SNL -- Saturday Night Live -- 2/6/09 -- Ashton Kutcher -- Them Crooked Vultures -- Sketch by Sketch Review

SNL opens with a Fox News sketch with Greta (Kristen Wiig), Karl Rove (Bobby Moynahan), Oliver North (Will Forte), Robert Gibbs (Bill Hader), Fox News Attractive Blonde Lady (Abby Elliot), and Glenn Beck (Jason Sudekis). Unlike many recent opening sketches, this one is actually kind of funny. The impersonations are pretty good, there are some mild but funny digs at Fox News, and the cast seems to be enjoying themselves.

MONOLOGUE -- ASHTON KUTCHER -- 5

This is really Ashton's fourth time hosting the show? Ashton talks about how mature he has become but keeps getting distracted by "awesome" stuff and breaking down into his less mature self. This might be amusing if he was able to play it straight, but he can't. There is a funny bit with Mark Twain, though.

GERTRUDE'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT -- 8

Ashton Kutcher plays a pool boy to a 110 year old woman who recently passed who left her out of his will except for limited pool access. It turns out she died from stage 5 chlamydia. The lawyer is shocked he didn't know but assumed they were using protection. Ashton's response? "No we didn't use protection, she was 110. What was she going to do, give birth to a ghost?" Crude sketch, but funny.

THE VIEW -- DON'T ASK DON'T TELL -- 2

Anyone remember when recurring SNL bits were something to look forward to? Kenan's Whoopi, Fred Armisen's Joy Behar, and Wiig's Haselbeck impersonations are all one note and tired. Ashton Kutcher shows up as Mel Gibson to talk about his work, apparently confusing Mel's voice for Peter Brady's voice during the episode where he goes through puberty. Terrible sketch.

CIALIS FOR THREEWAYS -- 8

Spoofing the bathtub commercial, SNL adds another bathtub to the mix. Funny commercial.

ROMAN EMPEROR -- 3

Will Forte plays an emperor getting fed grapes by his slave boy, Ashton Kutcher. That's pretty much the sketch, and except for Kutcher almost losing it at one of Forte's lines, there isn't much to laugh at here.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES -- MIND ERASER NO CHASER -- 7

I'm not a big fan of songs where the lyrics get buried, but this one rocks.

WEEKEND UPDATE -- 2

Update opens with a funny recap of the accomplishments of the Democratic super majority. A new character from Andy Samberg, Liam - the teenager who just got up, is introduced to talk about the budget and gets no laughs. Bill Hader shows up to play Elliott Spitzer, reading some funny greeting cards for Valentines Day. Hader and Meyers crack up over the cards, which gets the biggest laugh of Weekend Update. The lameness is capped by Kenan's unfunny Jean K Jean and Armisen and Wiig's singers Garth and Kat. After last week's great Update, this one sucks.

WHAT IS BURN NOTICE -- 2

Further evidence this episode is not one for the archives is a game show sketch, this one based on USA Network's Burn Notice not being a household name. Bad.

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD -- OSCAR NOMINATIONS -- 1

A pointless sketch parodying the addition of five new movies to the Oscars.

APOLOGY FROM RAHM EMANUEL -- 10

Andy Samberg as Rahm apologizes for using the term "retard" in a serene and quiet tone, then explodes at Democrats. He finally blasts Sarah Palin saying, "You come after me on Facebook? What are you 14?" Andy is a riot here. Great bit.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES -- NEW FANG -- 9

Can't understand a word, but a great song.

DAD GETS THE OLD BAND TOGETHER -- 5

At his daughter's wedding, Fred Armisen gets his band back together, including Bill Hader, Dave Grohl, and Ashton Kutcher. The band turns out to be an obnoxious punk band, kicking tables, demolishing the wedding cake, and singing protests to 1984 politics. A lot of energy here, but not much funny.

OVERALL -- 5

A couple of enjoyable sketches don't offset a mostly bad episode. I enjoyed the performances of Them Crooked Vultures, but Ashton Kutcher was given little to do and the cast seems to be coasting after the last episode, which was probably the best this season.