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AHH! I’m so excited! So, again, unfortunately, I’ll have to “live blog” this post just because I honestly don’t have time to watch the full episode twice in a row. I’m sorry but…that’s the way it is for a college senior taking 18 credits worth of writing and English.

Anyway, before I begin this post, I guess it’s worth pointing out why exactly I’m excited for this particular episode. One…I really do like the band fun. And two, because I really do like the TV show Louie. I’m really not a complete fantard. I don’t like every episode of the show (there were some episodes this last season which were pretty awful…like that episode where that kid poops in Louie’s bathtub). And I’m not one of those people who are like “Louie is the direction in which TV comedy should be going.” False. As much as I love Louie, it would be pretty depressing if every other comedy copied its style. However, despite those reservations, I do believe Louie is a great experience. When it comes to a great episode (like the 3 part Late Night episode), I just feel so refreshed after watching an episode. The show allows me to think.

But, more importantly, Louis CK’s stand up routines are pretty spectacular and I think they’re “milk out of nose” hilarious. If you haven’t done so, watch his “Chewed Up” routine. Funniest hour since Ellen Degeneres’s “Here and Now” in my opinion. He’s just a funny dude. I’m not sure if his style of comedy will mesh well with the SNL sketch kind of comedy but…that uncertainty just makes me even more excited.

So let’s do this!!!

Mayor Bloomberg’s Hurricane Sandy Interpreter: More and more Cecily Strong is impressing me, and this was another home run for her. She played Lynda Callis, the “animated” ASL interpreter that’s already gotten some mentions in the news. I’m not 100% sure how accurate her signing was, but as someone who’s beginning to learn it, I recognized some of what she was doing. Of course, there were some funny signs, like her sign for Barack Obama (pulling out her ears) and the sign for fat people floating down a flood. She does a great job and was definitely the high light of the sketch. I also liked Bobby Moynihan’s Chris Christie and his interpreter Nasim Pedrad, who pretty much made a bunch of overly stereotypical “New York like” hand gestures. We closed this sketch with Mayor Bloomberg (played by Fred Armisen) speaking in Spanish, telling the Latino community to have patience with the white people who are complaining over losing their power and missing “Homeland”. Great great cold opening! And a good way to address the Hurricane.

Monologue: Usually, I’m not too excited when a stand up comedian hosts the show, because I know they’ll turn the monologue time into a mini set (Dane Cook and Russell Brand immediately come to mind). But for Louis CK? Anything! Because…well…his sets are actually consistently hilarious and he’s much funnier than the two comedians I mentioned above. He talks a little bit about Hurricane Sandy, before going on a rant about how he had to help an old lady in an airport. He ends his set by discussing how much he loves old ladies because they are without filters, and wishes he was sexually aroused by them. I laughed my ass off the whole way through. And, as much as I loved this…I’m looking forward to seeing him in some sketches. So let’s do this! (part 2)

Fox and Friends: Overall this was a good installment of a sketch I usually feel pretty ambivalent about. Jason Sudeikis premiered his Donald Trump impression which I admire and I thought it was funny, but certainly not among the best we’ve seen (on a political side note, Donald Trump is stupid.) Louis CK played a a deputy from FEMA who was there to give tips on Hurricane relief. While CK wasn’t particularly hilarious (he wasn’t supposed to be), I thought the entire segment was funny and the back and forth between all the actors involved was great. Let’s end this by listing my three favorite “fact checks.”

Sandy Duncan did not “sponsor” the hurricane.

There are many black people, not just one who is a master of disguise.

Trees do not have bones. 

Lincoln: This was a parody of Louie starring Abraham Lincoln. He was portrayed…pretty much exactly how Louie is betrayed. Everyone hates him. His wife/girlfriend (this time Mary Todd Lincoln played wonderfully by Aidy Bryant) nags him. And, hey, he performs at the Comedy Cellar every night. I absolutely loved this through and through. I particularly liked his comedy routine where he says “You know who I feel bad for? The detective who has to try to solve my murder. Because they’re going to go, ‘let’s see, whom might have done it?’ Oh! I don’t know. Everybody from the middle of the country down. Maybe one of them did it. Maybe they had a motive, like I ruined the whole way they do everything.” Another stellar “post Andy” “digital short.”

Australian Screen Legends: Even though their Australian accents weren’t completely authentic, I still got a good chuckle out of this. Kate McKinnon and Bill Hader played Tess Davies and Graham Dixon respectively, two of the biggest stars in Australian cinema. I guess this sketch showed how unsentimental and unromantic Australians are. It wasn’t the greatest sketch, but after what we’ve been given so far, I’ll accept it. Although, I hope CK is given a starring role in a live sketch later in the episode. Funniest moment: During the death bed scene –  ”Any last words?” “Kangaroo, I guess!” said brilliantly by Kate McKinnon.

Weekend Update: I may be in the minority but Weekend Update has been especially awesome this season, and this was another great installment. Our first guest was Jason Sudeikis’s Mitt Romney, which was mostly time filler if anything. However, Aidy Bryant did a great job as social media expert Kourtney Barnes, a segment that proved that 99% of people who use Facebook to share their “political opinions” are stupid. But the great thing about Bryant’s character was that she was on the poster’s side. She was really enthusiastic about the “role” social media is playing in the election. Last, Cecily Strong did her character “Girl You wish you hadn’t started a conversation with at a party”. She first premiered this character in one of the Thursday specials. While I thought those Thursday specials were pretty mediocre, this character completely stood out, and Cecily Strong killed it once again. Such a funny character. I hope she becomes “a thing” the same way Stefon, Jean K Jean, and Judy Grimes are. “Open your eyes people! Hunger! Racism! Small businesses! It’s like…maybe don’t!”  So hilarious!

Favorite Seth Meyer lines:

“Police in Connecticut say that a tree overturned by Hurricane Sandy has revealed a skeleton buried beneath that may have been there since Colonial times. ‘Yes,’ says the home’s owner ‘Colonial times…’” (Oof. I guess this is mostly funny by the delivery.)

“Scientists in South Korea have confirmed that an elephant at a local zoo has the ability to reproduce five Korean words by tucking his trunk inside his mouth. Though it’s suspicious that the five words he can say are help, this, elephant, swallowed, me.“

Kylarian Mountain Pass: This was pretty humiliating, but any mistake Louis CK made (like not blowing the horn long enough to match with the sound effect) was pretty hilarious. I guess he was playing some mountain person who had to blow a horn to call for ZORG (later confirmed, Zord.) It was just nice that CK was front and center in a live sketch. And while I got a pretty awkward vibe from everyone on that stage, I still enjoyed it.

Hotel Receipt: Louis CK played a hotel concierge who must account for everything while Bobby Moynihan played a disgruntled guest who is trying to leave so he can catch his flight. I thought this was a very nice sketch and…it wasn’t particularly special but it was a simple, funny sketch that hit all the right beats.

Bar Sketch: Like most “last sketches,” this was definitely strange. But the “chemistry” between Louis CK and Kate McKinnon was great. Actually, this might have been the most comfortable CK was in a live sketch so…I’m happy!

I thought fun. was excellent tonight. I really like them. They’re like a young Coldplay. So, really, this was a successful episode in my eyes. Louis CK did as well as I thought he would. I thought his monologue and Lincoln sketches were absolutely perfect. I liked how the Weekend Update gave the ladies a chance to shine. And, I really don’t think there was a single dud tonight. This might be the best episode of the season…or at least as great as Seth MacFarlane’s. How about that?

MVP this week goes to…I’m gonna give it to my girl Cecily Strong! Her first performance as the ASL interpreter was very good, but she absolutely killed it during her Weekend Update bit. It says something when I’m able to notice her despite all the Louis CK. It seems like Tim Robinson (who really didn’t do anything this episode) has kind of fit in with the cast the most smoothly, but Cecily Strong, of the three newbies, has had the most time front and center. So, if she continues performing this strong, she’ll definitely be safe for the next season. While Aidy Bryant also stood out this episode, I’m still worried about her. But, we’ll see.

Very much looking forward to Anne Hathaway and Rihanna. I really like Rihanna as an artist. And the two previous Anne Hathaway episodes have been home runs in my opinion.

Obama 2012! (sorry, had to get that out there)

*PS…I was just on Marlee Matlin’s Twitter because I knew she would have a reaction to the cold opening. She doesn’t necessarily say SNL by name, but it’s clear she’s pretty upset about the parody because she believes the parody insulted the language ASL. I don’t really believe that the SNL writers were making fun of sign language or deaf people, I really think they were just parodying that one specific person and her somewhat over exaggerated signs. Marlee Matlin needs to realize that sign language is still sort of fascinating with hearing people. If anything, sketches like these, make people more interested in the language.

She also says that what SNL did with ASL is the same as people making fun of Spanish or Japanese. The funny thing is though that SNL has made fun both those languages. They actually make fun of languages all the time. So I don’t see why ASL can’t join this party also. I really do like and admire Marlee Matlin (I even have her app because I would like learn sign language)…but I think this time she’s going too far with her complaints. It’s just a little hypocritical that she’s fine with people making fun of how deaf people talk (a la her appearance on Seth MacFarlane’s live Family Guy special), but we can’t make fun of how they sign.