"George and Lennie" (Grade: D)
Throughout the show's history there have always been those high-concept sketches that probably sounded good in the pitch-session, but then flopped in the final execution. This was one of those. The concept was an "alternate ending" to the Steinback classic "Of Mice and Men." Personally I'm not sure if Of Mice and Men is a universal enough story for a wide audience to even get the joke. Nonetheless, if the concept were better it still could have worked. I have to wonder if they felt obligated to through in something literary because of James Franco's background in literature. In the alternate ending, Lennie's mental disabilities are a result of George's pandering rather than a physical problem. When Lennie discovers this, he turns the tables on George. It was an okay idea, but the end result didn't come across as particularly funny or clever.
"Yankee Stadium Stories: Scorsese and Perez" (Grade: C)
This was a filmed segment in which Fred Armisen did a fairly spot-on Martin Scorcese and Amy Poehler did a passable Rosie Perez. Scorsese remembered playing baseball as a kid using a loaf of french bread and meatballs. Perez remembered coming to the stadium in roller skates. Armisen is a good impressionist and he can almost always make mediocre material a little better when he nails an impression.
Musical Performance: Kings Of Leon - "Use Somebody"
"Dafoe's Revenge" (Grade: B-)
In this "meta" sketch, James Franco was in his dressing room and was visited by Willem Dafoe (Bill Hader), who appears as Franco's "reflection" in the mirror. Dafoe wants Franco to kill cast member Andy Samburg. Apparently Samburg had made fun of Dafoe at some point in the past. While Hader didn't exactly evoke Willem Dafoe, the sketch was well played by everyone and had some funny lines.
Overall this episode could have been a lot funnier. Most of the sketches, particularly in the first half of the show, were below average and even the better one's never rose above a level of mediocrity.
Article comments
1 - Dick Cheney
Oh, come on. The opening McCain commercial bit was hilarious and you know it. Try watching it again without your political agenda blinders on.
It was an excellent satire of the sleazy, dishonest commercials coming from the McCain/Bush team that even Karl Rove has said were lies.
"Barack Obama wants to give tax cuts to pedophiles." "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
2 - Carl Rove
Hey, "Dick Cheney", if that is your real name. How dare you accuse the writer, Sherry Lipp (if that is her real name), of being a biased Republican. Maybe she lives in an area where they aren't showing those offensive, lying McCain campaign commercials. If you haven't seen the commercials, then you wouldn't understand how funny the sketch was.
"Barack Obama has fathered two black children, in wedlock." "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."
3 - John McCane
Hold on, you two. This is John McCain and I've been assured by the Bush team that is writing my commercials attacking Barack Obama that they are all true.
My new commercial is about how Barack Obama wants to enslave the white race & take away our Bibles and guns. I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
4 - Brad Laidman
Don't get me wrong - the show sucks - but why exactly is pot humor too immature to do? Especially, given the fact that Franco is essentially reprising his latest role in Pineapple Express, which was both fairly immature and extremely funny.