Wiiging Out: Anatomy of a Bad Skit

Sue REALLY loves surprise parties. She gets SO FREAKIN' excited by them. In her premiere on Saturday Night Live, Surprise Party Sue was played by everyone's favorite hilarious hottie, Kristen Wiig. And the result was a completely surprising and sticky video that has made the rounds on the Web, and remains on the tongues of television quote-istas. (If anyone ever says "Ooooohhhh my Goooooddd"... that's who they're quoting.

See it (or fondly remember it) here:



So famous was Sue that SNL decided to see if lightning can strike the same place twice. They brought Sue back for another surprise - this time a pop-engagement at a sushi restaurant. Never heard of it? Of course not. Because it's absolutely terrible. See the pain below:



So what gives? Why did the second skit turn out like shit? I have a few ideas:

1. It's not different enough. The script almost sounds completely repeated. This isn't like Mary Catherine Gallagher putting her hands under her pits as a coda, this is almost line-for-line the same as the first.

2. Sue is in profile, and on her knees. She doesn't have much she can do and you only see half of her face. With her already on the floor, there's not much of anywhere else she can go.

3. Kristen clearly realizes Surprise Sue isn't taking with the audience on this second go-around, and she seems to let go and get really bezerk, hoping to drum up some laughs.

4. Christopher Walken has this magical effect on SNL skits. The way he NEVER looks away from the cue cards. His deadpan, doddering delivery. He is the perfect foil to Surprise Sue. In the second skit? No such foil.

That's all I've got. Anyone else have any ideas? Hopefully they'll resurrect Sue in a better way next year.