Some Random Thoughts About SNL 36x17 Galifianakas/Jessie J

Starting a little late tonight, so we'll get right to it. Zach Galifianakas hosts for the second time tonight, while Jessie J makes her SNL debut.

Sketch 1- March Madness, but not basketball, just madness, with Africa, Washington DC, Hollywood, and Middle East brackets. Quite amusing in many ways, including Sudeikis' Jim Nantz and Samberg's Dickie V. Very funny. A+.

Monologue- Galifianakas starts this much like his first monologue with a random rambling of standup. He then goes into a performance of Tomorrow in full Annie costume, with running jokes on a big pad of paper. A-.

Sketch 2- We get our first look at SNL's interpretation of The Talk. Outside of a strong Lea Remini from Elliott and Pedrad doing a good impression of Amy Poehler's Sharon Osbourne impression, it was basically a run on how The Talk isn't The View. B-.

Sketch 3- A promo for the new Kings of Catchprase Comedy DVD. This was a full cast effort, including Seth Meyers in what may have been his first sketch since replacing Tina Fey as head writer and on the update desk. His Austin Powers impression was the strong point of the sketch. C.

NEXT NEW EPISODE- HOST/MUSICAL GUEST ELTON JOHN!

Sketch 4- Our first Scared Straight of the season features Galifianakas as Kenan's cousin, and rants on Home Alone and The King's Speech, and Galifianakas going off on the film that made him a star, The Hangover. I always find this sketch funny. B+.

Sketch 5- Digital Short- "Zach Looks for a New Assistant." Basically Galifianakas interviewing little kids to be his assistant. Other than him thinking Usher was Bieber's dad, basically a one note joke. C.

Music 1- Jessie J (with B.o.B.) performs "Price Tag"

Weekend Update- Obama bullying, NFL lockout, Pope Benedict v. Watson, Mardi Gras, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and here is Wiig as Julie Taymor, Broadway director of The Lion King and just-fired Spider-Man director. Her excuse- the prop masters were named Mac and Beth. She doesn't know anything about Spider-Man. Ohio's electric chair, deep voices, porn star teacher, wild moose. Liam the teenager who just woke up is here pretty much just talking. Waste of time. Italian man, adult pools, bike cafes. We end on a plea to donate to the Red Cross to help in Japan. B.

Sketch 6- Galifianakas and Wiig are telling their kids, Elliot, Pedrad, and Moynihan about the death of their dog Noodles. They come up with ridiculous lie after ridiculous lie to tell them. But apparently the dog actually died of autoeroticasphyxiation. But Hader comes back with Noodles, who was actually just in a coma, and now the kids won't play with him. The dog also talks and sings. B+.

Sketch 7- Canada's Celebrity Scoop, hosted by Wiig and Armisen. It's nice, Canadian celebrity gossip. Galifianakas is Bernard, the in-house logger. They got some pictures of Ryan Phillipe and Amanda Seyfried canoodling, but they're not going to show it because it's private. Two famous women can wear the same dress, so we look at this in the segment "They Both Look Nice." B+.

Music 2- Jessie J performs "Mamma Knows Best"

Sketch 8- A Message From the Corn Syrup Producers of America. Pedrad and Wiig. This is awesome. Just randomly funny. A.

Sketch 9- Galifianakas plays a man who pretended to be a woman to escape the Titanic on a life boat. Happy National Women's Day! Too short to be awful C.

In the goodbyes, Galifianakas shows off his newly shaven mohawk, a joke on his last time hosting when he shaved his famous beard, and jokes that the Mr. T sketch was cut for time.

Overall- Started strong and never dipped to the low levels of much of this season. Galifianakas is up for anything and that helped create a mostly funny episode. A-.