SNL Opener: Tina Fey Does Palin

Well! Last night was the 34th season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," and perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated opener in the show's long and storied history. The reason: This wild and wacky election season, and particular the most recent addition to the storyline, Alaska governor Sarah Palin. — well-known first as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, and second as a dead-ringer for Tina Fey. Fey, the "30 Rock" creator and former SNL star, returned triumphantly to the show last night to play Palin in a brilliant impersonation, knocking it out of the park and proving me dead wrong. She joined Amy Poehler who returned with her Hillary Clinton impression, her eight-months-old baby-bump carefully hidden by a podium.

Please note that, though Fey stole the show with her Palin (never mind the look, wow did she ever nail the voice!), the best line of the entire show belonged to Poehler's Hillary: "In conclusion, I invite the media to grow a pair. And if you can't, I will lend you mine." BRAVA!

Before launching into the vids (oh yes! We have vids!), a note on the opener as a whole: Really, really strong, not only in the opening political sketch (which, face it, was what everyone had been waiting for), but also in the supporting evergreen material: Two strong commercial parodies ("Jar-Glove" and a T-Mobile Fave Five spoof) plus a great game show opener that included many in the cast (including facetime for newbies Casey Wilson and Bobby Moynihan), which was obviously inspired by the recent FDLS cult scandal in Texas (without the ick overtones). I wish it was one of the sketches SNL provided the embed codes for, because not only was it tightly written and well-performed, it showcased host Michael Phelps in his best moment in the show (as one of three blandly blonde home-schooled kids, Zebediah, Zebediah and Zachariah).

Speaking of Phelps, he's gotten some criticism for not being as sparkling on screen as he was in the pool, but frankly I think that's overly harsh; apart from some stumbles, he acquitted himself competently and, more importantly, committed to the material. You could tell he was trying, he was into it, and that the cast was into it with him — that's the kind of thing that translates to the screen. Expectations for him may have been too high; the monologue was good, with Amy Poehler as his mother plus a cameo from his mother (awww), and he delivered the key line perfectly: "This is seriously, like, the ninth greatest moment of my life." So go easy on the kid! Look at those abs!

Here are some sketches for those of you who are far too popular to be home on a Saturday night; some choice Twitter commentary below, because you know you want it.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, with Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton

Digital Short: "Space Olympics" (feat. Andy Samberg in a powdered wig)

T-Mobile "Fave Five" Spoof:

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"Jar Glove" (feat. Kristen Wiig at her antic best)

The Michael Phelps Diet

"The Charles Barkley Show" (feat. Kenan Thompson as Barkley, which left no one to play Usain Bolt)

Live Twitter!
(feat. your in-house SNL junkie, me, with a cameo by Jason Linkins. Condensed version; full glorious live-twitter here; and Jason here.)

• Amy: "I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy." Tina: "I can see Russia from my house!"
  
• "Just look at how far we've come! Hillary Clinton, who came so close to the White House, and me, Sarah Palin, who is even closer."
  
• "I scratched and clawed through mud + barbed wire, and you just glided in on a dogsled wearing your pageant sash and your Tina Fey glasses!"
  
• WHOOO! William Shatner cameo! Aaaaaaah Captain Kirk! (And Priceline ad.)
  
• Ooh my, opening photo of Phelps, shirtless, Greek God-ish. Rawr. (NB: The photos were great.)
  <.li>Linkins: "Lil Wayne's first performance may be one of the most perplexing things I've ever witnessed. I think he's just as perplexed, actually."
  
• By the way, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin is actually VERY hot. Mondo cheekbones.

• Weekend Update! "According to the latest poll, John McCain is only six points behind Sarah Palin."
  
• Will Forte as "Alaska Pete" - accusing Amy of being a media elite. "That dog don't hunt."
  
• First Bristol reference! Where is Amy in a wig? (Or Wiig?)
  
• Aaaaah Forte used the "GILF" line. I am claiming a "first" there. (Hat-tip: Joel Stein and my friend Jeff Gans) (can't find the tweet, sorry)
  
• O.J. Simpson trial: "Man, you know you've lived a crazy life when a trial for robbery, imprisonment and assault isn't your biggest trial." (not quite verbatim; forgive me, Seth)
  
• Here's Fred Armisen - as Nicholas Fein, not Obama. Hmmm.
  
• Best Nicholas Fein ever, I think. (Though he was pretty good in the show we did in Denver, cough cough: http://tinyurl.com/6syzeb)
  
• Third meth reference! The new designer drug, clearly.
  
• Samberg as "Cathy" from the comic strip "Cathy." Saying, "Aaack!" Seth: "So good to hear your actual voice, Cathy." (Voice is Palin-esque.)
  
• "Sweatdrops! Sweatdrops! Sweatdrops!" That last one saved the whole thing.
  
• " Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, Morgan Freeman and Barbra Streisand will be recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors this weekend...as the worst version of The Who ever assembled.
  
• Weekend Update, fin. Welcome back, Seth's dimples, we missed you.

• Keenan gets his moment! The Charles Barkley Show! Will they discuss his colonoscopy, I wonder.
  
• Darrell Hammond as Bela Karolyi; somewhere in D.C., @dceiver is weeping with joy.
  
• Michael Phelps as Michael Phelps. Better at swimming than cue-card reading. (But he's doing much better than many I have seen.)
  
• Next guest: Jamacan Sprinter Usain Bolt! They are out of black cast members though! Joke: "Wow he's fast!"
  
• These digital shorts tend toward the operatic. This one reminded me of the one where Samberg is the dark knight fighting crime (NB: Last year's opener was "I Ran So Far" with Armisen as Ahmadinejad - priceless.)
  
• Bobby Moynihan as Mark Payne - one of his famous characters. The UCB kids are going CRAZY right now. See more: http://tinyurl.com/6l9rld
  
• I think Lil' Wayne should have been tapped to play Usain Bolt. A facially-tattooed, green-guitar-playing Usain Bolt.
  
• The Michael Phelps Diet! Joke: He easts a lot. "...and to wash it all down, a pitcher of Hollandaise sauce!"
  
• "You can eat whatever you like, as long as it adds up to 12,000 calories a day." Amy Poehler pregnancy bump put to good use!
  
• Cameo from Jared from Subway! Adorable!
  
• Phelps stumbled a bit here. But those abs let you forgive a lot.
  
• Aaaaaand, scene. Hope you enjoyed your SNL live twitters, peeps. Highlight was unquestionably the cold open, Fey/Poehler.
  

Comments

[janice1227]

The Forte sketch itself stank but the manical dance was truly funny -

[cnobody]

it was the exact same sketch they did with Manning a couple years ago. it's fine to reuse characters, but they have to change it up a little.

However, I think I just realized something, the brilliance of Forte's Alaskan character that he did for Update. He didn't blink the whole time. At first I thought it was just an interesting part of the character, but now I wonder if it was a reference to Palin's "you can't blink" phrase in the Gibson interview.

[ScandalousCandice]

So much for Hillary's pair. She hasn't done jack sh.. with her brass balls. She is doing enough to pretend she is helping and staying away enough to not be tied to Obama if he doesn't win. She won't be blamed for his loss and she won't help out they way she should either. Selfish and typical. What did we really expect from someone who poses as a democrat but uses selfish republican tactics on her own?

[StanleyWit]

Who cares. SNL is just not funny. Phelps can't act to save his life.

[fishsandwichesr2good]

You know, I'm still waiting for some comedy act to glue some big ears on a goat, inject it with amphetamines, and kick it onto the stage. Turn on the spot lights, don't give it a script, and it'll stutter like BO all night long.

[BethStuart]

I second Amy Poehler's challenge to the media to grow a pair. That skit captured the moment and may well define the political debate going forward.

[UC4006]

A fair and balanced pair......­.........

[goplayrabbit]

lackluster.

[Jackson Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Great stuff last night and here in critique.

And how about that Amy Poehler? Eight months along? Pregnant, shmegnant! She was in sketches from start to finish, and taped stuff, too. A trooper.

The new arrival comes into life with DNA that already has a professional résumé.

Thanks for a great run on SNL, Amy.

[imfedup]

How could you forget Will Forte's Fancy Pants dance? I was ROLLING!

[OrionKC]

I think the love affair with Sarah Palin is officially over LOL

[jwatso7]

Only the upcoming poll numbers will tell the tale. I hope you're right, but I fear too many of our fellow citizens have gulped the Kool-aid.

[jesuslovesObama]

I don't trust the numbers this time.

[gascelebrations]

She's more popular than McCain. That's not good.

[UC4006]

If you are a Mother....­.you were not required to have any experience at it before you had your first child and I bet you think you are a good mother.

[ohjoy]

Age and natural born citizenship are the only 2 "requirements" for becoming POTUS. A candidate’s knowledge, experience and principles are the fundamentals on which we base our decision to elect a leader for ALL Americans. All three should be exemplary or our Democracy suffers. History bears out which Presidents have not adequately had all three in impressive and equivalent amounts.

Our country’s existence is at stake in this election. Not just our rights and freedoms but our actual existence. China owns us, extremists’ hate us, Russia is laughing at us, and most of our friends are fair weather at best.

Do you think voting for Ms. Palin, who has the least knowledge, the least experience and is being exposed daily as having NO principles is an intelligent choice?

To answer your question – there is no prerequisite to becoming a biological parent but that criterion is neither a sensible or logical basis to elect a President.

Be careful what you wish for - or perhaps you may face a future where government will determine not only your right to abort a pregnancy but also your right to keep one.

[UC4006]

Good job on SNL.......­.......eve­n Sarah laughed about it, but she will still be in the Whitehouse

[UC4006]

are you a little jealous OnioninKC.­..........­........se­ems that way. Lighten up!!

[GeorgeGlass]

No mention of Forte's crazy (and hilarious) dance as the swim coach? For shame!

[elmundo6]

Hillarious. I love it!

[MadOzbo]

Great summary. It was a great episode, and yeah, Phelps won 8 golds from just THIS Olympics. I think we can easily give the nice young man some slack if he isn't perfectly polished by celebrity standards.­..