Going into this episode I was a little skeptical. I wasn’t sure how Jon Hamm would be in a comedic setting. Mad Men may have some laughs in it, but Don Draper is in no way a funny character. Add to that concern the fact that Amy Poehler was absent from the episode because she was having her baby, and it should have been a terrible episode. Perhaps it was because my expectations were lowered, but I thought this was the strongest SNL episode this season. Not every skit hit it out of the park, but there was at least one solid laugh in every one, and Jon Hamm really came through.
Join me as I break the episode down, sketch by sketch.
Cold Open Biden/Murtha: The SNL writers must be LOVING this campaign. They barely have to write anything. So many stupid things have been said and done they pretty much just have to throw some actors up on stage in costume and have them re-enact the week’s stupidest quotes. Sure there was a little exaggeration, but this skit came gift wrapped for SNL. I know everyone is sick of the election, but I’m going to miss the gaffes that all these politicians are making.
Monologue: I was wondering how many people watching actually know who Jon Hamm is, considering the ratings for Mad Men. I was glad to see that he could poke fun at ratings; it was a decent monologue.
Trick or Treating Sex Offender: I will admit that this was a very clever idea, and made for a pretty funny sketch, if not slightly offensive.
Digital Short: I’m pretty sure that Andy Samberg thinks he’s a whole lot funnier than anyone else does, save for Lorne Michaels, maybe. There was, like, one laugh in this digital short. I swear these are getting worse and worse. This was the weakest part of the episode.
Two A-holes: I’m so glad they did a Mad Men spoof – with Elisabeth Moss and John Slattery to boot! Love it! I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I’m a fan of the two a-holes, but I am, so I was glad to see them. They’ve been missing all season. I loved the classic Don Draper pitch toward the end of the skit. I think it would have been pretty funny if they had gotten a smoke machine to continually pump smoke into the room.
Obama Variety Half Hour: Maya Rudolph is back! I wonder how the cast feels about all the alumi coming back this season – Tina Fey, Chris Parnell, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, and now Rudolph. This was one of the funnier skits in a while, in my opinion. The songs were all spot on, especially Bill Clinton singing Don’t You (Forget About Me). Also, Jon Hamm does one heck of a JFK impression.
Don Draper’s Guide to Picking Up Women: Very funny for any Mad Men fans. Reminded me slightly of the Tom Brady sexual harassment ad. Anyone remember that?
Cold Play: That first song is going to be stuck in my head for a month now. It was bad enough that it was on the iPod commercial… They got three performances? I wonder if that had something to do with Amy Poehler being absent with her baby delivering.
Weekend Update: Poor Seth… You’d think they would have thrown someone else up there to help him out with Amy Poehler out, but he pulled it off. I thought the Robo-Call bit worked well, better than so many of those stupid recurring characters they have on these days, like Nicholas Fehn, for example, who was also on this week. This was funny once, but why do they keep bringing him on? I do have to give props to Fred Armison for being the greatest rambler, though. Bill Hader is really growing on me. He does great impressions and his Ralph Nader was spot on tonight.
Vincent Price’s Halloween Special: Pretty much anyone doing a Vincent Price impression is comic gold. I was slightly disappointed with Hader’s impression, though. He didn’t drop down into that low vocal range enough like Price used to do. Again, I was impressed with Hamm’s performance, this time as a randy James Mason. Overall, I thought this was a funny skit. Wiig was great as Gloria Swanson too.
Jon Hamm’s John Ham: This skit worked mostly because it was so short. It was a slightly clever idea and they executed it well.
Pat Finger Ads: I’d like to pretend that I am mature enough to find this type of humor beneath me, but… I laughed. That’s more than I can say for most of the skits that are usually on this late in the show.
So what did everyone else think? Do you agree that this was one of the strongest episodes in a while? Wish Maya Rudolph did more while she was there?
Cold Open: Went on for too long. Was sub-par for this season. Usually the opening is the best part.
Monologue: I had no idea who he was when he came out but he did well making fun of his show’s low ratings.
Trick or Treat: missed so I could finish a movie I had on.
Digital Short: I’m a college student so I see people like that on a daily basis. I think it the captured the idiocy of how they look perfectly.
2 A-holes: I dont watch Mad Men so any jokes directed at the show went over me but the a-holes are still funny.
Don Draper: Once again I dont watch Mad Men so I didnt care about this one.
Obama Show: I loved this one mainly because of Clinton and Pelosi.
WU: I’m not surprised after last week’s rap that Amy went into labor. Myers did fine on his own. Armisan’s political comedian though needs to die. Its not funny anymore.
Vincent Price: Great sketch with the cast doing great impressions. Hamm is doing really good as the host. I like Hader’s impression.
John Ham: Short and sweet. Remember if it looks like ham, dont wipe your ass with it.
Finger in Butts: Yeah Im still immature enough to find this funny.
Coldplay 1: missed thank god. heard that song enough already.
Coldplay 2: song sucked. would of switched if I could find the remote.
Coldplay 3: another song, really Coldplay gets 3 songs. out of all the bands they could of picked to play 3 songs they picked Coldplay?! how much more obnoxious can this get…. oh then the unneeded political comment.
Coldplay 4: I just tured off the TV as soon as they brought them out again.
I was fast forwarding and missed the political message… thank god. Did they really come out for a fourth song? My DVR cut out, but I figured the show was over anyway. I have to believe that they were forced to cut a skit or two with Amy being out. I know Coldplay is a big name bad (especially in comparison to some of the acts they’ve been having this year), but four songs!?!
After Jon Hamm did the I’d like to thank Maya and whoever the two Mad Men people were, he then said “and once again Coldplay.” As soon as he said that I turned the TV off.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this episode. I haven’t really watched Mad Men yet, but I think I might’ve been charmed into starting. Hamm really knocked it out of the park.
I giggled like a six-year-old throughout the Jon Hamm’s John Ham skit. I can’t help it, I loves me some bathroom humor.
For a tired premise, the Barack Obama Variety Hour was pretty funny. I’ve had “White Devil’s Crazy” stuck in my head all day today.
Glad to see Hader’s Vincent Price again, I think it makes a good Halloween tradition.
Cold Open: Went on for too long. Was sub-par for this season. Usually the opening is the best part.
Monologue: I had no idea who he was when he came out but he did well making fun of his show’s low ratings.
Trick or Treat: missed so I could finish a movie I had on.
Digital Short: I’m a college student so I see people like that on a daily basis. I think it the captured the idiocy of how they look perfectly.
2 A-holes: I dont watch Mad Men so any jokes directed at the show went over me but the a-holes are still funny.
Don Draper: Once again I dont watch Mad Men so I didnt care about this one.
Obama Show: I loved this one mainly because of Clinton and Pelosi.
WU: I’m not surprised after last week’s rap that Amy went into labor. Myers did fine on his own. Armisan’s political comedian though needs to die. Its not funny anymore.
Vincent Price: Great sketch with the cast doing great impressions. Hamm is doing really good as the host. I like Hader’s impression.
John Ham: Short and sweet. Remember if it looks like ham, dont wipe your ass with it.
Finger in Butts: Yeah Im still immature enough to find this funny.
Coldplay 1: missed thank god. heard that song enough already.
Coldplay 2: song sucked. would of switched if I could find the remote.
Coldplay 3: another song, really Coldplay gets 3 songs. out of all the bands they could of picked to play 3 songs they picked Coldplay?! how much more obnoxious can this get…. oh then the unneeded political comment.
Coldplay 4: I just tured off the TV as soon as they brought them out again.
*POST AUTHOR*
I was fast forwarding and missed the political message… thank god. Did they really come out for a fourth song? My DVR cut out, but I figured the show was over anyway. I have to believe that they were forced to cut a skit or two with Amy being out. I know Coldplay is a big name bad (especially in comparison to some of the acts they’ve been having this year), but four songs!?!
After Jon Hamm did the I’d like to thank Maya and whoever the two Mad Men people were, he then said “and once again Coldplay.” As soon as he said that I turned the TV off.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this episode. I haven’t really watched Mad Men yet, but I think I might’ve been charmed into starting. Hamm really knocked it out of the park.
I giggled like a six-year-old throughout the Jon Hamm’s John Ham skit. I can’t help it, I loves me some bathroom humor.
For a tired premise, the Barack Obama Variety Hour was pretty funny. I’ve had “White Devil’s Crazy” stuck in my head all day today.
Glad to see Hader’s Vincent Price again, I think it makes a good Halloween tradition.
Thanks for the review!
Fred Armisen saying, “Hi, I’m Nathaniel Snerpus” gets me every time.