SNL: "Tina Fey/ Ellie Goulding"

Season 36, Episode 20

The show squanders the return of an alum 

Osama Bin Laden’s Last Will and Testament (Cold Open): Of course they did a sketch over Osama’s death. I shouldn’t be surprised. Look, there’s no way that I can fairly review this sketch, at least not in most of your eyes. Part of my own personal beliefs system is that every life is sacred, and thus you can imagine how all of this “celebrating” that’s been going on over his death has pissed me off to no end. Thus the majority of this sketch – which played off on his death – struck me a being in poor taste. And the rest of it? Well, the Dakota Fanning joke was weirdness just for weirdness sake, and just like the estate jokes, it went one way too long.

Monolouge: (Okay, I totally didn’t catch what character that was supposed to be, so don’t ask me.) Okay, that’s a much better way to start off the show. Sure, I’m not usually a fan of one-joke monologues, or those that includes songs (which the show has been doing a lot of lately.) But tonight it worked, mostly because the show kept changing the beat just enough for it to be funny, and the song between Fey and Maya Rudolph (who’s pregnant again, apparently) had some pretty good liners. Plus those singing fetuses were just hilariously creepy.

Undeclared Candidates Debate: Well, I can’t say I’m surprised they got Fey to bust out her Palin impression. As a sketch it shouldn’t have worked, mostly because it was an excuse to throw a bunch of semi-random political impressions that the cast could handle into one sketch. (Much like those other celebrity impression sketches.) Yet it was actually pretty funny, mostly because the impressions on display here were well-done, and they adequately tapped into the  bat-shit insanity that’s on display within the Republican party. (The only impression that wasn’t funny was Trump, mostly because I’ve never found Darrell Hammond all that funny.)

Below the Waves: Another Osama’s dead sketch? Okay, this one was slightly better, because it was mostly about America’s reaction to his death, as opposed to his actual death. Still, not all of the jokes hit, and it took me a little while to recover from that poor opening joke of seeing his body.

The Tale of Captain Jack Sparrow (Digital Short): The Lonely Island Songs have grown more hit or miss over times, so I was a bit worried when this popped up this early in the show. (Plus Michael Bolton’s a no-talent ass clown.) Yet I really liked this one. Not only was Bolton’s various lines about movies hilarious in their absurdity (and his voice was pretty awesome here), but it also plays off on one of the biggest truism of the music industry: The guest singer who threatens to derail the original artist’s composition.

Weekend Update: Some bin Laden jokes to start off, and the rest of the time wasn’t all that great. I sort of enjoyed an appearance by The Devil, but mostly because I like what Jason Sudeikis does with the character, not so much for the jokes he told. The appearance of Gaddafi’s two best friends growing up was just another one of those awkward Fred Armisen/What’s-her-name pieces that I can’t stand. But hey, it was all just about saved by another appearance to Stefon. (I’m actually surprised that they didn’t get Fey behind the news desk.)

Natural Birth: Just a hilarious bit of physical comedy bits. The parents’ reactions to the tape were a bit hit or miss, but after a slow start, everything on the tape was just hilarious.

Bedelia’s Sleepover: I remember seeing one other Bedelia sketch (I think it was on the Adam Baldwin show last spring) and thinking it was pretty funny. This one wasn’t, apart from Taran Killam’s little appearance at the end.

Pregnant in Heels: Another sketch, another instance of Fey playing a pregnant lady. Look, I get that there’s not a whole lot the show can do with Fey as pregnant as she is, but it kind of feels like they’re not even trying. As for the sketch itself, I’ve never seen an episode of the show, so it probably lost its impact on me. As is, it was alright, I guess. (On the upside, we got another appearance of Noodles!)

Googie Rene’s Slightly Damaged Prom Ware Barn: For a Keenan Thompson sketch, it wasn’t half bad. An for a normal sketch, well….

The Hallmark Mother Collection For Weirdoes: For the last sketch of the night, this was pretty good. Actually, for any SNL commercial this was pretty good, mostly because Paul Brittan totally sold the crazy. They should definitely bring that guy back next season.

Usually when SNL brings back alumni, they really try to throw themselves into it, working in as much of their presence as possible. Tonight, most likely due to Fey’s condition, that wasn’t the case, and it really seemed to bring down the episode, as the show was forced to make up for it with what seemed like a larger number of sketches than normal – a number of which were just kind of there, and didn’t seem to have much to them. Or maybe that’s because there were three of them in the last ten minutes. Damn. I was really hoping this was going to be better.

Best Sketch – Natural Birth

Worst Sketch – Osama bin Laden’s Last Will and Testament

Next Week: Ed Helms vs. Paul Simon. Who will shine brightest?

Quotes, Etc.:

“I have been drinking a lot beer. And I am six months pregnant.”

“You are the proof that we’ve been doing it.”

“Thank you for my ginormous temporary ta-tas.”

“My voice is both reassuring and deeply unsettling.”

“I believe with the help of this nation, I can be the last black president.”

“Mark me down as scared and horny.”

“First, I want to address those in the Birther movement who believe I was born a billy goat.”

“I know how to react. USA! USA! USA!”

“Okay, it turns out that Michael Bolton is a major cinephile.”

“Which means that Barack Obama will be the first black person to ever have to prove that he killed someone.”

Even in hell they have dail-up, but as far as TV, they only have NBC.

“Major balls on that dude. Major balls.”

“A free Black Eyed Peas concert? That’s just to true to be good.”

“While simultaneously in China, over a billion kids were doing math.”

“Is that Natalie Portman? No, it’s a little black Irishman we call Murphy Brown.”

“He’s got fist like little empanadas. And he’s my best friend.”

“Jew Diamond Phillips.”

A subway sleeping bag: When you sleep between two men in Fubu jackets on the train.

“She can try any position she wants, that baby’s not coming out without a weedwhacker.”

“she’s got the legs of Sheryl Teague and the easy demeanor of Craig Ferguson.”

“I’m not so much a person as I am a collection of choices.”