While this past weekend's 'SNL' installment with Edward Norton's first-time hosting proved exceptionally uneven, even for the long-running NBC sketch comedy series, this coming Saturday's all-new outing with 'Scandal' star Kerry Washington and Eminem has hopes raised across the board. The network has released the first promos for the weekend with Washington and Taran Killiam, but are there any signs of life for 'SNL' yet?

Given an exceptionally long runtime for our usual 'SNL' promos, the first previews of Kerry Washington's starring hour establish some solid banter and chemistry between she and series star Taran Killiam, though little beyond Washington's ability to play the straight man. The episode will likely be given exceptional scrutiny by the media, as well, given the racially-tinged remarks of 'SNL' cast members Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah toward including women of color on the series.

Following Washington's stint with Eminem as musical guest, subsequent 'SNL' weeks will supposedly see Lady Gaga to the stage in promotion of her new album, 'ArtPop,' though the network has given no confirmation to the rumors, nor firmly established any official guests beyond November 2.

In the meantime, check out Kerry Washington's 'SNL' promos with Taran Killiam above, and tell us in the comments if you'll tune in to see how the 'Scandal' star fares outside of the White House!

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