Review of 1-13-2001 episode (MD-611; some spoilers) This review can also be found at: http://www.nic0lesullivan.org/md611.txt ========================================================================== This Week in Latin History: Nelson Ascencio alleges to describe the origins of the pinata: an out-of-work auto mechanic steals candy from a convenience store, and is chased by cops. He climbs a tree, and the police try to knock him down with their truncheons. This was a fairly simple concept which will probably elicit a laugh or two, which is about all that is needed to justify its inclusion in the show, since this was a very brief segment. It wasn't the most brilliantly-conceived piece but was funny anyway. The Gap Troll - Employment Discrimination: The Gap Troll (Alex Borstein) files an employment discrimination case against The Gap; she claims that trolls are not promoted at this retail chain. The attorney for The Gap (Nelson Ascencio) seems to have the situation under control until the Gap Troll puts a curse on him which causes milk to spew out of his nose. Overall the sketch was relatively funny; the ending, though resorting to a form of physical humor that is pretty much a stock item in sketch comedy is bound to get some laughs from most of the audience. Bunifah and Regis Philbin: Regis Philbin (Alex Borstein) suffers through his latest co-host, Bunifah (Debra Wilson), who per usual, alternates between bouts of rudeness and effusive kindness, as if she's always having her period. Bunifah is mad because she thinks that because Regis is there the show is "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and wants to win a million dollars; the high point here (in my opinion) is when Bunifah disses Regis's rather lame story about how he left his boots in the city (apparently he lives in Greenwich). This was funny mainly because of Alex Borstein's Regis rather than because of the writing - obviously after several sketches she has refined this impression quite a bit, even emulating the little hand gestures. Overall this was OK, but I have a feeling that this segment is not going to hold up particularly well over time (although I could be wrong; Regis Philbin has been a fixture on national television for quite some time, and on New York television, even longer). This segment ran a bit long, but this is probably nitpicking. Gay Mob Boss: A group of capos (Nelson Ascencio, Will Sasso, Michael McDonald) meet their new boss (Andrew Daly), who prone to effeminate outbursts every time he has a temper tantrum (and within the confines of this brief sketch, he has several). When the cops burst in at the end of the sketch, he gets into a hissy fight with them as well. When the sketch started, I had high hopes for it; needless to say, my expectations were not matched. The comedic potentials in this situation were never fully exploited. Seeing Daly go apoplectic might crack a smile or two, but it's not enough to justify the inclusion of this sketch, in my opinion. Lennox Lewis Press Conference: After Lennox Lewis (himself) successfully defends his heavyweight title, his press conference is crashed by Mike Tyson (Aries Spears), who attempts to steal his heavyweight title belt (he is thwarted by a woman who punches him and retrieves the belt). Having Lennox Lewis here doesn't really enhance the quality of the show, and the writing here is just barely adequate, but at least the sketch is brief, so that this obvious ratings ploy didn't diminish the overall quality of the show very much. Lennox Lewis Dinner Date: Lennox Lewis's dinner date with Debra Wilson (himself) is interrupted by Aries Spears as Mike Tyson as a waiter accusing him of avoiding fighting Mike Tyson. Wilson reveals that it is Aries Spears, and Lewis decks Spears and leaves with Wilson. Now I know this is only a sketch comedy show and we're supposed to suspend disbelief, but why does Lewis ask the waiter what is on the menu when obviously he is in the middle of dinner and has already ordered (this becomes painfully obvious when the camera pans out)? This oversight could have been forgiven if the sketch had some comedic value, perhaps, but this sketch wasn't even funny. Dateline NBC: Jane Pauley (Alex Borstein) devotes a segment of "Dateline NBC" to Mr. Graham (Michael McDonald), a high-school guidance counselor who gives advice to students which one wouldn't expect a guidance counselor to give, like telling students to run away from home, to have sex with their significant others, and to abuse drugs. This is the first segment of the show which really made me laugh. For whatever reason, the "Dateline NBC" segments almost never miss: maybe it's just the fact that I'm predisposed to favoring the type of topical humor presented in mockumentary form. Nevertheless, some of the best segments of the past two seasons have been "Dateline" segments, including the George Lucas one. The highlight here (in my opinion) is when the fate of the young man (Nelson Ascencio) whom Mr. Graham told to run away is revealed (he was chained up in someone's basement). This was easily the highlight of the episode. Pay Per View: Two old people (Alex Borstein, Will Sasso) sitting home watching TV on Friday night want to order a Yanni concert on pay per view, but are taken aback by the rather intimidating sounding automated system which processes their call. Then they fall asleep right after the concert starts. It's a sign of the times: once upon a time, computers with voice synthesis capabilities sounded like computers, but now they can sound like virtually anyone. I thought this was quite funny; although it wasn't the best sketch I've seen it was still easily better than any of the other sketches in the show. Blind Date: A rather psychotic man (Michael McDonald) meets a woman (Mo Collins) he made a date with over the Internet at the Olive Garden; when his insane ramblings drive her away, he hits on the waitress. Overall, this was a pretty good sketch; the main joke here is that while the main protagonist seems to think of himself as some sort of New World Man, he's actually a borderline sociopath. His date reacts accordingly - she claims this is the first time she met someone over the Internet, and is probably the last. This is textbook sketch comedy done quite well, which helps compensate somewhat for the poor quality of most of the first half of the show. Mad TV Encore - Rocket Revengers In Color: This is one of the Rocket Revengers parodies from last season, featuring the trailer to their only color movie (in ExcitoColor). Although this was quite good - most of the Rocket Revengers segments were pretty good - I will not include it in my evaluation of this week's episode as it is a rerun. Closing Segment: Debra Wilson closes the show. This was pretty good. Nicole Sullivan is absent. ========================================================================== MD-611 ranks as one of the most inconsistant episodes of the season. Most of the first half of the show consisted of segments that ranked from mediocre to just plain bad, while the second half of the show, especially the "Dateline NBC" segment, was quite good. Christian Duguay was not included in the opening credits; perhaps he is gone for good. Andrew Daly and Stephanie Weir appear in the show; Daly was OK in the mob boss sketch; Weir's roles seemed relatively small (she was in the Gap Troll sketch and may have been in one or two others). Nicole Sullivan did not appear in the show at all and did not appear with the rest of the cast at the end of the show. While the show has been fairly good this year even with her reduced presence (this is the third episode of the season from which she is completely absent), this is one instance at least where the show definitely could have benefitted from her presence. [5/10] ========================================================================== Number Six | http://www.nic0lesullivan.org dzien@nic.com | (The Unofficial Nicole Sullivan Tribute Page) ==========================================================================