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Was it ever in question that a Will Ferrell episode ofSaturday Night Livewas going to be good?
Ferrell was good onSNLfor seven years, then was a good host.
This was good TV done by competent people who are good at their jobs.
Even the animal actor seemed like a pro that was kind of over the whole live TV thing.
I dont know, just off the top of my head, theJames Francoepisode did.
Cold Open
Dubya is back, and hes dumber than ever.
Whos got two thumbs and created ISIS?
But did we really need theAll in the Familyparody at the end?
1)The Simpsonsdid it, and 2) Stop making Leslie Jones read cue cards as a character.
She has so many other strong suits.
Monologue
Ferrell is so excited to be on stage atSaturday Night Livefor the first time!
He hit his head a little while ago, and dont worry about it!
Hey, whats that ringing sound?
Lets do a song!
Obviously this sketch was toilet dookie because it namecheckedVultureas theSNLreviewer of record.
Jkjk this was great.
But can we get an audience Q&A up in this bitch?
Almost every non-standup monologue this season has been a songologue.
Even Will Ferrell in his head-injured state commented on it.
How was this the first sketch of the night?
How was this not the 10-to-1?
It is too silly for before midnight.
Rest assured, if you see a clown peniseither me or an actual clowns penisthis just aint your day.
Everyones even-keeled pilot voices are a great counterpoint to the absurdity of whats actually happening in the sketch.
Even when accidentally flying into where space starts, Clown Penis is unflappable.
Commercial Shoot
As Dave Holmes pointed out onTwitter, its hard to improve on theoriginal viral video.
Ferrell and Kate McKinnons Maine accents are very fun, and its nice to see McKinnonsfake neckpiecemake another appearance.
In the end though, its all about silly nonsense words.
There is no greater pleasure on this earth than people in wigs saying nonsense words and/or butt.
This sketch lambasts both!
You know, comedy!
Its crazy how easily this form of toxic masculinity can slide into the hyper-butch commercial genre, isnt it?
The details of this sketch really make it.
And, no comment.
Weekend Update
Ferrell brought back one of hisrecurringUpdate characters, the guy with a voice immodulation disease.
Heidi Gardner brings us yet another hyper-specific, shaky-voiced character.
Bailey Gismert is a 14-year-old YouTuber who thinks women shouldnt be directors.
The tattoo choker was a great touch.
When asked if she liked Armie Hammers performance inCall Me by Your Name,Gismert says gets way defensive.
Just because Im friends with a lot of guys doesnt mean I like him, she says.
I give a shot to be friends with girls, and I get along with guys better.
Gardner is a full-body performer.
Reality Stars
It wouldnt be a Will Ferrell episode if everyone didnt break at least once.
Ferrell and Cecily Strong play reality TV personalities who come back to Flagstaff to reconnect with old buds.
That dog, you guys.
That dog is a star.
It was so placid and had a great hairdo and I just love this dog so much.
Dinner Conversation
Most middle-class Americans are allergic to two things: gluten and honesty.
This fun dinner is completely ruined when Heidi Gardner brings up Aziz Ansari.
The issue of affirmative consent divides friends, marriages, and makes one woman straight-up vanish into another dimension.
Every person tries to start a sentence, only to be chided with a careful… at every word.
I dont know why everyones accents got 80 percent fancier when they said careful, but I loved it.
Dance for me, puppets!
Chucky Lee Byrd
A 5-disc box set from the Poet of Teen Love, non-teen Chucky Lee Byrd.
As the hits keep coming, the teens Chucky Lee falls for get younger and younger.
Elvis started dating Priscilla when she was 14, and first gave her speed when she was 17.
And dont get me started on Chuck Berrys potty cams.
The present may seem full of monsters, but its got nothing on the past.
Photo by Will Heath/NBC.
