thats what I would have done.
That’s exactly what I did. I will post a picture later.
Great episode last night, but did you guys see the final sketch? I know it was waaay past my bedtime when i watched it, but David Spade, an actor who hasn’t been popular for 15 years playing the voice of a purse dog which hasn’t been in fashion for 10? Who dropped the ball on that one? They might as well have had Wilmer Valderrama do his impression of The Weakest Link lady for 4 minutes. Super timely SNL!
But it’s funny because it’s a boy dog dressed up as a girl dog! A GIRL DOG!
As much as I hated that sketch, I have to admit, I can’t think of a manifestation more fitting for David Spade than a bitch stuffed in a pseudo-celebrity’s purse.
I fell asleep during the last Rihanna bit and woke up to this sketch. I thought I had slept through the whole thing since my brain couldn’t compute what it was seeing. But then I saw a colourful picture of a dashing Hamm and realized SNL was clearly just messing with me.
And then I thought, SNL? Don’t you trust me? I find lots of things more funny than outdated one-liners about coke addicted actresses. Go ahead. TRY ME.
I remember reading about this terrible David Spade as a dog concept online a few years ago – seriously *a few years ago* – and they were talking about how they were making cartoons – “BUT THESE AREN’T YOUR FATHER’S CARTOONS!” – and how ground-breaking and sassy and innovative and earth-shakingly funny they would be. I don’t remember where I was reading it, but damn, they must have just copied the press release or something. They even had a clip of one to prove how amazing it was, and it was pretty much exactly what we saw last night. David Spade as a dog in a purse.
I have a hard time deciding what is a worse idea: 1) David Spade as a dog in a purse or 2) hiring a couple of freshman from the Art Institute to animate your cartoon in the never-popular “douchebag that can use Flash” style.
Really, this episode was comparatively GOOD? Makes me thankful I haven’t watched any others up to this point in the season.
In other news, The Walking Dead, amirite!!!
You ARE right, teacherman.
YES! Oh man, I’ve read all the comics, and even still when suspense built up I was beside myself with tenseness, going “Oh GOD. WHO’S BEHIND HIM? WHO IS—” and then I’d be like, “OH! OH MY GOODNESS. THANK CHRIST. Oh, now that I think about it, that happened in the book. Hunh.”
Even still though, there was plenty of content on the show that was expanded upon or wholly new from the books, and unlike when I saw Scott Pilgrim, I was not constantly comparing the two. I was along for the entire ride like a brand new viewer with no pre-existing knowledge (to an extent, of course) to distract me.
Really solid beginning to what I’m hoping will be a long, critically-acclaimed successful series.
Got hooked on the comic last year, and the show is killing it already!
and by killing it, I mean this is awesome.
THIS SHOW IS SHOOTING IT IN THE HEAD AND KILLING IT!
and now I have a strange urge to play the “Goodbye Horses” song from “Silence of the Lambs.”
“I’m sorry this happened to you — BLAM!”
That’s how it’s done, True Blood.
If anyone wants to see the Back to the Future auditions, they are available in the full episode version of the show on Hulu. I guess NBC didn’t want them turned into clips because they hate us.
Bill Hader’s Alan Alda: Does it get any better than that?
Unnerving how good it was! I loved it.
Nope.
Better than Peter Serafinowicz’s, which I didn’t think was possible.
I really liked Kristen Wiig’s Jennifer Tilly. Also, the guy who did Eddie Murphy is quite good at doing accurate impressions. It’s very impressive, but I think he’d be better if he concentrated less on accuracy and more on putting a funny twist on them, like Hader and Wiig do so well.
I would so do Bill Hader as Alan Alda. I had the biggest crush on Alan Alda when I watched M.A.S.H. as a young nubile geek. Ahhh..the memories.
#bluestockingswouldswitchteamsforjonhammgum
Wham bam thank you Hamm!
Well I don’t know where that leaves you/
Oh, but I know where I’ll stand/
And you ain’t woman enough to take my Hamm.
See also: Gimme gimme gimme a Hamm after midnight.
“You know what’s never not funny? Terrible singing duos! They are our generation’s faux gameshows!” –SNL writing staff
Wetrew, I brought a bottle of sparkling apple juice to your house. did you get it?
I was grateful for last night’s episode because it allowed me to create an avatar that had some sort of VGum in-joke meme relevancy (namely, Jon Hamm is talked about on the internet way more than Adam West’s Batman).
I would say this season feels like it is actively drowning rather than treading water and floating on past success.
Most of the sketches were funny but they seemed to go on for an ungodly amount of my time, losing steam and the punchline.
But holy shit Audition was great.
seriously, like every single sketch was five minutes long. i am a seriously huge SNL apologist, but five minutes for every single sketch is TOO LONG!
Can’t watch Hulu outside of the States.
Judging by Gabe’s comments, I can see why you’d want to keep all that Handsome Hamm hilarity to yourself.
Bing, is that a trick question? I actually like Rihanna, quite a bit, but between the two I will pick Hamm. Always Hamm.
I didn’t ask for this, Bing!
Gifs I would like to see-
Prince staring and walking off set.
Jon Hamm’s weird cry face.
Also, Abby Elliot? I’ve been watching for you and have concluded you have no reason to be in the main cast. Not knocking your talents as a comedic performer, but you’re barely in anything. Usually, you’re a walk on with one throw-a-way line. Nasim Pedrad should have your spot on the main cast.
I loved it when it cut back to Moynihan and then Wiig as they both were caught making their “must… hide… laughter” faces.
Forget it KajusX & Chainsaws. It’s SNLtown.
Can they just put Abby Elliot in the main cast as her Gwyneth Paltrow impression? Just have every Abby Elliot appearance be Abby Elliot doing Gwyneth Paltrow as if Gwyneth Paltrow were a cast member.
I really like her Angelina Jolie. “Did someone say ‘baby’?”
Why do they even have other women in the cast, because obviously the way for SNL to get better is to put Wiig in even more sketches.
maybe they should call it Saturday Night Wiig
Were there any impersonations in the Back to the Future auditions that weren’t the same impressions your dumb friend does every time he’s around? It’s all the “distinct voice” people. Pacino, Alan Alda, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams. And not even a real sketch idea to incorporate any of them. Just “have these characters say lines from Back to the Future.” So lazy.
Looks like I really touched a nerve in the Frank Caliendo sector.
Do you understand the humor of impersonations?
I understand the humor of new and original impersonations. This was just a showcase of people doing old standby impersonations everyone’s seen a million times, and not even in a funny context. Just a string of people quoting Back to the Future in a funny voice. If you look at someone like James Adomian, who takes his impersonation one step further by giving the character an actual point of view and not just some characteristics, it’s HILARIOUS. Watching someone sort of dressed like Sam Kinison scream a bunch is not that funny to me. These are opinions, of course, and I thought they were ok to share?
I think YOU’RE right, Burdette. The SNL writers SEEM TO FORGOT that impersonations+jokes=funny. TOO OFTEN–and I HAVEN’T SEEN this so I don’t know if that’s the case here–I feel like THEY RELY ON impersonations for IMPERSONATIONS sake and that’s just KIND OF tiring to ME? GRANTED this is just a general problem with IMPERSONATION humor I have, I guess.
“Look, I’ve spent years LEARNING HOW TO talk in a funny, semi-familiar VOICE!”
No, your opinions are always welcome to share, I just felt your comments were a bit oxymoronic. In my head, what you described about what you didn’t like about those impressions are exactly what impressions are; somebody sounding and acting like another character. I can kind of understand where you’re coming from (Bobby Monihan was shoehorned into the Sam Kinnison role), but I point to Bill Hader’s Alan Alda as a fantastic impersonation. He sounded, acted, and talked like Alan Alda. The end. Definition done. I don’t know how much room there was for point of view in a sketch like that, nor would it have made sense in the scope of the sketch.
Right, I didn’t expect there to be much of a point of view in a sketch like that, which is why I didn’t like it. There was no room for it, because it was too much at once. In agreement with what AnAmPat said, I get tired of the impression humor that stems from just doing the impression. I mean, SNL rarely even does that. If you look at that Denzel sketch from a few weeks ago, it was at least trying to put it in a strange context. It didn’t really work, either, but was at least trying.
I’m more into the impressions that heightens the character of the person. If you haven’t already, check out James Adomian doing almost anyone that he parodies. He always finds what’s funny about a given person, nails their voice and mannerisms, and then takes it to the utmost extreme of what exemplifies that person. His Paul Giamatti is furious at the world for confining him to ugly character actor status. His Jesse Ventura thinks every single thing in the world is a conspiracy. His Huell Howser is naive to the point of being stupid, but always has a really dark past that seems to have made him block out all knowledge of how things work. He does all these on the Comedy Death Ray podcast, and they’re probably my favorite impressions ever. Such a long reply!
“I’m just asking questions!” — Jesse Ventura
I think I’m understanding where you’re coming from now, and I definitely agree. Especially about the tired old impersonations. It’s like Kevin Pollak’s Shatner; anyone who impersonates Shatner is really doing Pollak doing Shatner.
Though, I thought it was still funny and worked in the context. I feel part of the fun there is seeing how close the person can come to the person their impersonating, like (referencing the sketch) Alan Alda, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, etc.
I’m sorry I missed your point, so I’ll chalk it up to my poor reading comprehension skills. DAMN YOU POOR GRADE SCHOOL EDUCATION! :-/
Jesse Ventura hates impersonations because they’re predicated on LIES. If there’s on thing he hates it’s LIES.
I get your point, Burdette, in that if I have to hear another Jack Nicholson or Bill Cosby impression I’ll hang myself. But I’ve only ever heard one other person do a Robin Williams (the aforementioned Frank Caliendo), I don’t think I’ve ever heard Eddie Murphy, and that Alan Alda impression was fucking genius.
Anyway, I heart impressions, so if there weren’t any real jokes in the bits I was still eating it up.
as fun (relatively speaking) as this ep was, it made me think of when january jones hosted. remember that guys!?! YEESH!
But Jon Hamm is actually funny, whereas January Jones was kind of plastic.
I love Jon Hamm because he’s gorgeous, funny, and can deliver the line “are you insane in the MEMBRANE? INSANE IN THE BRAIN?” with conviction.
I read your comment five minutes ago and I’m still laughing. Sososososo good.
The motorcycle cops sketch was so long and dull that it kinda took me out of the show for a while.
but they were DUDES! with MUSTACHES! who KISSED!!! GAY PEOPLE ARE SO FUN TO LAFF AT.
Too many sketches follow the comedy rule of threes but forget about either having a twist or a punchline to finish it off. If your sketch doesn’t have a punchline, that’s fine … but watch some Python or Mr. Show and they can teach you how to end a sketch you don’t know how to end. Instead it seems like the cast were just given a half finished script and they sort of just sit around until the camera cuts away in some of those sketches.
I particularly enjoyed the audition for that reason. It was going the way many of those sketches go, with no end just a repetition of the same jokes, and then not only does it end with a window jump, but one to the first floor and a walk away. THAT is how you end a sketch.
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I think she’s funny but for some reason every character she plays now has to be Jenna Maroney
Every time I hear negative stuff about Kristen Wiig I always think about that SNL digital short where she and Samberg have that competition which I laughed at quite a bit. Kristen Wiig is talented, but blaming her for unfunny content is like blaming an actor for a film being overall terrible. It all goes right or wrong in the writing stages. The performers work with what they’re given.
“Hey, then we can have Kristen walk on doing another dramatic, wavering-voiced, wild-eyed character. She’s good at that and it’s worked before, right? Well then let’s just have her do that.” —SNL writers
I THINK you’re being too generous TO HER HERE. IT’D be one thing if this was A RECENT CASE but Kristen WIIG HAS pretty much ALWAYS PLAYED the same-ass character IN A DIFFERENT wig (BOOM, YOU’VE BEEN PUNNED, FUCKERS) for several YEARS now She’s just NOT FUNNY, AND should be stopped.
It’s also NOT HELPFUL THAT all of her fucking SKITS (AND all her characters) rely on A CIRCLE of funny: that something IS JUST REPEATED AD nauseum UNTIL IT becomes funny AGAIN. Just because SHE MAY have a funny skit EVERY ONCE AND awhile seems more like AN ACCIDENT THAN anything.
On an UNRELATED NOTE, I’ve always been ON THE SNL HAS always been kinda spotty TRAIN, BUT HOLY SHIT, I caught some reruns of LATE 90′S/EARLY 2000′s and while yes, THEY WERE uneven, I think the UNEVENESS HAS sunk back down TO early 80′s levels.
No, I’m going to defend KajusX & Chainsaws here. It’s unfair to judge based on one character, which we can all agree she’s been playing one character. I think she’s funny, but not being used effectively.
An AmPat, I’m not trying puff her SNL body of work up into something it’s not as I am in agreement that some of her repeat characters have been less-than-desirable (that mischievous kid that hurts people, the sexy bombshell that farts or whatever, etc). But I don’t laugh at her off-the-mark characters just as much as I don’t laugh at other actor’s off-the-mark characters.
But like I said, I always think about that SNL digital short, because 1) It’s physical humor, which she’s skilled at. 2) She doesn’t talk in it. and 3) She looks good in it. The not talking thing is incidental, because I don’t mind her talking, but I just really like that skit.
I also like to consider her body of work outside of SNL. I enjoyed her character in Adventureland. She was just fine in that episode of Flight of the Conchords. She was just fine in Walk Hard. I loved her in her episode of Bored To Death (which I just watched a couple days ago AND Jenny Slate’s also in it. YAY [Yes, I'm late to the party. I watch my HBO shows once they're out on dvd]!). Her character in Knocked Up was also highly entertaining.
I can’t shut the door on Kristen Wiig because I can’t NOT recognize her as a talented comedic actress. SNL has always been a show that can sometimes fog that lens that sees potential, and for the overused cast members, polarized opinions from fans form very fast.
People said the same thing about Will Ferrell, and at the end of the day, no offense, it’s just a matter of opinion. I can accept that people don’t like Kristen Wiig and don’t find her funny. That’s totally fine. I’m just explaining why I can and do find her funny (and that’s when the writing’s funny).
This isn’t a movie with a terrible performance. It’s a years-long with one moment that you could argue was funny surrounded by crap. I think you’re not giving the cast enough credit for how much input they have in the show (it’s a lot) and how terrible they can make it.
I could argue for plenty of moments on the show where I thought Kristen was funny. But I’m not arguing that she’s funny on the show. I’m arguing that she’s a talented comedic performer IN general, at times on SNL AND in SPITE of SNL, because you said you can’t say enough times how unfunny she is.
I could have assumed because this is an SNL thread you are talking about her exclusively on SNL, but I decided not to assume and instead broadened the scope while I considered the level of her talents. The mention of the SNL digital short was merely my jumping off point. “Well, I liked her in that, dot dot dot.”
I’m also not trying to take credit away from the cast. These performers who have input may very well be shitty comedy writers! Kristen certainly didn’t write the parts she played in those movies and tv shows I mentioned. I’m not trying to absolve her of bad writing, performing, or skits as a whole, I’m just addressing your very black and white statement about a performer that’s more layered than you’re giving her credit for.
And still, she is the only female cast member who gets ANY airtime. She’s in like every single sketch, but I’m pretty sure abby elliot or nasim or that new cast member who wasn’t in this weeks episode could probably handle the Bombshell-who-farts role.
I used to work at a book store, and I’m pretty sure that I read the entire history of SNL book that came out in 2003. As I recall, the performers do a lot of the writing. In fact, if you’re on the show, you’re expected to write. You’re effectively an uncredited writer, and if you don’t write much, your on-stage time suffers. I think a lot of the writing is the result of relationships forged between cast members and credited writing staff. If my memory is correct and this is true for today, it is entirely fair to criticize the performers for the bulk of the content they perform.
Having said that, I like Kristen Wiig and think she’s funny. I haven’t watched SNL in years, but after watching the last two episodes in full, I’m very impressed. Yes, there were low points and high points, but there were HIGH points! Finally! I’ll probably get downvotes galore for saying this, but I don’t like Tina Fey and suspect she’s one of the prime people responsible for the years of mediocrity that completely soured me to the show. I’ll take Kristen Wiig over Tina Fey any day. Maybe if I watch a lot more SNL I’ll get tired of her antics, but for now it’s all good.
Yeah, this season she has two characters (an expansion in her repertoire, as far as I’m concerned). Now in addition to your shrieking/tweaking aunt in funny sweaters, she is also doing sexpot-who-is-slightly-disgusting. Sometimes she is funny, but she misses the target so much more of the time.
Show business!
I’m still giggling over Kristen Wiig screaming “TOBY!” in that audition clip. So, so, so funny! Also, her headshot made me miss Tobias!
I still don’t find Garth and Kath funny at all. But Bill Hader’s Alan Alda impersonation made my night along with Jon Hamm’s weird cry.
Garth and Kat seems like a bit that is probably hilarious when they do it at the cast afterparty or whatever, but never translates well to an actual tv sketch.
I’m with you on that. The Garth and Kat sketch is like a high school drama club exercise. Personally, I hate seeing people laughing in the middle of a sketch. It’s not the fucking Carol Burnett show. Stay in character.
So, my thoughts: Shy Ronnie made my weekend…Jon Hamm’s Robin Williams was so surprisingly good…The cop sketch was so weird and stupid, but for some reason I found it really funny…And I love Garth and Kat. The straight up improv on that bit is so great!
Nothing following ‘Hamm & Buble’ even matters anymore. That skit will forever be the greatest thing Jon Hamm has done for SNL.
The Back to the Future auditions
http://io9.com/5678154/snl-screens-the-missing-back-to-the-future-audition-tapes-including-al-pacino-as-doc
LIBERACE!!!
Solid Hamm…
https://sites.google.com/site/leedsdigitalmarketing/course-pages/greatest-albums-of-all-time
You’re better than that, cranda.
Bill Hader’s Alan Alda and John Hamm’s Robin Williams were what made SNL worth watching for me. I could watch that Alan Alda impression alone for an hour-and-a-half (although I hope they don’t latch onto it and drive it into the ground like SNL likes to do with anything that gets a laugh). Shy Ronnie was great. I like the Vincent Price sketches despite myself and that brings me to my point:
WHAT’S WITH ALL THE GAY JOKES SNL?! Was anyone else kind of offended by this? Maybe I’m too sensitive? After a while, I was just thinking about how glad I was that I wasn’t watching it with my wife’s best friend, who is gay. “Look, Adam! Those two cops fell in love and kissed! Romance between two men is really silly! Hahaha!”
Anyway, I am a guy on the Internet who is offended by something dumb and commenting about it even though there are literally thousands of real atrocities/tragedies taking place in the real world at the same instant.
I wanted to get upset about the West Bank/Darfur/etc… but I’ve looked EVERYWHERE and I can’t seem to find a “Comment” section. Oh well…
MORE PAUL BRITTAIN. How could they have brought DAVID FUCKING SPADE in and let Paul Brittian almost completely sit this week out?!?!?!