SNL -- January Jones and Black Eyed Peas -- 11/14/09 -- Sketch by Sketch Review

I find Jason Sudeikis' Joe Biden loud and unfunny. This sketch doesn't change my opinion. The only funny part is when he says that people are asking him "How are you going to pay for a $1.2 trillion dollar plan by cutting taxes?" and goes on without answering the question. Why is it necessary to do political humor (which SNL has not had a good track record with recently) every single opening.

MONOLOGUE -- January Jones -- 1

January Jones from Mad Men introduces some "Mad Menies", which are superfans like Trekkies, except they like Mad Men. More evidence of the need for fresh blood on the show. How many monologues revolve around someone interrupting the host to talk about what fans they are? And how often are they funny.

TODAY SHOW -- 6

Jenny Slate takes over the Hoda Kotb role for Michaela Watkins with Kristen Wiig playing Kathie Lee Gifford. Unfortunately, Slate is no Michaela Watkins and looks lost. Her reactions to Wiig's Gifford are nowhere near as funny as Watkins' were. January Jones rushes through her dialogue in the sketch and her nerves appear to be getting the best of her.

Still, Wiig's Kathie Lee is appropriately obnoxious, the attacks on Hoda Kotb are funny, and Kathie Lee's musical impact on the animals and special guests, The Black Eyed Peas, is funny.

REAR WINDOW -- 6

January Jones plays Grace Kelly, Jason Sudeikis plays Jimmy Stewart, and Bobby Moynihan plays Hitchcock in a sketch about shooting the movie. As they're in the middle of a critical scene, Grace lets one rip. With each attempt at a new take, the sounds get wetter, louder, and longer. Sudeikis is very funny, but January Jones keeps cracking up, which ruins the whole point of the sketch, that the proper Grace Kelly has disgusting flatulence. Fart jokes always make me laugh, even if they are cheap laughs. Funny in spite of the efforts of Moynihan and Jones to kill it.

LESBIAN REPORTER -- 1

Kristen Wiig plays a reporter who is overwhelmed at the beauty of a Dairy Queen employee she is interviewing to the point she can't finish the interview. She makes several comments with double meanings, none of which are funny. You have to wonder who proposed this sketch in the first place, as the premise and execution both are horrible. There isn't a single laugh in the entire thing, only a big handful of awkward.

A LADY'S GUIDE TO THROWING A PARTY -- 8

This retro educational film has January Jones preparing for a party in the 50s. The explanations of how to make the party a success and how to deal with other guests is very funny. Best sketch tonight.

BLACK EYED PEAS -- TONIGHT'S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT -- 5

Another generic but catchy party anthem by the Black Eyed Peas. They're spastic bouncing around makes me want to reach through the screen and smack the crap out of them. My mother always told me Black Eyed Peas were good luck on New Year's Eve. Apparently that's not true on Saturday the 14th.

WEEKEND UPDATE -- 2

Darrell Hammond shows up to do an expert Lou Dobbs, explaining his leaving CNN. Seth Meyers shows up to read a bunch of unfunny jokes and make them even less funny. Nasim Pedrad shows up to play an amusing Kim Kardashian. And Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte return to do their Jon Bovi -- The Bon Jovi Opposite Cover band. Wasn't funny the first time. Still isn't.

DR. JEKYLL COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET -- 5

According to Dr. Jekyll, he has a serum that turns him into Mr. Hyde, a guy who has sex with men. Fred Armisen shows up to play Mr. Hyde's gay lover, doing his best Paul Lynde. An amusing premise that isn't beaten to death. But did we need TWO sketches that are essentially long sophomoric gay jokes? I think not.

DIGITAL SHORT -- TOILET INTERRUPTION -- 4

Fred Armisen plays a guy who keeps accidentally walking in on his roommate, played by Andy Samberg, taking a crap. Not just in the bathroom, but the living room, and more. It's more SNL toilet humor, redeemed only slightly be the ending of the bit.

BLACK EYED PEAS -- MEET ME HALFWAY -- 4

Again, SNL makes us wonder if it is live or Memorex, with a sound mix that is too loud and too.... accurate. No matter, it is another lackluster effort by the Peas. Fergie scares me.

PICNIC -- 3

January Jones and Jason Sudeikis lay on a blanket and watch the clouds go by. As Jason's character points out shapes in the clouds and talks about things they might in common, it's clear she's an idiot. Pointless.

BLACK EYED PEAS -- BOOM BOOM POW -- 6

I've been too beaten up by this awful episode to say anything more about this. Dreadful.

OVERALL -- 2

This episode was the worst of the season. Fart jokes, toilet humor (literally), two juvenile sketches surrounding gay characters, and a pretty but completely out of her depth host make this the worst episode of this season. Just terrible. So bad I'm thinking of not watching next week. Lorne REALLY needs to start trying to bring in guest hosts that can bring the funny, not just the flavors of the moment. The show needs an overhaul in the worst way.