SNL Recap: Gaga, Madge & ScarJo (Plus Darrell Hammond, Permalancer)

Did you miss SNL last night? Had a life - and a busted TiVo? Fear not - here are all the clips from last night's Saturday Night Live hosted by Ryan Reynolds (an excellent, team-player of a host), worth noting and then some, musical numbers by quadruple threat Lady Gaga (sing, dance, act-ish, and play piano beringed by a giant metal contraption resembling a solar system), plus cameos by Madonna (more on that here), Reynolds-wife Scarlett Johansson, random face Elijah Wood, and former cast member Darrell Hammond, off the show officially but apparently all set to be a permalancer worthy of Michael Moore. This was a good ep — worth it only if you watch Lady Gaga's final performance, which proves that she's the real deal. But the ep was filled with strong moments — a big improvement over last week's slightly bland effort starring Megan Fox (maybe that's what happens when your sketches aren't all excuses to dress the hot host in sex-kitten outfits). Videos below. Enjoy! Cold Open: Obama on his Track Record Ouch. Scathing sketch on what Obama has/has not accomplished in his 8 months in office (though realizing we're a month shy of the one-year-anniversary of his election is a shock). Armisen's Obama impression, which I've always liked but which others have impugned, is a little lax to start, but since he nails the "Nnno!" and that word gets lots of play during the sketch, it's a win. Also a win for the truth-hurts subject matter. (Though of course, to be fair, re: the Olympics and health care and even Afghanistan, who wants a president who signs on just because it's easy and he's sure he'll win? Come on.) Ryan Reynolds' Monologue Ryan Reynolds was a terrific SNL host. Did he have those break-out YouTube moments? Nope - that's because he was a total team player, through and through. There was no insistence on self-promo, no star-turn diva moments - he was there to partcipate and play parts across types and support the sketch as a whole, not just his screen time. The monologue is decent but I'm going to turn what I just said on its head because it's the one place he deserved that star turn - Reynolds has been effortlessly carrying scenes since Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place (once on the WE network right after Felicity - so yes, I watched it) - he would have been equal to anything they threw at him, and happy to do it. A musical number, a battling-Wolverine bit, or at least using the women in the cast to underscore his romantic lead status (a Definitely, Maybe nod?) - amping up the energy would have made the monologue pop more. Still, perfectly decent. 70's Family Feud with the Osmond and Phillips Families Yes, incest and child abuse is not a joke. Obviously. But how could SNL ingnore the Mackenzie Phillips story — especially when she put it front and center on Oprah and across the rest of the dial? This handling of it was pitch-perfect, placing the joke within a larger context that allowed so much more opportunity for jokes subtle (sets, costumes, Osmonds) and and not so much ("Things You Do With Your Father!"). Hader was at his best creepy weirdo here, too; glad they played Mackenzie down; better to focus on the Osmond-love between Reynolds and Abby Elliott. Loved Sudeikis as Richard Dawson too. Only thing missing was the kissing (for you young 'uns - host Dawson used to kiss all the ladies). Porcelain Fountains! With Scarlett Johanssen Nice - bringing back Scarlett Johansson to reprise a sketch she did when she hosted SNL. Happy marriages are good for SNL ratings. I Threw It On The Ground (Digital Short - Andy Samberg) I am sure people out there got this - I didn't, but I am not the target demo of the patented Lonely Island rap parody. I did double-take at Elijah Wood though. Random DigiShort cameos are always fun. Free Willy! >>>NEXT: Weekend Update, Plus Madonna Taking Down Gaga By The Throat Mostly Garbage Pet Food (Commercial Parody) Eh, didn't love this but always pleased to see Jason Sudeikis. He can sell most things. And doggies are cute. Deep House Dish, feat. Lady Gaga and MADONNA You can see what I thought about this here. But honestly, let me repeat: Madonna taking down Gaga by the THROAT was pretty fierce. Dialogue was pretty weak though. Guessing Madge dropped a few lines. Oh well, she's entitled. Check out that ass. Update: Darrell Hammond as Gov. Arnold Schwarzennegger Live from New York, for the second week in a row, it's Darrell Hammond! Hammond has been one of SNL's most critical players for over a decade - his impressions have been essential to political coverage, particularly during the last election (Bill Clinton, John McCain). It almost makes you forget his Jesse Jackson, his Donald Trump, his Arnold Schwarzenegger (which he does BRILLIANTLY here). Yet he was cut from the cast officially this year (nowhere to be found in the opening credits) — though, of course, has been front and center in both episodes this season. Why? Probably money — after 12 years your quote is significantly higher than a Nasim Pedrad or a Jenny Slate (we're told the departure of Maya Rudolph last year also opened up the budget for new featured players). This is a way for Lorne Michaels to keep Hammond in the SNL family (and useful on screen) while allowing new blood to have a shot (here's what he told me about that in 2004 back when no one knew who Kristen Wiig was: ""I think that the vitality of the show is about turnover, and about discovering new people and seeing new people develop...when you see somebody come into their own and do something remarkable, you realize why you're there." Update: Mr. & Mrs. Ahmadinejad ...like this newbie: Nasim Pedrad as Mrs. Ahmadinejad, making her mark with her own f-word (I can't believe "fart" is so unremarkable on television!). Either way, well done on her part (also - was that her behind last week's Qaddaffi sketch? A friend of a friend noted that the Arabic translation actually made sense in some places. God is in the details). Also nice to see both Nasim and Jenny Slate get featured in other parts of the show too, being integrated into the cast. SNL has gotten much better at that in the past few years. Update: Charles Barkley Kenan Thompson has had a good season so far — lots of facetime and star-turn sketches. He's already pretty senior, come to think of it. And he handled being sandwiched between Lady Gaga and Madonna like a pro. So You Committed A Crime...And Think You Can Dance I flat-out loved this one. Ryan Reynolds as Aussi choreographer was a perfect example of him being very funny in a part that was very much part of an ensemble. Armisen as a Madoff-type trying to escape was great. And Sudeikis! You dog. >>>NEXT: Lady Gaga and Andy Samberg Kiss, Ish (+ Paparazzi, Poker Face & A Disco Stick) Norwegian Actor's Playhouse "I have not made any wrongdoings at all, Copper." Heh. I love loopy stand-alone sketches that make no sense. And Hader can sell most things, too. Lady Gaga and Andy Samberg Wear The Same Outfit Haaaaaa. How much better would it have been if they just kept heightening with more and more people showing up in that costume though? I'm getting a little bored with the Andy-Samberg-Designated-Hot-Girl-Bagger trope. Always fun to see Lorne Michaels; also Wiig, in a reminder that she was a little less crazed and frenetically busy this time around. She is a great support too, like Will Ferrell always was. Lady Gaga: Paparazzi Never got it about Lady Gaga, until I saw this. WOW. Lady Gaga: Bad Romance/Pokerface/Love Game Medley, Plus Weird Planet-Thingie Costume And then I saw this. DOUBLE TRIPLE QUADRUPLE WOW. A genuine, humungous talent. With or without boy parts.

SNL Recap: Gaga, Madge & ScarJo (Plus Darrell Hammond, Permalancer)

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SNL Recap: Gaga, Madge & ScarJo (Plus Darrell Hammond, Permalancer)

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