Scot Bertram

Digital Shorts Dominate, Stefon Takes Off, and Vanessa Bayer Joins the Cast

On a show called Saturday Night Live, one would expect the live sketches to be the most exciting part of each episode. Half the fun is the possibility that something completely unexpected could happen, from an actor flubbing a line to a light falling from the rafters.

But in Season 36, it’s the pre-recorded Digital Shorts that really shine. With Will Forte leaving the cast at the end of Season 35, it’s the Lonely Island-produced pre-recorded bits that season the show with the weirdness Forte once provided. And they do so in probably the most difficult genre to work: musical comedy. Many of them (I Just Had Sex, Captain Jack Sparrow, Three Way) not only provide laughs, but also memorable, singable songs.

Season 36 also saw the addition of Vanessa Bayer to the cast, and she makes an immediate mark with her impression of singer Miley Cyrus.

And while Bill Hader’s legendary character Stefon made his debut late in Season 35, he is everywhere in Season 36, appearing six times (including one in which he sings a Christmas song.) In many ways, with Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis distracted by film projects, Season 36 is Hader’s year – he’s the backbone of the show, dominating the airtime throughout the season.

This season is also big on ringer guest hosts: Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Anne Hathaway, Zach Galifianakis, Tina Fey, and Justin Timberlake all return. Meanwhile, Robert DeNiro also comes back and demonstrates why he might be the worst big-name host in show history.

We discuss all these things, plus a lot more in this 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.