Review of Saturday Night Live -- Jane Lynch with Musical Guest Bruno Mars -- 10/9/10

Nasim Pedrad plays publicity hound Gloria Allred, answering questions from around the country about why she's such an annoying, pushy person who acts against the best interests of her clients. Gloria answers them all without missing a beat. Not a great sketch, but the questions are awfully funny.

Monologue -- Jane Lynch -- 8

A very funny woman, Jane looks relaxed and confident giving her monologue, which is about writing the theme for Glee, which she says she did drunk. Funny.

"Damn it, my mom is on facebook" filter -- 8

Jane Lynch plays an annoying mom who friends her college age son on facebook. As mom gets more and more annoying, he looks for a way out. The solution? Thedamn it, my mom is on facebook filter, which takes all of your mom offending posts and turns them mom friendly. Funny.

Gilly on Glee -- 7

Jason Sudekis plays Mr. Schuster, most of the rest of the cast, including Keenan Thompson as Mercedes, plays the kids. Jane Lynch shows up as Sue to introduce the new member of the glee club, Gilly (Kristen Wiig), who does her work on the club, busting instruments on their heads, shooting them, and finally blowing up the school. The sketch was working well simply as a parody of Glee, without bringing the Gilly character into it. Instead of doing a parody, they fall back into the stupid recurring sketch mode and what could have been awesome is instead only fitfully funny. But what IS funny is very funny.

The New Boyfriend Talk Show -- 7

Andy Samberg plays a boy who decides to interview his mom's boyfriends before they leave the next morning. Jason Sudeikis plays the boyfriend, who is shocked to find out he's on episode 100, and that Magic Johnson is a special friend of the show. More amusing than it has a right to be.

Christine O'Donnell Commercial -- 9

Kristen Wiig plays O'Donnell, who wants to make it clear she's not a witch, with very amusing results. It's paid for by the Coven to Elect Christine O'Donnell.

Secret Word -- 4

A 70's game show with Jane Lynch and Kristen Wiig playing the celebrities trying to get contestants to say the secret word.. Wiig, as a snooty actress, says the word right off the bat, Lynch, as a Phyllis Diller type comedian, turns the words into a comedy routine, neither one of them helping the contestants at all. Lynch throws herself into it, but it's not that funny.

Digital Short -- Meditation -- 8

Lynch plays a therapist helping her client meditate, who keeps interrupting the relaxing imagery with random images that stress him out more. Strange and funny, with a final shot that will have your jaw dropping.

Denzel Washington Works Retail -- 9

New cast member Jay Pharoah does a SPOT ON impersonation of Denzel Washington as a returns clerk at a department store. (He's there working on a role.) The sketch is merely an excuse to have him go through all phases of Denzel's acting, and Jay hits them all hilariously. Best impersonation of a celebrity on SNL in forever because he doesn't just ride one Denzel tic or phrase into the ground, he hits them all.

Bruno Mars -- Just the Way You Are -- 9

A bit of pseudo 60's pop soul. Good catchy song.

Weekend Update -- 4

Seth Meyers' delivery is once again off, as he seems to be running through them on meth. Andy Samberg steps in to play Mark Zuckerberg, founder of facebook in a mostly unfunny bit. Fred Armisen shows up to do his stock "foreign guy" bit as the head of Mexican Tourism trying to avoid talking about drug problems in Mexico. Another "ho hum" edition of WU.

Funny Line: (Regarding Christine O'Donnell blaming the liberal media for attacks on her) "Yup the liberal used its two favorite tricks on her.... record and play."

Suze Orman -- 6

Kristen Wiig as Suze Orman introduces her former roommate, Roma, played by Jane Lynch, who keeps insisting that she's not gay, but fits all the stereotypes. It's funny, but, like Roma's sexuality, a bit obvious.

Sunday Night Football -- 7

Jane Lynch plays the singer performing the theme song for Sunday Night Football, whose song keeps interrupting coverage of the game, with lyrics that provide recipes, historical facts, and because it's run on so long, the score of the game.

Bruno Mars - Nothin On You -- 8

Another bit of 60's soul by way of the 21st century. Bruno's retro look and retro sound is a pleasing change for SNL.

Tax Masters Twin Brother -- 2

Jason Sudekis plays a spokesman for Tax Masters, who has a smaller head growing out of his own. The sketch is not funny and the makeup is simply disturbing. The way the sketch gets wrapped up makes me think this was filler. Complex filler, but filler nonetheless.

Overall -- 7

While tonight's episode contained many laughs, a standout performance by Jay Pharoah as Denzel Washington, and the best host so far this year in Jane Lynch, it still seems like a letdown. Lynch is a very funny woman and tonight put herself into everything she got, no matter how lame the sketch was. SNL should have stepped up even more to give her funnier stuff to work with. Still, there were a few keepers tonight.