SNL with Amy Adams, Vampire Weekend

Let’s just say it. Saturday Night Live belongs to Amy Poehler. This weekend’s episode (third new show in a row, if you’re scoring at home) didn’t feature many memorable scenes, but Poehler managed to stand out throughout the 90 minutes.

OK. The cold open. Once again, all about Poehler’s Hillary Clinton. This time, her 3 a.m. TV ad. And this time, they don’t even try to disguise their displeasure with Fred Armisen’s Obama, relegating him to taped voiceovers in a sketch that even after another viewing, I’m not sure which candidate they’re really lampooning. But I do know that they rely on Poehler to carry this sketch, and this show. In related news, Armisen finally updated his SNL backstage blog last week. Not much to say about him getting the Obama role.

Amy Adams did well enough as host. During her monologue, Kristen Wiig joined her onstage for a song, which made me wonder aloud and type here…when did the folks from Studio 60 take over SNL? Their sisters premise showed up after the break. And. Yes. Moving on. Poehler was the only character trying to be funny in a couples therapy sketch as a Bulgarian mail-order wife looking for citizenship. A Digital Short that did, what exactly? Proved Jason Sudeikis has a mean left jab. A Bravo TV spoof that was a one-noter, but again, allowed Poehler to run wild.

The kids from Vampire Weekend! Brooklyn! SNL has made some interesting musical choices. Reminds me of the early 90s, when one week you’d see Nirvana, the next? Next week, btw, features Janet Jackson.

Weekend Update had a nice bit from Will Forte as presidential candidate Tim Calhoun.

Penelope is back, and in traffic school. I have a separate bone to pick with Penelope, but that’s for another time.

I have a theory that NBC’s new feature allowing me to embed videos only works because they withhold the best sketch of the show each week. Did you see Sudeikis in "Roger Clemens Presents…"? Funny. Nice muscles!

Casey Rose Wilson made it into a few sketches, and even got to run lead on the final sketch, in which girls night out goes dance, dance, dance.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

View all posts by Sean L. McCarthy →