Holly, Happy Holidays, Conehead Nation – that’s it SNL in review: the season’s 50th anniversary recap. And tonight there is – in a season that is already deeply special moments – a very special episode, the Christmas show. The show that will end in 2024. The show that unofficially ends an era in American politics and points to Trump’s next term. Oh, and it’s Martin Short’s official entry into the Five Timers Club.

Short has specialized in December hosting gigs since co-hosting with him Three amigos In 1986 he founded his friends Chevy Chase and Steve Martin. His last appearance as a presenter was with Martin, also in December. We’ve seen him in cameo appearances several times over the years, including last April during the Kristen Wiig episode. My favorite gig: When Justin Timberlake hosted SNL for the fifth time in 2013, Short appeared as a waiter in the “Five-Timers Club” sketch. Now he is a member. Rejoice.

Joining me tonight are the best of the best, former ones SNL Actor Gary Kroeger. He remembers “meeting Marty for the first time.” SNL in 1984. I was continued as more or less a along with Jim Belushi, Mary Gross and Julia Louis-Dreyfus SNL Founded because Dick Ebersol made the rather brilliant decision to include Marty, Chris Guest, Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, Pamela Stevenson and Rich Hall in the show. If you need to replace Eddie Murphy, that’s a pretty good lineup. However, I wasn’t happy about losing my best friend Brad Hall, Tim Kazurinsky or Robin Duke. I wasn’t watching SCTV in recent years and didn’t know Marty’s work very well. I wondered if it would cut into the grass I thought I was finally carving for myself SNL. Well, to make a long story short, I quickly realized that Marty was brilliant and there would be no competition. Ed Grimley paved the way to the realization that Martin Short lives in another dimension. Watching Marty create characters that lived both in reality and in his head was a masterclass in spontaneous creation. I was just happy to have the best seat in the house.

More from Gary: “Marty is one of the kindest, most down-to-earth and generous artists ever. He was a real person, sensitive, who always took the time that was asked of him. Needless to say, I admired him greatly. After that.” I only saw Marty this season SNL Reunion shows and once around 2003. I was in Hollywood a lot warming up audiences for several shows – a great freelance gig between acting jobs – and Marty was there filming the first season of Jiminy Glick. He gave me a big hug and told me about Jiminy. I laughed and told him in all seriousness, “America should just get to the point and make you a national treasure.” He looked at me as if I was being sarcastic, but I wasn’t. I meant it. Still do.”

Hozier is our musical guest tonight – scroll down to read the recap!

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Opened cold

Cameo Overload! As expected, Short is inducted into the Five Timers Club – this time by Tom Hanks and Paul Rudd! Short and Rudd sing the famous “You’re great!” Handshake – Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin follow. Scarlett Johansson asks Hanks if he’ll give another book about World War II this year. He replies meekly, “No, space.”

Drunk Kristen Wiig is next, and Short himself complains that this premise only serves to boost ratings. With that, her Bridesmaids co-star Melissa McCarthy appears, as does Emma Stone. I love McCarthy’s pratfall. John Mulaney, Short’s old FOX sitcom co-star, congratulates and they joke about the show’s failure.

Fancy a self-deprecating cameo from Jimmy Fallon? Please!

monologue

Short jokes about Matt Gaetz and how he has to play an elf ten times tonight. He says he and Lorne are like Trump and Elon Musk, without the sexual tension.

Short’s lucky number is 5. He’s a five-timer and they’re starting the fifth season of Just murders in the building.

Sarah Sherman comes out, full of holiday anxiety. She is joined by other cast members who ask him to cheer her up. This sparks a fun song about fear this time of year. I love this because of how he moves around the studio – it reminds me of the classic monologue songs from back in the day. (We even get a cameo from Lorne! I don’t remember any Fallon kisses back then, though.) “Don’t smoke snow!”

Kroeger notes that shorts “SNL The legacy is not unlike his SCTV Legacy not unlike his subsequent film and television legacy. An actor who surprises us by simultaneously rooting his characters in places we know and at the same time taking them to places we don’t. He’s an inexhaustible source of energy and ideas, ready to take a character to the edge of reality where one more razor-thin step might be overkill. But he always knew when to stop.” (I asked him what his favorite SNL Christmas moment was, and he adds, “No favorite Christmas memory. Except of course for The Gumby Christmas Special, where I was Donny Osmond to Julia’s Marie and we made out. This sketch is still making the rounds.”

“Argument in the parking lot”

The universal language of parking frustration! This is a repeat of the 2023 sketch where Mikey Day and Quinta Brunson had a traffic altercation. Meh.

“An act of kindness”

In this short film, stubborn Heidi Gardner drops a gift on the street and a disheveled homeless man (Kenan Thompson) helps her. She decides to give Ricardo a “new start” – a shave, a gold watch. She invites him to dinner. It’s beautiful.

Here’s the reward: It’s Christmas Eve and she missed her family! Her husband (Day) is upset and Kenan only escalates things. A funny riff on good intentions, with a mean ending line about Fox News.

“Christmas Airport Parade”

Another familiar sketch prompt, this time a live broadcast of leisure travelers trying to leave Newark. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Paul Rudd cameo appearances. This basic template has been seen a few times, so meh.

A reason to watch: Tom Hanks reprises his performance as Captain Sullenberger from Clint Eastwood’s modern classic. Defile. He welcomes a group from Turkey.

Hozier plays “Too Sweet”

Gary Kroeger shares: “I Love me some Hozier! “Take Me To Church” caught my attention years ago. I love Irish tradition because it merges with rock. In this sense, Van Morrison comes to mind. “Too Sweet” is in my personal A rotation!”

“Weekend Update”

Bowen Yang plays a New Jersey drone and delivers a massive showstopper! Jost is at a loss for words. After Che tells a dark joke about suicide, Jost announces that it’s time to swap jokes! He says he will do it in a black voice so that he doesn’t get in trouble like before. Strap in and get ready for a ScarJo cameo!

Meanwhile, Che defends Jay Z and Diddy! Former performer Patrick Weather thinks it’s a bomb and tells me it “sounds like an MJ concert. I feel like I have a bad seat and can’t hear anything from the crowd. Under such circumstances, youthful exhilaration becomes depressing.”

Regarding political humor, Kroeger says, “To be honest, I was never entirely comfortable with the Joe Biden version of the show. Several funny impressions from various actors, Jim Carrey being the most surprising, but I never saw a nuanced take. Not in the way Trump did, or in the past with Dana’s George Bush or even Away back to Joe Piscopo as Reagan and Dan Aykroyd as Carter. SNL does a commendable job of satirizing the right, the left, the blue, the red and the purple. Although we all know that the general climate there is progressive, they also do a good job of drawing attention to our idiosyncrasies.”

“Sábado Gigante Christmas offer”

The Spanish-language game show Sábado Gigante is back with Marcello as host Don Francisco – they did during the Nate Bargatze episode. Similar vibe, with Dana Carvey making an encore appearance.

Rudd comes out of the audience. His character’s motto: “English brings good luck!” – He missed his flight home and when he got there his ticket was up.

Hozier plays “Fairytale of New York”

“Fairytale of New York” is a classic by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, originally a Pogues song with English singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl on vocals. The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a duet. Bill Murray memorably sang it in his 2015 Netflix special A very Murray Christmas.

“Peanut Christmas”

Short and Bowen Yang play the theater directors for the classic pageant of Charlie Brown and his friends. I like Dismukes as Schroeder. Kinda sweet.

Final thoughts

• Thank you, Gary Kroeger! Check out his podcast and blog. Subscribe and like!
• Many thanks also to Patrick Weathers.

“What do YOU ​​think of Martin Short SNL?” See you in 2025!