QPORIT

COLD OPEN: LAWRENCE WELK -- Jon Hamm plays a Lawrence Welk Italian romantic singer. The Manneken Pis & Kristen Wiig scene is sort of amusing, but not much heft in this sketch. Not one of the great giggly skits, or super opens.

MONOLOG – Mick Jagger is terrific in one of the best SNL monologues ever. His favorite band, he says in a FAQ he asks and answers himself, (other than the Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, and the Rolling Stones) is… the FreeCreditReport.com band.

AD (real) -- A clever (real) ad for Google Chrome. There were a lot of good film ads on the show. But added to too many not-so-good (not film) ads, it was another night of commercials interrupted by sketches.

GAME SHOW: THE SECRET WORD – Somehow this tired concept seemed fresh and hilarious tonight. Jagger was a hoot as a flamingly fey action hero movie star.

KILT -- Are you BRAVE enough to wear one? Honestly, I’m not sure if this was a clever real commercial for Disney’s BRAVE, or a fake commercial, or a funny fake commercial that’s actually a real commercial. BRAVE is a real animated film, opening wide in June, set in the mythical, mystical Scottish Highlands.

INSURANCE CONFERENCE AFTERPARTY KARAOKE – Jagger plays Kevin, a sad shy soul who can’t get up and sing. Two guys sing Stones’ songs really badly, and two girls love it, while Kevin complains they’re not doing it right. And the girls leave with the guys, leaving him alone. He sings “Satisfaction” really badly to himself… and even when he sings it really badly, it’s terrific, terribly sad, about someone who really can’t get no satisfaction. A classic sketch. Jagger is very sharp, and might think about trading in his day job (or night job, more accurately) for a gig as a comedian and actor. I think he’s been seriously under-used as an actor in films.

LAZY SUNDAY – I never figured out what was going on here. I’ll have to see it again on a clip. Is this a real fake ad for SISTER ACT and Broadway? Or the opposite?

AL SHARPTON & POLITICS NATION – Not a very well constructed sketch, but it had its funny moments. Sharpton calls J P Morgan “gyp Morgan.” Jagger as a financial spokesman talks doubletalk. And Sharpton mispronounces and misunderstands everything. Remember Fractured French? Call this Fractured English.

JAGGER AND ANGEL FIRE – Sounds great. Jagger’s energy is contagious. I heard the words “the last time” many times, but I never quite understood what happened for the last time. Ah lyrics!

WEEKEND UPDATE – Not an especially funny episode. (FYI – Carlton Banks was a character played by Alfonso Ribeiro on Will Smith’s The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.) Stefan has never been funny and gets less funny each time. (But, to be fair, there was one good line – a “roaming dragger” is “a dog with short legs and a long penis”). Not a good choice for the last Update of the year.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AT AN OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL – This would have been a terrible sketch, but it was saved, first by the impression of Santana, and then by the role-reversal we’ve been waiting for: Mick Jagger impersonating Steve Tyler (instead of the other way around).

MICK JAGGER WITH FOO FIGHTERS – An even better sound than the first musical set, but the lyrics were repetitive, repetitive, repetitive, re…etc. Ah lyrics!

THE CALIFORNIANS – I like this sketch. It has no big point, but so many little digs at soaps & Californians that it’s still fun.

MICK JAGGER, JEFF BECK AND BLUES. – Sounds fantastic! Jeff Beck is amazing! The lyrics not so much. With the right words this could have been a world class event. I’ve got doubts about the wisdom of the words. Ah lyrics!

GRADUATING CLASS – The last show of the year; some cast members will not be returning. Kristen Wiig has been, for many years and many, many sketches, one of the biggest breakout, most versatile, funniest female (or other) cast members on SNL ever. She was saying goodbye to everyone. (Hopefully, she’ll be reincarnated as a host.)