This SNL was first live show to be aired following the 9/11 tragedy and featured an opening scene with the NYC mayor, members of the NYPD and FDNY, along with Lorne Michaels..the show tried to be funny, but struggled (even more than normal). Funny comment by Lorne Michaels in the opening.. Rudi talks of how things will never be normal anymore, but we have got to try, which prompts Lorne Michaels to ask Rudi "Can we be funny?". Rudy immediately replies "Why start now?". That easily got the biggest laugh of a show that really struggled to maintain a sense of normality. Alicia Keyes was good and saved the show. The whole cast seemed to be trying too hard to act like everything was normal, but the audience was hard to crack.
Review of Reese Witherspoon/Alicia Keys
