Hi all — it’s your good palSNL in Review. Welcome to Saturday night! (Or, perhaps more likely, your Sunday morning recap.)
Colman Domingois this week’s host. I am joined tonight by the always eloquent gentleman and formerSaturday Night Livecast member Gary Kroeger. He reports he first became familiar with Domingo's game during his time on "The Big Gay Sketch Show, but maybeFear the Walking DeadorEuphoria." He adds, "It seems that it's been 15 or more years that I've been watching him and admiring his commanding presence. He's one of those actors who seems like they've been around even before they've been around. There was no learning curve, he was justtherewith gravitas as if he'd been doing Shakespeare since Shakespeare. I love thatSNLis finally getting around to having a host with some years on the planet. He's a grown-up. That will be refreshing."
Well put. Too often, the modern iteration of the show is seemingly chasing the fountain of youth, or the ultra-online cohort. (Rewatching older episodes, you can tell they used to actually cultivate, you know, adults.)
Savvy comedy fans will recall none other than Kate McKinnon cut her teeth onThe Big Gay Sketch Show.Good company. Domingo has two Oscar nominations under his belt, but deep down, he’s just like us, Conehead Nation: another comedy nerd! Here’s anotherSNLbona fide for Domingo: he's stars on Tina Fey's Netflix seriesThe Four Seasons.
Scroll down for more! (I really hope the show resists an Uma-Oprah-style pun with tonight’s host and…Domingo. That’d be super lame!)
Cold Open
James Austin Johnson's President Trump is brainstorming his now-infamous Iran War post, when he breaks the fourth wall to comment on featured player Ashley Padilla's increased role in these political cold opens. Trump decides to focus on more important global affairs: calling Tiger Woods (Kenan Thompson). Melania (Chloe Fineman) calls him next, to discuss her Epstein press conference. So, we are checking off recent events…
Next:Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth. Wow, this impression again. Jost's acting abilities are really being put to the test folks — just in time for a newdrama series! This is pretty bad, I’m sorry. The satire misses, punchlines are bad. What a missed opportunity. Even the joint "live from New York" delivery is sloppy.
FYI: Thompson played Tiger Woodsway back in 2009!
Monologue
Domingo has been an actor since the '90s! He’s also our uncle. The point is, he’s been in everything. Also, when you go to his house, the vibes are spectacular. Just like that, the music at 8H changes, same with the colors and the camerawork. Nice moment for band member Leon Pendarvis! And Jeremy Culhane! "The vibes here are on point!" Domingo notes. Leon Phelps would approve of this, I think.
He doesn’t say so, but Domingo will next be seen in the new Michael Jackson biopicMichaelhitting theaters later this month. It’s tracking to open around $55 million, I think! Kroeger is "looking forward to seeing Colman as Joe Jackson. Complicated story." (For the record, he adds: "For my moneyThrilleris as good an album asAbbey Road, and the world knows I’m a Beatle freak. 'Billie Jean' stands out. Partly because of the Grammy performance. A phenomenon emerged when we heard the song and saw the man perform it. Few moments are as indelibly imprinted into cultural consciousness as that.")
"Fashion District Robbery"
Wesley Welch (Johnson) is anchoring the news and reports on a recent bank robbery nearby. He cuts to a reporter on the scene, played by Padilla. D'Artagnan Meringue (Domingo) is the professor of the fashion school next door. He and the students are interviewed about the suspect and they are full of sass. Some funny one-liners.
"Barbershop"
Black barbershops are a radical new form of therapy for white guys. This is good, watch it! Nicknames for the white patrons include "Dahmer" and "Little Epstein." (They also make a funny reference toMartin!)
Traditional therapy is hundreds of dollars an hour, but the "homies" at Uneek are $50. Good stuff!
"Artemis II"
On Friday, Artemis II’s crew arrived back at home after a historic 10-day voyage. During the trip, they filmed a series of videos. For example on day 9, they shot a thoughtful video about faith… but boredom sets in. Reed (Marcello Hernández) mugs with the Canadian flag and snacks. "No hands hat" interrupts Victor (Domingo) reading a Jim Lovell quote. Folks are going space crazy! I like how they filmed this. Clever. Domingo is definitely delivering good performances so far.
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"The Knowledge Hour With Henry Debris"
We have an old rerun on PBS. Domingo’s scholarly host is dropping fun trivia. Not everything in life is as it seems. Clouds can weigh over one million pounds! Our pupils get smaller as we age. "What if Itoldyou?" He loves old-fashioned surprises. Set objects are people — except when they aren’t. Our host gets despondent when things don’t go well. He blows the entire show budget in the hopes an old flame from college will be watching. Silly.
Is this the biggest role Andrew Dismukes has had on the show in several weeks? I was getting worried.
Anitta performs "Choka Choka"
Good energy! Kroeger shares that "'Envolver' from a few years ago was my introduction to Anitta. I was struck by her Beyoncé-ness. I believe I read that she loves Mariah Carey. Latin pop is huge and she will be around a long time."
Weekend Update
Jost makes up a fake Donald Trump tweet about Iran to applause. (I will be honest: he got me!) He also makes a perfect joke about Iran not having any more cards.
Two kids from the back of the school bus (Marcello, Kam Patterson) come out to discuss inflation and increased prices. Jost just wants them to focus up, they’re too rowdy. They are secretly smart, like when Wayne Campbell would drop knowledge randomly. Then, they quickly revert to "deez nuts" jokes. Jost gets loud.
A new study shows young people are having less sex than ever before. Gen Z sexpert Lindt Greer (Jane Wickline) comes out to discuss. Eh. Not for me.
Reflecting back on his era’s political takes while he was a cast member, Kroeger offers: "I don't believe my era handled national news particularly well. Perhaps, that isn't fair, but it wasn't the template for our comedy. I (and others) would have liked our era to have been more political, but it wasn't what our producers asked for. I've said this before (and I'll say it again),SNLhas an obligation to be one of the satirical leaders to help us see the truth by having a laugh at the ironies and hypocrisies that define world politics. AndSNLdoes a very good job of it."
"Funeral"
A family is mourning their sweet grandfather. His daughter (Padilla) mentions she hopes some of his old friends "from the life" stop by. Sure enough, a few pimps named Delicious and Suede stop by. Veronika Slowikowska and Sarah Sherman are two street girls. (I thought of the ex-porn stars.) Padilla’s sons are aghast, as you might imagine.
Another Colin Jost acting job. Bonkers. I guess his star is so large, the show is letting him shine. I don’t get it.
Anitta performs "Várias Quejas"
Another stellar performance!
"Math Class"
A new teacher is coming to Sherwood Academy. The boys are shocked when he is a free spirit, a laDead Poets Society'sJohn Keating (Robin Williams). In that movie, Keating taught English and poetry, so his open mind and nonconformity worked. But this class? It's math. The problem with this? It isnot "Farewell, Mr. Bunting."
The students freestyle and improvise about numbers, and it is all nonsense.
"Beastomorphs"
Animorphsspoof. The farm animals turn back into humans after kicking alien butt. Great special effects as the cast members morph. But Lizzie (Sherman) does not fully transition. She mid-changes and stays a frog. Farting, she tries to change back. Nice to see a Sarah Squirm showcase included in the actual show and not cut for time.
Final thoughts
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Vote please! Thoughts? Too much Marcello tonight?
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Colman was game! I don't know if the consensus will reflect this, but I'd like to see him back. He had the chops for sure.
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Thank you as always to Gary Kroeger!
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Bad week for Chloe, but she held her own despite the controversy.
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Lots of Jost. Cost of admission for keeping him around, or a sign he’s doing everything he wants to do on the way out the door?
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
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