A certain playful rivalry has always been at the heart of the collaboration between Steve Martin and Martin Short. So, taken in its logical extension, the two should be at their funniest when they introduce themselves at each other’s funerals.
That was the idea behind their opening monologue on this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live,” which featured the enduringly popular comedians (and stars of the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building”) as hosts on a holiday-themed show that also featured the musical guest Brandi Carlile.
Upon entering, Short and Martin humorously stepped into each other’s dialogue, comparing how many times they’d hosted “SNL” alone (Martin a whopping 16 times, Short just three) and indulged in some nostalgia for the early days of the series. After showing a picture of himself with Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Mick Jagger, Martin joked that after it was taken, “We tested positive for everything.”
Then a few good-natured zingers at each other’s expense. Martin said working with Short “is like World Cup football – somehow I just can’t get into it.”
Short fired back, noting that their Hulu show “is like Steve at the urinal — it streams for 32 minutes.”
Then Martin set up the segment’s central premise, saying he realized Short wouldn’t live forever, “and that’s sad, because you won’t be able to hear the wonderful things I’m about to say at your memorial.” ”
“So I thought why wait?” he continued. “So what I did was write your eulogy down so you can hear it now.”
Martin began his imaginary remarks saying, “Wow, not much turnout. Marty didn’t want to be cremated – too late. But I will always be haunted by Marty’s last words: ‘Tesla autopilot, engage.’”
Short then launched his own tribute, saying, “There are so many great things I could say about Steve Martin. But this hardly seems the time or the place. He added, “I know Steve looks down on us now because he used to look down on everyone.”
Martin said of Short: “Marty was taken from us too soon. But unfortunately not before he played Jack Frost in ‘Santa Clause 3.’”
And Short said of Martin, “Seeing you in your box made me think of that classic ‘SNL’ sketch ‘Dick in a Box’.”
Finally, Martin wondered aloud, “With Marty gone, who will I ever work with?” That prompted a cameo from Selena Gomez, their “Only Murders” co-star, asking, “What about me?”
New holiday standard of the week
In this week’s opening sketch, “SNL” skipped the familiar topical satire in favor of a musical segment in which Bowen Yang, Cecily Strong, and Kenan Thompson stood by a Christmas tree, wondering how to deal with the buildup of anxieties over the past few years. months. (Yang listed the main reasons for concern: “War, climate change, the Prince Harry-Meghan Markle documentary.”)
As they began to sing, they explained that the holidays made it right for them to put aside their personal concerns for a few more weeks. For example, Thompson sang he could give himself permission to overlook his drinking: “It’s getting out of hand / I knew it might / Crossed into a dark place / When Burger King said I was banished.”
In another verse, Yang asked, “Since when did Hitler come back? / Didn’t we all agree, years ago / Hitler should never come back?” (Thompson added: “And why are his new fans black?”)
Old holiday standard of the week
Like the Irving Berlin composition that inspired it, the 1954 movie musical “White Christmas” is arguably a seasonal classic. But at least let’s admit it has some bizarre tracks, like “Snow,” in which Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Danny Kaye ride a train while moaning about frozen precipitation like they’ve never encountered it before.
That scene was parodied with an absurdist affection in this skit, in which Short, Martin, and Strong sing enthusiastically about snow without seeming to understand what it is, and Thompson plays a fellow passenger pleasantly baffled by their antics. (If seeing Short and Martin in Christmas skits is your thing, enjoy these further segments where they play a department store Santa and elf and perform an outrageously violent reimagining of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”)
Weekend Update jokes of the week
At the Weekend Update desk, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che mock the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections and the release of basketball player Brittney Griner as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.
Josh began:
It looked like it was going to be a good week for Joe Biden. He got Brittney Griner back, he kept the marriage gay, and he only has 14 more sleeps until Santa. But then, just when he thought he had everything under control, Kyrsten Sinema said hold my wig. Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, seen here realizing someone is actually waving at the person behind her, announced that she is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent. Sinema explained, “Watch me.”
He continued:
WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from prison in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. It’s actually a great trade, as Bout only scored five points and two rebounds per game.
Che then turned to Georgia’s drain:
Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker in Georgia’s Senate second round. But I don’t think this is the last you’ll hear from Herschel Walker. I mean, unless he’s your biological father. With Raphael Warnock’s victory, Senate Democrats no longer have to rely on Vice President Harris for breaking votes. Harris can now concentrate on her main priority, waiting for a worse bike accident. [A screen behind Che shows President Biden falling off a bike.]
Nineties nostalgia of the week
If you want to bring Martin and Short together in a pop culture comedy sketch series, you better have them pay homage to “Three Amigos” or “Father of the Bride.”
“SNL” opted for the latter in this mock ad for “Father of the Bride Part 8,” which casts Martin as the titular father, Heidi Gardner as his now-menopausal daughter preparing for her eighth wedding, Short as his flamboyant wedding planner character and Kieran Culkin as himself, reminding us that he was indeed really in the previous installments of the franchise, and we’ve all aged a lot since then.
