October 11, 2025 – Amy Poehler / Role Model (S51 E2)

20 Replies to “October 11, 2025 – Amy Poehler / Role Model (S51 E2)”

1. Man, I think I might have hit my head or aged in reverse, because I actually kinda liked the Rudemans sketch. I dunno, something about their deliveries kinda made me laugh.

   Anyways, on the whole, this was a pretty enjoyable episode. I’d say aside from the 10-to-1, there wasn’t really anything awful, and Amy was a pretty fun host. Now for some brief comments on other sketches:

   With the cold open, when they said Pam Bondi, I immediately predicted Amy would play her. What I didn’t predict was seeing Ashley in a role typically played by Rachel Dratch (I mean, you’d think they’d have her here, given the host), nor Tina Fey showing up. In fact, I almost didn’t recognize her.

   One of my favorite things about the episode was that the sketches felt like they didn’t belong in this era of the show. And I mean that in a good way, since a lot of this era’s writing is pretty dull and boring. The psychic sketch and the lawyers sketch are good examples of that.

   In a way, seeing Aubrey Plaza makes sense. Amy cameoed when she hosted, and now the same thing is happening in reverse. Also, I think with that sketch, Chloe is supposed to be Brittany Snow and Amy is Malin Akerman, and I don’t buy either of them.

   Why is everyone so hard on the musical guest? I quite enjoyed his first song, though not so much his second song. I’d also add that it was surprising seeing Charli XCX appear.

   I thought for a moment the lawyer sketch would be like the one with Aziz Ansari, but the actual sketch we got was better than I thought. The only aspect I didn’t care for was Bowen, but maybe I’m just burnt out on him.

   So it was a good show. Yeah.

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2. As always, excellent review from you Blood! Thanks again for all your hard work on these.

   This was definitely a solid step up from last week and, despite some occasional missteps here and there, was a solid overall episode, helped of course by Amy being fantastic and committed as per usual.

   That Experienced Lawyers sketch was incredible and exactly the kind of humor I love from SNL. This is the kind of sketch I want to see more out of from the show: great absurdist premise, good escalation, excellent execution, etc. Also loved how this used virtually the entire cast (though I could have done without Jane).

   On the flip side, that Rudemans sketch felt like someone watched the Simpsons’ “Big Ear Family” parody of SNL and didn’t understand that it was satire. This was an incredibly weak and thin premise and it got old within 30 seconds. I remain baffled at the choices for the leadoff sketches as between this and the Jeopardy sketch from last week, some of the weakest material of the whole episode is being slotted front and center at the beginning. And that kind of placement can throw off the feel of a whole episode.

   Most of the rest of the night (with the exception of the tepid 10-to-1) was fine and solid, even if nothing else really stood out. Update was tepid as per usual (I’m sensing this season is gonna be bad for Update as a whole). Maybe it’s just cause I’m thrilled that she didn’t go for another Jost roast, but I didn’t mind that Sarah piece. She had enough good energy, charm, and commitment that I think it just barely got over the line into okay/decent territory with me. I do not think (nor want) this character to become recurring and I could do without the endless “cawfee Che?!” interjections, but I’ll at least give her props for trying something new, even if it wasn’t anything special.

   That Grant & Alyssa piece on the other hand was just mediocre. I feel as though I’m being gaslit by SNL and portions of its community into thinking that this is some sort of killer Update piece that deserves to be brought back week after week and I just don’t see it at all. It’s just Marcello & Jane doing their usual schtick and the joke is how mismatched they supposedly are. These two eating up so much airtime on the desk week after week while great performers like Ashley are sidelined from the desk actually annoys me. But I digress.

   Thrilled that Ashley had such a huge night. This is the kind of usage she deserves. I sincerely hope this is a trend going forward as she definitely deserves it.

   Amy, as expected, was a truly fantastic host and really helped elevate a lot of the material. Again, while this was by no means a perfect episode, it had a very fun and infectious energy to it. Definitely the polar opposite of last week. A step in the right direction. Let’s hope it continues!

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3. Great review as always, Blood.

   I thought this was our first good episode of the season, and a very consistent one as well. Despite little standing out as strong, there wasn’t a single segment here that was really weak. Most of the issues last week (Quiet audience, lacking energy, wasted potential in sketches) weren’t prevalent here, and this feels like a step in the right direction for this season.

   Amy was a strong host as expected, and it felt really nice to see her on the show for the first time in a while. I also liked how she carried a good majority of the show. Those types of hosts are the ones I enjoy the most, and they typically host the best episodes (Jack Black’s episode from last season, and Jason Sudeikis’ episode from 2021, which is my personal favorite episode of all time).

   One thing I LOVED about this episode was the very solid, wide cast usage. While it felt like the newbies didn’t get much noteworthy last week, every single newbie got thrown a bone this week, despite not carrying anything. It also felt nice to see LOTS of JAJ and Ashley, after last week was lacking them.

   The Attorneys sketch was easily my favorite sketch in this, and my favorite sketch of the season so far. I absolutely LOVED the concept of a bunch of Attorneys competing with each other via commercials, and the Attorneys getting progressively more absurd. It was executed SO well, and I hope more sketches like this appear throughout the season.

   I don’t think there’s much else to say besides that. Good episode. Hoping Sabrina can bring a decent one, but my expectations aren’t too high. Especially considering the last female pop star to host (Charli XCX) got a rough show.

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4. JAJ, Andrew, and Ashley being well utilized like this is nothing but good for the show. I was also impressed Ben Marshall. We all know he can be funny but I had no idea how he would do as a live performer. He already comes off confident and natural and his role in the pregnancy sketch shows that he can also take on characters too.

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5. I am expecting the worst for next week’s episode. How much you wanna bet that…ugh…Domingo is going to come back?

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6. It was The Hunting Wives sketch that hit me for the first time how un-diverse and still small the cast of women currently are. I really do hope that eventually the women of color writers on the show are able to get sketches on

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7. Thank you as always.

   I had very low expectations, as you just have to with this show, especially these days, but, as you mentioned, there were some building blocks if SNL will take advantage of them – trusting the new hires, using Ashley in a central role, giving Andrew and JAJ more to do together, and just having simple sketch concepts helped by energy and cohesion. Such a contrast between how well most of the psychic sketch and the lawyer sketch came together with how labored, in that painfully specific SNL way, the theme song sketch. I was disappointed at some of the writers involved in that sketch but it’s one of those pieces that really is an example of the show’s struggles from the top down. Here’s where we act wacky, here’s where our ‘normal’ characters remind us of the premise again and again. Even the dancing part at the end, which I actually liked, was so overused.

   I have to give Amy Poehler a lot of credit, as her grit and vitality lifted everything, but I do think this episode used her better than her previous two stints, especially the first. The main difference may be that when she hosted before she was still closer into a “star”. She’s certainly still doing well but she’s far enough in her life and career to where she can just throw herself in the way she couldn’t then and often couldn’t when she was in the cast.

   The lawyer sketch was definitely my highlight, even if I would have ended with the turtles. The escalation, the mostly sharp performances, the little turns. I loved the bit of a pop the audience had during the “clones, activate!” moment. It’s the type of life the show doesn’t enough of now. (made even better by some of the extras being off time and saying some of the lines before they were meant to) And Ashley was great when given the central role of the elderly lady lawyer trio – she just had such authority. I’m glad she is getting pieces like this without the show caring if she has “earned” it or not by being there for 6 years.

   The Sylvia Brown takedown was nearly as good – crisp movement through a wide variety of cast members, several moments that made me genuinely laugh out loud, and a tough performance from Amy. JAJ made the “what is going on?” role feel natural, which is not easy. And the end was perfect, with the rare strong use of Marcello.

   Like you, I really enjoyed that moment of Jeremy briefly reacting to the crowd clapping for Epstein – he acknowledged it but didn’t let it throw him off even though that kind of tanked the joke. He’s such a pro. He’s not giving any desperate vibes, which goes a long way. I hope this is just the start of a strong run.

   I didn’t even recognize Tina Fey at first – I thought it was Nasim Pedrad (sorry, Nasim) before realizing she had no reason to pop up on SNL. Been there done that for Tina, complete with Palin voice, but at least this was short and sweet.

   I was very glad Amy’s monologue was not filled with cameos and was mostly about her gratitude and life, even if the delivery was a little clumsy. I was annoyed when we got our annual humiliation of the new hires, although this was balanced by most of them actually having substantive roles in the night.

   Tommy is about the least similar cast member to Punkie that I can think of but seeing him grinding through various sketch parts rather than appearing on Update reminded me of her early days. I still think he may be one-and-done, but I appreciated him trying tonight, especially the brutal dialogue he had to get through in that work birth sketch. That sketch probably would have bothered me on paper but the performances from Amy, Ben, and even Bowen helped, along with a brisk pace.

   The same goes for the mom sketch, where Jeremy, JAJ and Amy breathed a lot of life into the material – an easy concept well executed. Chloe was OK too. JAJ, like Ashley, has a way of making everything seem very smooth. You don’t need to let them see you sweat.

   I do wish Veronika had had more of a role (she did have a fun bit in the psychic sketch, looking so Wiig-like), but at least she had a good backstage piece with Ben that was put on Instagram. The best part of the whole Role Model experience.

   Role Model may be a sweetheart, but his performances were among the worst I can remember on SNL – such a nonexistent voice. I appreciate avoiding autotune but…maybe there are exceptions. I guess the show will be thrilled with the excess publicity and stan investment over Charli XCX’s cameo (seemingly the best publicity she had all week). I’ve seen some people hoping Taylor will appear with Sabrina Carpenter…maybe she can crash the goodnights like her fellow comedic legends Carol Burnett, Steve Martin, and Norm Macdonald.

   I was happy Andrew got one of his first pre-tapes in several years (and on his 100th episode no less). Not the most original idea, but his delivery was first-rate, I enjoyed his rapport with Ashley, and as you mentioned, the length was just right. They really should learn from this type of segment to remember not everything has to be 3+ minutes.

   I wasn’t surprised to see Alison Gates was involved in the Hunting Season pre-tape, as it has the same cut-and-paste, done-better-by-other-writers feel most of her work has. This wasn’t bad but suffered from one my pet peeves – way too much narration, repeating the same beats, and those fake reviews. At least there were a few surprises I enjoyed like the debut of an AI reviewer (I’m pretty sure 50% or more of these ‘reviews’ now are by AI). It was nice to see Aubrey, and her cameo was not only short but led to an actual good conclusion.

   Your remarks about Jane are on point (do people still say that?). I will say that if they’re going to use Jane, this may be the best path for her – after disliking the first of these couple desk pieces due to Marcello’s shouting, he’s more low-key, and they are allowing Jane to have more personality. I’m not sure why she is more comfortable here than in the sketches, where she still seems very leaden. Luckily it didn’t really hurt any of the sketches she popped up in.

   I thought this felt much shorter than Sarah’s appearance. As it turns out it was only about a minute shorter, but a minute can make a difference. I probably should praise Sarah for mostly avoiding Jost Roast, but this just seemed so heavily padded and self-indulgent, one of my least favorite parts of Update desk commentaries. And not very earned. I know Sarah has endorsed Mamdani, and I totally respect that (even if I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the same weirdos who think Bowen is a fed working against China will believe she is secretly working for Cuomo), but I don’t need her 4-minute campaign ad. At least this type of mindset from Cecily was earned by her body of work, even if I had no real use for those pieces.

   There was a real warmth in the joke-off segment that stopped it from annoying me the way some nostalgia-fests on SNL can. Seth was practically beaming.

   The AI joke with Che and Jost made me wince with what is to come.

   I was shocked and deeply saddened over Diane Keaton’s death, but whenever I see these in memoriam cards for people who had no ties to SNL I’m reminded of the cast, host and writers who never get them. I guess at least in this case Diane did have close ties with poor Ashley (Ashley being her former assistant and co-writing a book with her).

   Now onto next week, where I am hoping for a few decent pieces amidst camp-n-vamp Fowlie/Bowen/Marcello-palooza.

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8. Good to see your review. I thought this was a definite step up from the season premiere, even if there were a few duds.

   I loved seeing so many newer cast members getting their chance to shine, while the overused Kenan, Chloe, and Marcello took a back seat, especially after those three dominated in the Bad Bunny episode. I especially loved seeing Ashley Padilla used so much. I’m also starting to see what they’re going for with the newbies. I wasn’t really sure how some of them would fare in the cast, but now I can see where their skills lie. Great review as always.

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9. I find Jane honestly kind of fascinating, she brings a different kind of energy to the show. I’d be interested in seeing a Jane centered character sketch just to see what that would be like, her non-commital style of acting almost reminds me of Norm’s approach to doing sketches, only Norm would do it in a more sarcastic smart-ass kind of way. With I can’t tell if Jane really has no other speaking mode other than monotone and lifeless, or it’s deliberate. Either way I always get real life Daria vibes from her xD

   With Heidi and Ego leaving, it seemed obvious Ahsley would get a major bump in airtime this year. Honestly it feels like she’ll be the top female player by the end of the season, as Chloe (who was never all that great to begin with) and Sarah (whos shtick is pretty played out at this point, to me she’s making me think back to how most of the Sandler era vets came off in 94-95 where you knew all their tricks by now and its getting old) both are getting outdone by her it feels like this year only 2 episodes in.

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10. I was expecting more of a boring nostalgia-fest (basically like everything in the opening and Update all show) and we instead got a bog-standard episode, which is both good and bad. The bad was that there were still too many thin, lousy premises, and a cast that badly could use some more diverse women. The good was that Poehler meshed very well as a cast member (which is logical but not always the case for ex-cast members) and there were some very strong sketches, such as the lawyers and the psychic. The psychic, to be honest, is one of Poehler’s best performances ever on the show.

    I also felt that the roles were pretty nicely spread out–almost everyone got to be on, some of the more exhausting cast members got less to do, and potential glues like Ashley/JAJ were in the episode a lot.

    I cannot believe that that Rudemans sketch led off the show. It was extremely one-note, not that funny, and pretty self-indulgent in that the humorous parts were played by past-their-expiration-date performers doing their same old stuff. I MIGHT have tolerated that as the stupid 5 to 1 sketch as like over the top silliness from an episode that had already earned my goodwill (I actually liked the theme song sketch more than most for this reason).

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11. As my profile pictures across all social media would suggest, I’m a huge fan of Grant and Alyssa. For me, even though they just represent Marcello and Jane’s default performance styles, I think they make it work in a charming enough way. Enough so I’m deeply enamored with them.

    Honestly, I just think they’d work better in a sketch. Put them in different situations, that’s what creates good comedy with characters like these. Let Alyssa/Jane be a deadpan comedy sniper, that can be an important role in a lot of sketches. I even saw a few people pitch a “meeting the parents” sketch with Grant being a child of the Boston Teenagers and Alyssa being a child of the Needlers, and while that’s way too cameo-heavy and nostalgia bait-y for my tastes, I think that’s the sort of direction these characters could and should go on. For what they are right now, they’re recurring characters with two strong commentaries and one mediocre one. For me, at least.

    I do think Jane worked for me this episode. Again, dead-pan comedy sniper. I think it’s fine if she doesn’t have the largest of ranges, the main problem is she’s just not being utilized correctly 90% of the time. Even though I feel she works much better in pre-recorded sketches and in her TikToks, a see a world where Jane can pull of great one-liners while surrounded by much louder characters. I just like to imagine the best for the SNL cast, they’re sort of like a sports team in that way.

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    1. I definitely could see the characters working better for me if they are paired in a sketch. And, it would make the characters come off refreshing in such a setting. That can be fun and have possibly some solid slice-of-life vibes which have been lacking in SNL of recent decades.

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12. This episode I was honestly lukewarm on but I enjoyed it more as I kept rewatching certain stuff. Let’s get into some of it!

    Amy’s monologue was very charming and I appreciate the nod to the shows anniversary especially since I didn’t think it would happen but like how they did it (as well as the fun bumper at the end).

    The Rudemans sketch I definitely see what you and many others are saying and while I would completely agree with you on many different aspects watching this live, rewatching it now twice I actually was quite tickled by it thanks to Amy, Bowen, and Sarah’s delivery even with the very “meh/one note premise”. Mikey also killing and screaming Andrew was very funny too. But yeah I see what many are saying but something about this just worked for me.

    And I actually enjoyed Role Model’s songs and I am actually quite baffled many HATE it. Plus the Charli XCX appearance was fun.

    Jane will continue being the most hated(?) cast member ever or at least of the current cast (though maybe Chloe takes that lead). It’s kinda hard to defend her when you are certainly giving super fair criticism but idk I don’t hate her at all. Is she awkward and quirky, yes (though in fairness, is that kinda NOT her thing?) but I feel it’s always great to have different styles of comedy from the show and Jane is in fact that imo. She really fascinates me with her stuff even if I’ll admit it’s never the funniest thing ever.

    I’m lower on Emo Mom than many it seems. I felt it was just kinda a “lol it’s the other way around” kind of sketch that rarely ever works for me on the show. I do however agree that Amy way excellent in this (as well as a lot throughout the night) and as was Jeremy, James, and Chloe.

    Speaking of James, great seeing a lot of him and Ashley and Ben (are three redheads lol) throughout this episode. Ben particularly had me cracking up in the Work Birth sketch and Ashley was her usual fantastic self especially with it likely being a hard time with her mentor Diane Keaton passing away.

    But yeah overall very fun episode that for me really helped rewatching pretty much everything. Awesome review as usual and wait to get our Domingo on with Sabrina double duty!!!

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13. I’ll start by saying that it feels all too rare that an alumni host comes on and reminds us why we all loved them in the first place WITHOUT having to resort to cheap nostalgia (tonight’s joke-off was a lark – light and pleasant without eating up too much time). Kristen Wiig is a five-timer (4.5-timer, really), and it was only in her last episode that it felt like she was truly showing her skillset instead of leaning on the past. When SNL announced it’s opening run of hosts for this season, I was unenthused, but held out hope that Amy Poehler’s penchant for weirdness would win out over reheated leftovers like Bronx Beat and that her episode would be the gem of the bunch. What a relief! THIS is the Amy Poehler that earned her stripes on SNL – the one who found the perfect balance of professional and playful. While I was saddened that the SNL version of Poehler had sanded off many of the edges that made her UCB run so much fun, I was always impressed by her ability to do good work for a broader sense. A lot of that has to do with her sense of play. While cohort members like Fallon and Sanz seemed to be enjoying a joke only shared between the two of them, Amy’s looseness seemed to be inclusive to the audience. As a utility player, she sometimes was saddled with material that was beneath her, but she tended to give everything the right voice and energy. We saw that Amy this week.

    No need to go through everything, but I’ll offer up a defense of the Rudemans, which dared to frame itself in a device so old it actually felt new again. Maybe it was the little buzz of nostalgia for a bygone era (Early 00s? Early 90s!). Really, the heart of sketch comedy is taking one simple idea, stretching it out like silly putty and then walking away from it. I thought the cast characterizations were funny and the variations on the theme never really wore out. I don’t need to see it again, but I enjoyed it for all its slight simpleness. It didn’t feel like a Bowen/Sarah vanity piece. Sure it was one-note, but it was a throwaway that pleased me.

    Update had some weird energy issues, like the anchors and the audience were in dispute. Sarah’s piece didn’t upset me the way it did others. It wasn’t a re-hash and it felt like the show was finally wading into the waters of the New York mayoral election in a way that felt reasonable. I didn’t see the soapbox elements that others did. The maltreatment of Mamdani feels evident and calling that out isn’t exactly a partisan stance.

    Now I want to talk about Jane Wickline. Last year I was very “I see what she’s going for there” but after this episode, I’m starting to lean towards the “What exactly is it that you do here?” camp. The Update piece with Marcello feels like a workaround – the show figuring out how to use her energy vacuum in a way that works for the show. But when she pops in sketches like she did the wonderfully wacky lawyers bit, the lack of *anything* becomes more pronounced. Like I rip on Chloe for lacking any kind of X-factor, but at least the girl PERFORMS. With Jane, it’s starting to feel like her non-performance style is an act of obstinance. The show has had deadpan types before, but the likes of Rich Hall, Norm and Michael Longfellow at least had a tone. Jane Wickline is a non-performer without a perspective. She is a blank.

    Some quick hits:
    – The Psychic thing was as delightful as everybody is saying and could stand as one of Poehler’s most stand out moments on the show.
    – The Office baby was a decent premise, with some weird framing (weirdos to the left, normies to the right), but the escalation was well-executed.
    – The last sketch was a standard issue dud and basically everything else just sort of washed over me in a generally agreeable haze.

    So yeah, two great sketches, a couple decent to good sketches (yeah, that includes the Rudemans), amiable filler and only one airball makes for a pretty fun episode overall.

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14. Right now, Jane and Chloe are two very weak cast members, but they are weak in different ways.

    Jane is a one-note, deadpan performer who does have a clear comedic voice of sorts. She can’t really play characters outside of this role, and most of her better performances simply play to her strengths of being deadpan or oddly stilted (there are some sketches from last year where she does get a funny read of a straight line). The solution is probably to just have her be more of a “featured/featured player,” someone who can do a few things here and there.

    Chloe always performs, but there is no clear comedic voice and a kind of soulless core. I can’t say she’s phoning things in, but she has the vibe of someone who has always been told she’s funny and that her impressions are killer, and they’re all just sort of mid. Any sketch requiring her to vamp for laughs is weak. She also has a mechanical sense where you can see her doing some pop culture recreation for no real point (Elmo a couple seasons ago, and while I liked her Save the Last Dance parody more than others, that is obviously in this vein). That said, she is a fine, underrated performer in straight roles and has done good work in playing a “normal” person or a straight woman. She actually kind of reminds me of Abby Elliott in this way. The solution is probably to have her do more of these ensemble roles and not think of her as some sort of comedic force.

    Both of these performers’ flaws are magnified by a cast low on experienced, versatile women (which is one of the reasons why the talented Ashley Padilla is rapidly ascending the ranks). We’ll see what Veronica ends up doing, but right now, too many of the female cast members do not have a lot of range.

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15. Hello! Long time listener, first time caller!
    I just finished watching 993 episodes of SNL. Granted, I watched them on Peacock, so while I watched every episode, I haven’t watched every sketch and musical act—but close enough. It all started during the COVID lockdown, when I decided to start each day by watching a little bit of the first five seasons every morning while eating breakfast. On busy days, I’d maybe watch 10–15 minutes; on lazy days, I’d usually take in at least a whole episode. Most of the time, I’d watch 30–45 minutes. I was surprised at how quickly it went by.
    After finishing the first five seasons, I decided, “What the hell, I’m going for it.” Soon after starting season 6, it occurred to me that I should find some online episode reviews to complement my viewing. A quick Google search took me to Bronwyn Douwsma’s excellent 1980s SNL episode review blog. I immediately started another daily routine: ending each day by reading his reviews of what I watched (along with the write‑ups of sketches missing from the Peacock versions) that night before going to sleep. When I reached the end of the ’80s, I needed a new blog, and that led me to Stooges One SNL A Day. I really need to commend him on such a great job with that project—pumping out a well‑thought‑out review with screen caps every day for several years. Man! That’s dedication. While I wasn’t surprised that he finally gave up due to burnout, I was impressed and thankful at how long he made it. I was happy that several commenters picked up the baton and ran with it for another couple of seasons. I also really enjoyed reading the comments section and loved getting to know all of my fellow SNL fanatics who populate them. After One SNL A Day met its end, I was glad to find Blood’s blog, as I enjoyed his comments on Stooges’ page—and I’m happy that he has kept up the high standards set by Stooge and Bronwyn. Bottom line: I just want to thank everyone for keeping me company and providing me with interesting insight and different points of view throughout my five‑year journey.

    The whole experience was pretty interesting—taking in the bumpy ride in its entirety, non‑stop, seeing legendary cast members and characters come and go; seeing some eras slowly morph together and others just slam into each other (the ’80s were great for those jarring shifts!). And reading along with you guys sometimes drastically changed my long‑settled opinions about different eras, casts, and characters. But the most unexpected result of this was the self‑reflection that resulted. I was born in 1965, so SNL debuted when I was ten, and as a result it has always been in the background of my life. As I worked my way through the years, I couldn’t help but be reminded of where I was in my life when that episode aired—what TV I originally watched it on, where I lived, where I worked, who were my friends, who I was dating; mistakes I made, successes I enjoyed. It brought back memories of watching with friends, family members, girlfriends, my first wife, my kids, and my current wife.

    One of the reasons that I took on this fun project was to refute that one complaint that I’ve been hearing every season for 45 years now… “SNL sucks! It hasn’t been good since ____” (insert year right before that person’s soul was finally crushed by the world at large). Yes, there have been some pretty lousy seasons, but the show always seemed to make the necessary adjustments and bounce back. That was until the last few seasons. Don’t get me wrong—I feel that the show is still worth watching. As bad as things get, there are a few cast members I look forward to seeing, and every season still seems to produce a handful of episodes that are quite solid and make it all worthwhile. But I’ve got to say that this is the longest drought the show has endured since the early ’80s—though at least we had Eddie Murphy to get us through that! The problems, as I see them, have been very well documented by this group: pushing the wrong cast members front and center while marginalizing the true talent in the cast; not hiring the right available talent; not knowing what to do with some of the more off‑center talent that they do hire; cast members hanging on too long; trying too hard to court the wrong audience; mishandling political topics. But the biggest problem that I’ve seen over the last few years is the writing. Way too many sketches are either great concepts that never find the joke or, even worse, bits that are so bad you have to wonder how they even made it to air in the first place. These are all big‑picture problems, and I think that they fall squarely in the lap of a name that doesn’t really get mentioned a lot on these pages: Lorne Michaels. First, let me say that I have nothing but respect and love for the work he has done throughout the years. Producing a show from nothing to airtime in five days, 20 times a year, for 45 years with the level of consistency that he has is mind‑blowing. Overall, I would rate the show somewhere between a six and a seven out of ten for all the years he has been running it—and that is very impressive. But like all forms of pop culture, comedy is a young person’s game, and I think that he has finally hit the wall and lost touch with what is funny today. I really feel like he needs to step down, hand the reins over to someone else, because some drastic changes need to be made. I’m aware that is a HUGE risk and the show could fall on its face in the process (Jean Doumanian, anyone?), but I feel that it’s worth a shot at this point.

    After such a long rant, I will keep my comments on this season so far short. The Bad Bunny episode was very “meh,” and while Amy’s episode was an improvement—I went in with very high hopes and was let down. I thought she did a fine job; there were a few fun moments, and I’m happy that they seem to be using the cast much better. But the writing is still mostly weak tea. Keeping my hopes up for the rest of the season— we’ll see how that goes.

    So, what do I do next? Easy: seeing how it’s been five years since I’ve watched season one, I’ve started over. I’m currently getting ready to rewatch the Lily Tomlin episode (Episode 6), and this time I’m following along with One SNL A Day from the start. Thanks again to Blood and everyone else involved in the blogs I’ve followed for making this such a fun and informative project.

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    1. That’s an amazing first comment, Waka! I thank you for the nice words about me especially; it means a lot.

       And, I agree with all that you said in this comment, in particular both these recent seasons and this episode. I couldn’t have phrased those thoughts any better. Absolutely spot-on commentary.

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16. The November shows have been announced:

    Nov 1 – Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile
    Nov 8 – Nikki Glaser / sombr
    Nov 15 – Glen Powell / Olivia Dean

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    1. Who the FUCK is Sombr? Or Olivia Dean for that matter?

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       1. I know that sombr has that one song that I’ve often skipped on the radio (I think it was “Undressed” or something). But other than that, I don’t know shit about either of them.

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