I remember some online SNL fans back at this time saying Darrell’s announcing is too unexciting. I forgot to mention this in my review of the preceding episode when bringing up the fact that Darrell Hammond has taken over as SNL’s new announcer, but Darrell’s announcing sounds very low-key in these early episodes compared to how he would sound in later seasons. I recall hearing that the reason for this change is because of a G.E./Comcast sign changeover at 30 Rock. sign in plain view (first screencap below), which was shown between the musical guest and host portions of this new opening montage in the preceding week’s season premiere, has been replaced tonight with a long shot of New York City (second screencap below).
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The overhead shot of 30 Rockefeller Plaza with the G.E. Overall, this season so far is 0-for-2 in good cold openings. (He was credited as a guest writer in the preceding episode this season, which had a cut-after-dress-rehearsal Obama cold opening that tonight’s different Obama cold opening has repurposed some lines for, but Downey’s not credited as a guest writer in this episode.)
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Feels like the typical tepid, dull, overly-talky political humor that Jim Downey used to regularly write in his past-his-prime later years at SNL, even though he officially left the show over a year before this.
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Some mild laughs here and there, but this cold opening is mostly dragging. Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 starsīarack Obama (JAP) gives examples of the online savvy of ISIS