whatevs.org presents...

"SNL - SEASON 31 REVEALED"

by Nummer and H-Bomb

Episode 10: Scarlett Johansson / Death Cab For Cutie (1/14/06)

CONEY RATING SYSTEM
= John Belushi
= Amy Poehler
= Tim Meadows
= Melanie Hutzel
= Charles Rocket
= Self-Explanatory

0-10 Coneys – Garbage
11-20 Coneys – Needs Improvement
21-30 Coneys – Average
31-40 Coneys – Above Average
41-50 Coneys - Instant Classic
51+ Coneys - Unparalleled Comic Genius

OAD = Original Air Date*

(*To be fair, coneys will be awarded the same as they were the first time they aired)

Two solid performances from Death Cab For Cutie and consistent sketch writing cemented tonight’s episode in the Above Average category. While none of the sketches managed to rank a perfect 4-coneys, a total of five sketches scored in the 3-coney range which kept the show from ever getting boring. My personal favorites were Will Forte’s over-the-top rock star Wally Hammerlick in “Duluth Live”, Armisen’s “Chandelier Galaxy” and Sudeikis in “Once in a Lifetime Jewelers”.

Johansson, like Longoria last fall, also did surprisingly good job as host and demonstrated a range for comedy I was not expecting. Weather it was a spoiled brat in either “Deep House Dish” or “Super Sweet Sixteen” or a love struck submarine diver, Johansson ensured her invite for a repeat SNL performance whenever the situation calls for it.

Finally, Death Cab proved with two perfect performances why they were finally signed to a major label. They now join the growing number of Season 31 musical standouts. What a movie script ending.

Scarlett Johansson definitely put forth 110% as this week’s host on SNL. She looked great and seemed to really try and have fun with the skits, showing off a wide variety of characters in the process. Despite flubbing a bit in her monologue and missing an occasional cue, I think she did a fantastic job and certainly would not mind seeing her back as host in future episodes.

Undoubtedly adding to Johansson’s performance was the sustained sketch writing. It was very good to see the writing staff, and crew for that matter, come back refreshed and ready to work after the Christmas break, which hasn’t always been the case over the past few seasons. The best sketches of the night were, unquestionably, Mike and Toni’s Chandelier Galaxy with Armisen (“Chandeliers. Delicate, sparkling and bursting with class. You gotta get a chandelier!”), Duluth Live with Forte’s crazy front man (“Fly high, Duluth!”), and Once in a Lifetime Jewelers with Sudeikis’ Ed Mahoney (“Am I an idiot if I say diamond shaped? It feels like a bad answer, doesn’t it?”)

Rounding out the high coney count for the night was Death Cab for Cutie with two perfect sets. I’m always up for bands that play their own music and sing their own lyrics. After all, it is Saturday Night Live, and Death Cab for Cutie couldn’t be a better example of the kind of musical act SNL should strive to obtain on a regular basis.

Dogging tonight’s show was the awkward and short Robert Smigel cold opening cartoon, Mr. Wiloughby (a blatant, blatant, blatant Bill Brasky ripoff) and the weak Smorgasbord Food Network sketch.

Weekend Update also failed to break out of the 1-2 coney range it continues to hover in. The extremely left wing Tina Fey has simply started to come off as mean during her anti-Bush, anti-Alito, anti-anything Republican which keeps the segment from being truly funny.

Lastly, where were Hader and Wiig? I understand that Samberg needed more face time to follow up his break out performance in the last live episode, but you can still leave a bit of room for the show’s hottest new talent. WE WANT MORE HADER AND WIIG!

The continual and very noticeable absence of Hader was probably the worst part of this week’s show. It’s obvious that Samberg was gaining airtime courtesy of the crazy buzz around “Lazy Sunday,” but Hader is just flat out funny all the time, every time. Lorne needs to do us all a favor and put Hader back on the SNL map. Sketch-wise, there were several skits that just didn’t quite cut it, but the most disappointing were the Smigel cartoons. His animated bits this season haven’t been nearly as witty as they have in the past, and especially after last episode’s “Christmastime for the Jews,” this week’s cold opener and “Darwin” cartoons appeared to flop even more in comparison. Hopefully, this is a trend that will end soon and we’ll still be able to count on Smigel for laughs in the future.

A respectable way to follow up the powerhouse December 2005 episodes. Kudos to the SNL crew for demonstrating they can maintain the show’s current hot streak with a host not exactly known for her comedy.

Johansson, Death Cab and the entire SNL crew put on a good show that had no problem keeping up with the outstanding episodes of last December. The smarter sketch writing also continued to stand out which hopefully means that SNL will persist in taking chances with new ideas rather than falling back on old standbys until they’re run into the ground.

CONEY COUNT

1. Cold Opening: A Cartoon by Robert Smigel – The 700 Club
Premise: Spoof of the long running 700 Club

2. Monologue: Johansson

3. Commercial Parody: Taco Town
Premise: Ad for an insanely large taco
O.A.D. 10/8/05

4. Sketch: Deep House Dish
Premise: Show about the alternative house music scene

5. Sketch: Smorgasbord
Premise: A fake Scandinavian cooking show

6. A Cartoon by Robert Smigel: Darwin
Premise: The off-the-wall adventures of Charles Darwin

7. Commercial Parody: Mike and Toni’s Chandelier Galaxy
Premise: Ad for a store selling chandeliers for every occasion

8. Sketch: Live Duluth
Premise: A morning talk show gets a new house band

9. Music: Death Cab for Cutie “Soul Meets Body”

10. Weekend Update
Guests: Andy Samberg

11. Sketch: My Super Sweet 16
Premise: Parody of the MTV show

12. Sketch: Once in a Lifetime jewelers
Premise: A man struggles buying a ring

13. Sketch: Submarine in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench
Premise: A love triangle develops in a small submarine

14. Death Cab For Cutie “Crooked Teeth”

15. Sketch: Mr. Willoughby
Premise: Women trade rumors about a local man

TOTALS

36 / 60 Coneys

38.5 / 60 Coneys