Ep 6. January Jones/Black Eyed Peas

Following the massive success of Saturday Night Live's 34th season, the 35th season premiered with a bang. With an exceptional lineup of hosts and musical guests, the show kept the viewers thoroughly entertained. One of the episodes from the season that stands out is episode 6, where January Jones of Mad Men fame hosted while the Black Eyed Peas performed.

The episode opened with a political skit taking a dig at the Obama administration and their media handling skills. Fred Armisen appeared as President Obama, addressing the concerns and criticism about his administration's media tactics. As the skit progressed, it became clear that the satirical portrayal was a commentary on the mainstream media's fixation on the president and their inability to hold his administration accountable.

In the monologue, January Jones brought some much-needed humor while poking fun at herself. She started by noting all of the glamorous awards she was nominated for but failed to win. She then went on to reference her role on Mad Men and talked about how her character spends most of her time drinking, smoking, and having sex. To finish the monologue, Jones sang a song about her mediocre talents as an actress, proving that she had impeccable comedic timing.

The first sketch was a digital short, with Andy Samberg and the cast singing a parody of popular club songs. The sketch was aptly named "Club Song," and it perfectly captured the cringe-worthy lyrics and melodies of most of the recent club bangers. The cast flanked Samberg, singing in auto-tune and recreating a typical club scenario, with scantily dressed performers gyrating in the background.

The cold opening was followed by a sketch called "The Cougar Den," where Jones played a member of a group of middle-aged women who try to capture the attention of younger men. This sketch was a hilarious take on the dating scene for older women, and how they use their age and experience to grab the attentions of the younger men. Jones played the role of a woman who believed that a bottle of wine and a little physical altercation between women would be the secret to getting any guy in the club. The over-the-top performance was both funny and cringe-worthy at the same time.

The Black Eyed Peas, one of the biggest music groups of the time, took to the SNL stage next and brought the house down with their performance. Fergie and Will.i.am command the stage while Taboo and apl.de.ap handled the vocals to perfection. They played several of their biggest hits, including "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow," and got the audience to dance along. Their performance was so enthralling that the cast found it hard to keep their focus during the following skit.

In the next sketch, the cast portrayed a group of modern vampires who find it hard to keep up with the ever-changing vampire rules. They had trouble figuring out things like why they were no longer allowed to bite humans, why they had to make sure their hair was trendy, and why it was now essential to wear fake fangs. Jones played a vampire who was trying to keep up with the changes, but was ridiculously clueless and completely out of touch. The sketch was funny, but it also had an underlying theme about how difficult it can be to keep up with the constantly changing trends.

The show ended with a musical sketch, with the cast singing a parody of the popular Taylor Swift song "You Belong With Me." The sketch was called "You Can Do It" and featured Jones as a backup dancer for the Black Eyed Peas. The cast members played the role of background characters in music videos, urging the main stars to believe in themselves and keep pushing forward. The sketch was a hilarious tribute to Taylor Swift's music video, and the cast did an excellent job of recreating the energy and vibe of "You Belong With Me."

Overall, Saturday Night Live season 35 episode 6 was a solid episode filled with hilarious skits, witty banter, and exceptional performances from the Black Eyed Peas. The cast was at their best, and Jones' infectious energy and comedic timing shone throughout the episode.