Former cast member Amy Poehler returned to Saturday Night Live to host the 36th season opener, and it finds the show pretty much where it left off last season. It wasn't a disaster of a show, but it never felt very special, either -- despite the show's best efforts, as guest star after guest star was rolled out in the hopes of generating buzz. Poehler was funny as always, but the season premiere had so many different elements it had to service -- the guest stars, four new cast members to introduce, musical guest Katy Perry -- that it didn't seem like she had all that much to do.

More and more these days, the host is relegated to bit parts and walk ons as the regular cast takes the spotlight. Sometimes that works, but I would like to have seen more Poehler.

• "Cold Open: Christine O'Donnell" - It's an election year again, so there's no doubt in my mind that SNL is going to capitalize on political material as much as possible in the hopes of scoring another breakout hit like they did a few years ago with Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin. This week introduced Kristen Wiig as Delaware's Republican nominee for Senate Christine O'Donnell. There's a lot of gold to be mined here, because O'Donnell herself is comically hilarious, but Wiig doesn't bring much to it -- it just felt like another one of her usual characters. I like some of the ideas at work here -- like the fact that O'Donnell used to run a dog fighting ring -- but there wasn't enough of a build and the sketch didn't go far enough. Oh well. I suspect this sketch actually succeeded at establishing expectations for the season ahead. (Watch the "Cold Open: Christine O'Donnell" video)

• "Amy Poehler Monologue" - It was a lot of fun to see former cast member Amy Poehler delivering her first monologue on the show, and I didn't even mind the gimmicky segue into her "dream" -- essentially an excuse to bring out a whole bunch of guest stars (something SNL doesn't usually do until the end of the season). Justin Timberlake made his first of what I'm sure will be several appearances this season, as did former cast members Rachel Dratch and "Update" anchors Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. Like the cold open, there were some good ideas and funny lines here and there, but it still felt like it was a good rewrite for so away from really coming together and working. (Watch the "Amy Poehler Monologue" video)
• "Bronx Beat" - I've never been the biggest fan of "Bronx Beat," but Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph (yet another former cast member returning for a cameo this week) are very funny together. I was worried that this episode was going to be an excuse for Poehler to trot out all of her own characters (and the placement of "Bronx Beat" this early in the show didn't make me think I was wrong), but the show was only about half and half. Musical guest Katy Perry appeared in this sketch, and there is nothing else to say about that. (Watch the "Bronx Beat" video)
• "Maternity Matters" - It's way too early in the season (as early as it can be, really) for SNL to already be trotting out tired, JV recurring sketches like this one. It's one joke over and over again, just as it has always been. At least new cast member Vanessa Bayer has replaced Abby Elliot (who, after two season as a featured performer, has finally been promoted to full cast member) in the opening credits, for a sketch in which she has no lines and does not appear. (Watch the "Maternity Matters" video)
• "Hair Restoration" - Sometimes, SNL's gleeful willingness to go for the basest, most immature joke possible makes me smile. That was the case with this week's fake commercial, a spot for hair transplants using pubic hair. No visual joke was ignored, no matter how silly or gross, and I appreciate that. (Watch the "Hair Restoration" video)
• "Wedding Venue" - Not a great sketch, but this one had a few things going for it: a) it was short; b) Bill Hader is funny and commits to absolutely everything he does and c) it actually had a political point of view. SNL is wary of taking a stand too often, so it was nice to see them taking shots at this issue -- even if the shots were (rightfully) directed at both major political parties. (Watch the "Wedding Venue" video)
• "Update: 'Really?!?' with Seth and Amy" - I always love "Really?!?," so I was happy to see it brought back with Amy Poehler on the show. It's a great joke carrier and this week was infused with actual anger about a real issue, making it one of the better "Really?!?" segments the show has done. Watch the "Really?!?" video)
• "Update: Will Smith" - It was neat to see new cast member Jay Pharoh get a showcase all to himself, and his Will Smith is actually really, really good at times (at other times, it could be almost anyone). I like the way the piece built, too, and there's a good joke at the center. Not a great segment, but one which at least announced the presence of a new talent on the show. I'm ok with that. (Watch the "Will Smith" video)
• "Showtime" - I like this parody of a new Showtime series more than I should have, probably because I've always had a soft spot for Amy Poehler's one-legged trash character. Plus, the interview segments in which she played herself really nailed that self-important actress vibe. Someone needs to talk to Abby Elliot about her Laura Linney, though. Yikes. (Watch the "Showtime" video)
• "Ladies Who Lunch" - On the one hand, we finally got a sketch written for and featuring all of the women in the cast. On the other hand, it was terrible. Terrible punchline, terrible Kristen Wiig mugging. A few decent sight gags, I guess. (Watch the "Ladies Who Lunch" video)
• "Digital Short: Boogerman" - The first Digital Short of the season was a pretty lame one, though Katy Perry was actually kind of funny (this is not a good sign) and the fake movie clips were amusing in their generic accuracy. Unfortunately, SNL once again invoked the "Laser Cats" rule and called attention to the fact that the movie looks terrible. Of course it does. That is the joke. Pointing that fact out doesn't make you funny. It means you have eyes. (Watch the "Digital Short: Boogerman" video)

• Original Air Date: 9/25/10
• Host: Amy Poehler
• Musical Guest: Katy Perry