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My Birthday Episode: Year 7

First off, I am a fan of both Beau and Jeff Bridges and totally see why SNL would have either of them host the show whether it be as a pair or two separate appearances. My only concern going into this viewing was that I don't really see either as comedic actors who could come anywhere close to living up to the expectations set by their father when it comes to getting a laugh.

Don't get me wrong, I think either one of the Bridges boys has the potential to out-act their dad. The thing is, specifically when it comes to comedy, neither Beau nor Jeff never stood out as being all that fun. Yes, they both are in funny films and have both played funny characters, but in these cases, most of the laughs seem to come from situations or character while not really feeling like it's something that stems from the within.

They do both seem very fun and pleasant to be around in person which is why I'm not all that surprised that this ended up being such a consistently average episode. It didn't help that this view fell into my major pet peeve where they had fewer sketches that each ran extra-long while two of the long sketches where referencing material that is out of my wheelhouse leading me to not find any humor to about a quarter of the show.

Again, this episode wasn't as bad as I may be making it sound, but I definitely wouldn't recommend that anyone rush out to watch it. So, now that I've shared my views, it's time to move on and share what I viewed as I give you...

The Wicker Breakdown:

This week's show starts with what seems to be the opening monolog as Beau and Jeff let us know that this is the first time that they've worked together unless you count the family plays that they used to put on when they were children. This leads to two to bring up childhood issues from back in those days until Lloyd Bridges calls in and advises them to box it out like they used to do when they were kids.
Beau and Jeff Bridges then officially open the show with the boxing match that was built up in the opening sketch where we see through a thought bubble that Lloyd Bridges is equally encouraging to both boys but also knows both of their weaknesses to the point where they realize that he's actually the one to blame.
We then got a fake ad for Texxon Oil where they first promote all of the positive things that they are doing for the community then use these examples as a threat of what they will take away if you vote for any form of regulation.
Next was a sketch that took place at a family's house on the night of Julia Louis-Dreyfus's prom, and it turns out that she has a pimple and is too embarrassed to leave her room. She finally comes down, and the pimple is huge which causes everyone to openly freak out while not easing any of the embarrassment. Magically, the Bridges brothers show up and leave her feeling more confident until it was revealed that they too were actually freaked out.
We then went to Rick's Cafe which is a parody of Casablanca if it were to take place in an Aspen ski resort with Eddie as the Bogart character. Unfortunately, I'm not up on Casablanca which might be required to find this sketch to be all that funny because it feels a little dry minus enough knowledge of the reference material.
Randy Newman then took to the stage to perform I Love LA.
Once again, Brad Hall gives us the news. This week, Sweetchuck gets another segment where he rips on The New York Post which is one of my favorite recurring news bit. Howard Hesseman also drops in for an update on his call for photos from the home audience who mooned their TVs while he showed a picture of Reagan during his last visit and is a bit amazed that he got a pretty negative response. He also shared how he's disappointed that he doesn't have a picture to share. "Dr. Ruth" drops in to talk about the rise in teenagers having sex, and Piscopo drops in with the sports where he interviews "Herschel Walker."
Cheap Hunt is a parody of Sea Hunt which was a show starring Lloyd Bridges, so the boys get a chance to take a few shots at their dad but once again, I am not familiar enough with the reference content, and it wasn't all that funny on its own
We then went to a suburban household where the husband comes home late and is greeted with a beating from an extremely aggressive Mary Gross. During the aftermath when the cops arrive the battered husband just gets laughed out for taking this abuse from his wife which I'm sure wouldn't go over as comedy today because it felt on the verge of being a genuine PSA.
Next, we went to Sandra's House Of Massage where Beau gets surprised to find that Jeff is a Swedish guy named Sandra, which leads to some homophobic second thoughts while not being anti-gay because this Sandra character also has a bit of an erotic technique which includes both men getting oiled up.
Randy Newman then returned to the stage to perform Real Emotional Girl.
This was followed by a sketch where Jeff Bridges addresses the National Organization of Woman which sends Robin Duke into fantasy mode where she sings a show tune style song called Guy Crazy while ignoring what he actually has to say.
Beau and Jeff then close the show by thanking the audience and saying their goodnights.

This was a weird episode because I felt both entertained by the energy and bored by the content throughout most of the night, but these were the standout moments that I managed to find. First, I "loved" pimple prom sketch because the fact the issue was cosmetic and temporary made it fun to watch the rollercoaster ride of insecurity that the sent Julia Louis-Dreyfus on. Next, I really liked the opening sketch/monolog combo because I liked how the segments played off of each other while also setting up how these siblings liked to have fun. Finally, I was a fan of Sandra's House Of Massage because of how the brother aspect, in reality, made this feel like the ultimate game of gay chicken that was pretty funny to watch.