or...

Bye-Bye Belushi :(

I have this new thing that I do where I prewrite the lineup of sketches by title based on a site that I reference to make sure that I see each and every sketch from the episode. This allows me to just watch the show without being bogged down by how many notes that I used to handwrite before I started this whole list process.

At first, this led to spoilers when I would prewrite said list on the same day as the viewing but now that I'm getting to the point where I prewrite these up to a week in advance, so it's no longer that much of an issue. That is, until this episode when I got to the title John Belushi Tribute. This got me a little bummed out.

For one, I was bummed purely from being a fan who had this brought to the front of my memory. Other than that, I was bummed for the textual reveal because I know it would've been much more moving if it was a surprise that happened naturally as the episode played out that I'm sure would have brought me to tears but instead it turned out to be just another so-so episode from this season.

And with that, it's time to share what I saw on this so-so show as I give you...

The Wicker Breakdown:

This week's show starts in the make-up room where Robert Urich overhears the girls from the cast refer to him as the poor man's Burt Reynolds. This starts to mess with his confidence to the point where he sees an image of a floating Burt Reynold's who advises him to just give in to the comparison and host the show as him.
The opening montage actually treats it like it's a Burt Reynolds episode to the point where even the announcer introduces Robert Urich as Burt. There's no hurdle, but there's also not really a monolog but an introduction for Buhweet and De Dupreems.
Buhweet and De Dupreems then take the stage to perform a medley of Motown songs.
We then get a repeat of the Reach Out And Touch Someone fake ad that reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Visit.
Next was a parody of the Paul Harvey Radio News where Piscopo as Paul gives up a breakdown of the news of the week in that Paul Harvey way.
This was followed by another segment of Focus On Film where Eddie Murphy interviews "Burt Reynolds" about his career and criticizes him for his choices but then eventually finds out that he is actually Robert Urich who then has to explain who he is.
We then get a fake charity ad for Buy A Bullet For A Hungry Kid which is kind of self-explanatory.
Once again we see through Ronald Reagan's point of view as he gets briefed on the latest issue in El Salvador. We then learn that actually acted on his own and fired Dr. Strangelove to his cabinet and we learn his plan of attack, unable to hide his Nazi past as well as his love of the bomb.
Mink De Ville then hits the stage to perform Maybe Tomorrow.
We then meet some city hunters who kill rich people for their fur coats in a short film called, Fur: You Deserve It.
We then get a fake ad Golden Age School Of Obedience a school for teaching old people how to be seen and not heard when the time comes that they have to move in with their children, but mainly it's just a sketch about elderly abuse where they don't really seem against it.
Once again, Brian Doyle-Murray and Mary Gross give us the news, and again they are continuing on with the whole relationship thing that I feel distracts from the actual news. This week Sweetchuck does a science segment on phobias.
We then meet a married couple who are discussing the potential of their unborn child. These are the type that will put a pair of headphones to up to the wife's belly to boost its potential to learn. First, we find out this that the embryo was implanted, then we find out that there was a mix-up at the hospital and that they accidentally implanted a koala embryo which starts the argument as to whether or not to keep it and they decide to give it a shot.
Headline Challenge is a game show where people who were in the headlines the prior week have to guess the identity of the start of the latest scandal, in a To Tell The Truth-like format.
Low-Class Italian Theater is a segment where a group of Jersey Shore Italians put on their version of Hamlet.
Mink De Ville then returns to the stage to perform Love And Emotion.
The Thing That Destroyed Tokyo is a Godzilla-like home movie where a giant hammer is the monster who destroys a train set city.
Brian Doyle-Murray then takes the stage for a tribute John Belushi and shares a touching story about how Belushi saved his life when he first moved to New York when he was out showing him around.
Finally, Robert Urich closed the show by thanking the audience and saying his goodnights.

For a short sketch show with plenty of options to choose from, I'm still struggling to put together my top three list I can share with any enthusiasm but here is the best that I could come up with. First, I loved Brian Doyle-Murray mini-tribute to John Belushi because as a funny fat guy myself, Belushi was a childhood hero. Next, I really liked this week's Focus On Film because I felt Robert Urich did a better job hosting as Burt than he did as himself while also being a better Burt host than Burt was. Finally, I was a fan of Golden Age School Of Obedience because it was another one of those shocking sketches that I could see being funny then but would never see the light of day if they tried to make it now.