I'll be glad when these posts catch up to my current viewing. I'm late posting this due to computer trouble, but to be honest, I was dreading writing it because I'll be damned if I can remember much about it, even after checking out the SNL Transcripts site. I remember ABBA on a boat. That's it.
THE HOST
I'm just old enough to remember Robert Klein turning up on lots of things, like SNL, late night talk shows... he even used to turn up on a Chicago radio show I listened to. I remember finding him funny back then, but seeing him now... well, he's clearly an important, talented comic, but his baby boomer humor feels pretty tame to me now. His main contributions to the show are two monologues, but unlike George Carlin, he does take part in some skits. He just doesn't do anything memorable. His monologues are fine, but very '70s, and they simply haven't aged that well.
THE GOOD
Honestly? Nothing.
THE BAD
Minute Mystery is tedious, one of those sketches that only makes you aware that you're sitting and not laughing.
We get another Pong skit from Franken and Davis.
And, of course, the Muppets.
THE MEH
Pretty much the entire episode.
The Beauty Pageant opening isn't memorable. The three commercials are retreads, two of which look to have been done before the cast was even hired. There are some inconsequential short bits involving Gregg Allman and Garrett Morris as a bee. Gilda does a short, cute bit about being a firefighter. Even Update is pretty average this week.
Belushi is featured heavily in two skits, one about Sam Peckinpah abusing an actress, and another about an exterminator afraid to kill a cockroach. They're overly long, but harmless. Klein also gets a fair amount of screen time in these.
Emily Litella makes her first non Update appearance. She's a character who wears thin pretty quick, especially when you detach her from Update, but this isn't as bad as later appearances.
THE MUSIC
ABBA lip sync their way through two songs on board a Titanic set, along with some wacky comedy. It's jarringly silly for SNL, and looks like something that would be more at home on a prime time variety show. Loudon Wainwright III actually does sing, and he seems to do a good job here. Your enjoyment will probably depend on how much you like him to begin with, and I've always been ambivalent about him.
GRADE: D
Maybe I'm forgetting something hilarious from when I watched this months ago, but I don't think so. One of the dullest episodes of the season.
RANDOM THOUGHTS:
So was Loudon Wainwright III brought on so they could have at least one truly live music act? Because the whole ABBA thing feels like it was dropped in from another show.
Minute Mystery - Seriously, just one of the most annoying skits of the first season. SNL Transcripts doesn't even have the script online. I think they even brought this back at least once.
With skits revolving around Sam Peckinpah and Gregg Allman breaking up with Cher, this is one of the more dated episodes so far. Sure Weekend Update ages badly, but these are two skits that reference things that grow increasingly less relevant in the public consciousness.
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