Tina Fey Hosts, Carrie Underwood Performs

• Feb 24, 2008 06:17 AM ET
• by erinfox

Hello! Are you as stoked as I am to be watching Saturday Night Live again... and with our beloved 30 Rock star Tina Fey rockin' the premiere episode? (Sorry, I could not care less about Carrie Underwood, even though she's talented.) Yes, tonight is the night that SNL can reignite its fans' passion for the show... or it could fail miserably (but we'll still get to have a few episodes of 30 Rock to heal our wounds).

So this recap will be a little different. I'll go skit by skit, and give my opinion of each. Cool? Hope so, because that's what you're gettin'.

Cold Opening
It's a CNN debate with Hillary and Barack, and a panel filled with Obama fans who are so excited to be near him that they are suffering from "Barack Attacks." Ha! Kristen Wiig plays moderator Campbell Brown, who openly shares the fact that CNN is biased for Obama, and introduces Hillary by citing that her husband was president and then cheated on her before her career in the Senate. It's much funnier than I'm writing it, and Amy Poehler plays Hillary with robotic denial-heavy perfection. I'm stoked they've picked Fred Armisen to play Obama, and I love his posture, big ears and forehead crease. Perfectly Obama. However, the writing for his part of the sketch is really boring. Next we get an appearance from "Obama Girl," and when Hillary interrupts, Campbell insists that Hillary issue the entire nation an "Obama-pology" Ha!

Roll opening titles....

Monologue
Tina enters wearing her trademark glasses and an adorable black dress. Lookin' fine, Ms. Fey. You go, girl. Back to the monologue: If those of you out there don't know it, Tina Fey was a big supporter of the writers' strike, and picketed on the lines often. So the fact that she can make fun of herself and address what could have been an awkward situation with angry crew members (who didn't get paid for 12 weeks) is awesome... IMHO. I love that the boom microphone smacks her in the head after she says, "No hard feelings." When you hear the conditions, it does sound ridiculous, right?

OMG... Steve Martin just popped up on stage! Yay, surprises! He's there to make her remember that she's not just a writer but a talented performer as well. He makes her stand up straight and say, "I can do it!" in a million different accents. He keeps slapping her, too, which is fake yet satisfying for some reason.

Fake Commercial No. 1
Tina is in a hilarious wig as a voice-over comes on about having one period a year. Cheesy shots of women shopping and doing yoga follow... uh-oh... something's gonna happen. Wait for it... there it is! The V.O. says, "When it is time for your period, hold on to your f---ing hats!" And we cut to Tina wielding an ax and screaming at her terrified coworkers. Ha! Hormone jokes are funny cuz they're true. (I'm a chick, so no hate mail.) Oh, jeez, I didn't need to see Kristen Wiig frenching a dog because of her wacky hormones. (Shuddering with disgust.)

Rock of Love Sketch
Jason (Floyd from 30 Rock) Sudeikis plays skeevy Bret Micheals. Tina is all tatted up and has huge fake lips as she talks like a doped-out stripper. Awesome. In comes recurring character Amber, the one-legged belligerent chick played by Poehler. This skit is funny for like a minute and then I'm bored. PS. Amy should lay off the Botox.

SNL Digital Short
"A Message for Old People." An old guy talks about getting confused during movies, so his grandkids (Bill Hader and Andy Samberg) pop into all his movies to explain things or warn him of violence. It's kinda dumb. Sorry, you can do better, guys.

"What's That Bitch Talkin' About" Sketch
The title says so much. Keenan Thompson hosts and contestants try to guess... what that bitch is talkin' about. Tina's character can decipher the girl talk. Really, the funniest line is the title.

Carrie Underwood Performs
I've timed my DVR perfectly so I can fast-forward through what I'm sure is a lovely performance.

Weekend Update
Now we're talkin'. This better be good. And why isn't Tina making an appearance? The best joke so far, again aimed at the strike, was about Hollywood losing $2.5 billion during the shut-down - or "10 movies about treasure." Hahaha. So true. Surprise No. 2 tonight: Gov. Mike Huckabee explaining why he won't concede to John McCain for the Republican nomination. He's trying to make fun of himself, and I have to give him some kudos. The whole bit is about why he's still in the race even though it's impossible for him to win. Seth has to explain it to him several times, including that he can't win superdelegates. Huckabee then says he's always been known for being able exit gracefully when it's time... and then promptly sticks around until they have to kick him off stage. Cute. Finally, there's Tina! She's doing "Women's News." She disses Lindsay Lohan for finding "new ways to look old." Ha! Dude, she's on fire, especially when discussing Hillary's popularity issues. She says that we should like Hillary even if we think she's a "bitch" because "bitches get stuff done." Guess we know who she's voting for now.

Fake NBC Promo Sketch
They're spoofing Celebrity Apprentice with crazy Z-list guests including a funny impersonation of Rachael Ray. I give it an A-plus for capturing her obnoxiousness.

Wedding Sketch
Another take on drunken, awful speeches we've all awkwardly sat through at weddings. It's not all that funny, but I think we can all relate.

Fake Commercial No. 2
Hot-air balloon rides. Weird and random.

Food Network Sketch
"You're watching the Food Network - porn for fat people." That's gonna piss some people off. I chuckled, though. The FN show is hosted by the Daniel Day-Lewis character from There Will Be Blood and his son, who are searching for the perfect milkshake. Talk about weird and random. I realize they are trying to get in as much Oscar stuff as possible. But boo. Just boo.

Carrie Underwood Is Back
Nice outfit. Nice song from what I can tell as I fast-forward.

Lady Business Sketch
Making fun of the crappy Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia shows that managed to make it on air due to strike desperation. It's not even as funny as it could be. And that's the last bit of the show for ya.

See ya next week with Ellen Page hosting and Wilco performing.

For another take on SNL's return, read Cheers & Jeers.

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