You know I kinda half-watched it last night distractedly and just thought it was ok, thinking "Funny or Die" got there first. But then I rewatched it today, and HOLY SHIT THAT WAS BRILLIANT. A million times better than the "Funny or Die" parody (which was quite good!) and just such a smart take-down of the This…

Because Lorne Michaels is crotchety old man who, once he believes he has found a formula or established a tradition, insists it must be forever obeyed, regardless of whether it makes any sense.

I agree with your comment up to Scott Aukerman. Am I alone in thinking he is basically a black hole of comedy who consumes any and all funny that passes by his event horizon? And I don't buy that it's anti-humor. He just has no actual sense of humor—his repertoire is basically puns and bad creepy innuendos. Or else…

BTW: things that do work on the Update desk: smarmy supercilious assholes (Canadian origin optional) and/or super-smart women who are unafraid of being bitchy.

By all rights Colin Quinn should never have been a Weekend Update host. The man is just a quintessential NYC club comic, and in that exact niche he is the exemplar of his species. But bumbling outer borough peevishness just never really worked on the Update desk.

I'm pretty sure it was Colin Jost who delivered the Kathy Lee/Cosby joke, which really stood out because it was mean, edgy, and ACTUALLY FUNNY.

Funny, I was living in NYC 2012-2013 and the only celebrity I saw more than once was Bobby Moynihan walking through Hell's Kitchen.

I wasn't quibbling with the grade, I was more suggesting that people in the comments were letting all their good will towards the strong first half and a fine host sprinkle some magic pixie dust on some real turdburger scenes and claim they were good. The ketchup, mattress, and saxophone sketches were so boring and…

And he cites KENAN as the shining star of the current cast.

I would set her up with a good speech therapist to fix her awful croaky vocal fry. The appeal of this woman eludes me.

Is it bad that I have considered getting a sex change and moving to New York to meet her anyway?

The first solid 30 minutes made this obviously the best episode of the season, but let's not go nuts praising it. This was a pretty standard for 2000s-2010s era SNL: the digital shorts carried the night, ok update and open. Some of the backhalf sketches were fairly awful though, and only really survived on the general…

Yes, I do think this is the most likely conclusion. BUT, Sarah Koenig is not a dummy, and I am sure she saved at least one thing in her back pocket. I do think it will be a LONG episode (one hour plus) and it will include some sort of major drop of info or a big interview (Jenn? Stephanie?), AND I think Koenig will…

Correct. The lack of love for Unbreakable comforts and satisfies me. Also, train wrecks that kill everyone on board: not a thing. As a matter of screenwriting, that is "The Happening"-level stupidity.

I agree with everything you said. I am a sympathetic watcher of SNL this season because I think they have oodles of performing talent right now, just absolutely no direction in the writing room. I don't think this season has been such a disaster, but rather a sometimes compelling "rebuilding" kind of year. But aside…

I though all TAL/Planet Money reporters were required to have one of the following tics: grating vocal fry, nasal intonation, uptalk, or a mild speech impediment. I love their reporting but my god after a weekend of NPR programing hosted by Gen X and Gen Y, I'm always glad to hear the mature buttery tones of Robert…

^ ZERO LIKES, FOOL.

First Jive Dude: Hey, you know what they say: see a broad to get dat booty yak 'em…
Both Jive Dudes (Together): …leg 'er down a smack 'em yak 'em!
First Jive Dude: Col' got to be! Y'know? Shiiiiit.

STUPID TV! BE MORE FUNNY!

It's singing that inspires the white-hot rage.