Scot Bertram

Will Ferrell Surges, Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon Fade, and the Rise of Dratchmentum

Who we choose as the greatest Saturday Night Live cast member is still up in the air, but as we enter the 25th year of the show, it is clear that no cast member has been as dominant for as long as Will Ferrell. In 1999-2000, Ferrell began his fifth year on the show, rescuing from near-cancelation after Season 20, and he only appears to be getting stronger.

(Some important caveats: Eddie Murphy was as dominant, but was only a real factor on the show for about two and a half seasons. The reason neither Dana Carvey nor Phil Hartman weren’t as “dominant” was because each had the other on the cast, and the greatness of one always matched the other.)

But as Ferrell surged, playing big parts in huge sketches like “More Cowbell,” “Songwriting Satan,” “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and others, his fellow cast members began to recede. Chris Kattan, who joined the cast shortly after Ferrell in Season 21, has been relegated to recurring characters and bit parts. Molly Shannon unveils a new character, 50-year old Sally O’Malley (who likes to kick, stretch, and kick), but is gone for parts of the season while filming movies.

That leaves Cheri Oteri and the new guys (Jimmy Fallon, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz) to pick up the slack. And for the most part, they do just fine. In “Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy,” Fallon has a rare recurring character that retains its charm after multiple appearances. Parnell has a Harry Shearer-like talent for playing newscasters and commercial pitchmen. And Sanz carries a permanent just-happy-to-be-there demeanor which is amusing but at the same time limiting.

And in Episode Three, the show welcomes new cast member Rachel Dratch, who immediately gives the cast a shot of adrenaline. Dratch starts playing weird characters other female cast members wouldn’t go near, and it broadens the show’s possibilities.

While the musical guests this year aren’t very good ( Kid Rock, Britney Spears, Sisquo, N*Sync, DMX, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Gaines, Marc Anthony…oof),the hosts rise above expectations. Sure, some ringers show up (Jerry Seinfeld, John Goodman, Christopher Walken, Norm Macdonald), but it is the female hosts that impress the most. Jennifer Aniston, Julianna Margulies and Christina Ricci all turn in strong performances, even if their episodes might not be the best-written. Even Britney Spears turns in a passable hosting job.

Of course, every season comes with its new recurring characters, and this year saw the introduction of The Boston Teens (Jimmy Fallon, Rachel Dratch, Horatio Sanz), Nadeen (Cheri Oteri), Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy (Fallon), Jacob Silj (Will Ferrell), Sally O’Malley (Molly Shannon), Jasper Hahn (Sanz) , and Joy Lipton (Oteri). But perhaps most fun was the The Bloater Brothers (Chris Parnell, Fallon), the afro-wearing jokesters that manage to annoy their way out of both a speeding ticket and a night with Julianna Margulies.

And, of course, this was the season of “More Cowbell,” one of the most famous SNL sketches of all time.

We discuss all these topics and much more on this week’s episode of Wasn’t That Special. Please subscribe and join us for a trip through every year of SNL. And consider joining at the Executive Producer level, where you get a whole load of extra commentary and clips that will help you become an SNL expert.