With a brief nod to Depraved and plenty of singing, Ariana Grande is perfect in an episode as close to the ideal Saturday Night Live as we’re likely to see this season, with nary a bad sketch on the night — but which one tops the record?
We had to wait three episodes, but we got as close as possible Saturday night stay as we are likely to see this season. Ariana Grande returned to host for the first time since 2016, and once again she was impeccable on a night that didn’t have a single bombshell.
We’re not saying that every sketch had us rolling, but every sketch would rate higher than a 5 out of 10. The weakest sketch of the night was still an enjoyable attraction, while the first sketch managed to elevate the political cold open to a distinct level with a Shocking game show twist that worked on every level.
This week we noticed that some of our mid-tier players have actually moved into their own. It looks like season four ends as the main players begin to explore their comedic range and reach their potential. This week, James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman literally went the extra mile – on a side-by-side level as the Gallagher brothers of Oasis – and proved their worth.
Grande showed off several impressions throughout the night, including Britney Spears, Céline Dion, and Jennifer Coolidge. And yes, she sang in almost every look she did, but it all served the show and served the comedy very well. She’s one of those hosts who’s so good at this that she might have been a solid member in another world!
By default, we rank all sketches from worst to first, including the Monologue, Cold Open, “Weekend Update,” and any sketches that were cut for time but made it online. Let’s skip the musical friends, because they’re not always funny – until Ashlee Simpson shows up. We wrap up by taking a look at the cast member who had the strongest week.
Castrati
Introducing the barbaric approach that created high-pitched voices in boys that would never go away, Ariana Grande’s pointless stare into the gap was so funny we wish she had kept it longer in the sketch. We make her break when Andy Samberg (as her father) suggested the reversible method, but it would have been funnier to go back to it. Andy was amused by Kenan Thompson when he referred to him by his exact name in the play, but Kenan quickly got enough of him to put up with it. While not as funny as most of the night, the photo of Maya Rudolph and Andy explaining their “turnaround” strategy will haunt many men for years to come.
Céline Dion UFC Promotion
Of Monday Night Football to the UFC octagon, Ariana Grande delivered a hilarious Céline Dion speaking and singing about her love for the violence of the game that also… unites us? The exaggerated sincerity of the piece, in addition to the horrific descriptions of violence combined with images of stated moments, actually captures the madness of the game and the impossibility of romanticizing it. Once again, Ariana delivers on all fronts, this time alone with gusto and fervor. She was born for comedy!
Monologue: Ariana Grande
Good news for fans of actress Ariana Grande, she’s keeping a low profile tonight, which means it won’t be a night filled with her grabbing a microphone and singing. She sang all about it in this very fun opener that featured glimpses of some of her iconic impressions, like Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus. She even promised not to do anything tacky Depraved musical quantity, which must have been quite a surprise for Bowen Yang, who appeared as Glinda the Good Witch. This play set the right tone by offering us a confident and good-natured protagonist, who doesn’t take herself too seriously and is able to let loose and have fun. We’re right there with you, Ari!
Jennifer Coolidge for Maybelline
We were already having fun with the silliness of Chloe Bennett and Ariana Grande showing off their stellar Jennifer Coolidge impressions for this Maybelline sketch, but the addition of Dana Carvey later as third Jennifer really sealed the deal. It was one of those sketches that suffered a lot of technical difficulties, due to the complexity of the mirrored roles, but the players stayed true to the premise and made sure we were having as much fun as they were. The only thing that could have made it strong would be an accurate Jennifer Coolidge look at the end (some cameos work).
The Store Detective
With time being at a premium, it seems like we might have gotten a costume version of this play, as there were some glitches in the lines, Ariana Grande held her badge upside down at the beginning, and the cast struggled here and there with the lines. For his protection, the lines were deliberately obtuse and complicated, but that was what the play was about. Overall, it was a very successful piece of salad that was held together by the craziness of the production and everything. Chaos usually works.
Weekend Update
“Good luck trying to talk about all these rape whistles,” joked Michael Che when talking about Donald Trump’s upcoming all-female Fox Information town hall. The boys definitely came down harder on the former president than they did on Harris, while also mocking J.D. Vance by continuing to refuse to say that Trump lost the 2020 election in a new interview. Colin Jost received a very strong response to his take on “Trump’s softened stance on abortion” – which was, yikes!
Ego Nwodim’s last question to Michael Che was the correct score in a great table appearance by Upate as a brutally overworked Amazon worker. Your wide-eyed employee couldn’t stop wrapping a package or keep her head straight as she detailed what her life is like working for the only shopping empire while customers go crazy over these Prime Day deals. She painted a pretty dire picture, but the He did it in a very humorous way. This is the kind of satire that works best, sending a transparent message through a brilliantly humorous messenger.
In the second news section, Che took it back to the 90s with the “conviction remix” and his joke about the mind of a fruit fly, while Jost received a strong response for his “surprising” joke about nuclear survivors receiving the award. Nobel Peace Prize… Although not as sharp as their previous political material, the boys have received great responses from the public, indicating a warm and engaged crowd.
We weren’t expecting James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman as Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, but we loved that their clarification of the decades-old feud that prevented the band from performing together was like younger siblings arguing over ridiculous nonsense. They both really used these British accents, but the whole thing was so funny from start to finish – with all the bickering and silliness – we really enjoyed seeing this development as James and Sarah’s versatile performers. They are really showing their worth beyond the individual tricks that helped them land this gig, becoming truly excellent repertory players.
Chilly Open: domestic political dispute
Kenan Thompson is always having fun as Steve Harvey, and his presence in the political cold open literally undermined the energy of the opening piece, which was refreshing. The format also explained why we could still have all this season’s political players in a single scene together. Instantly, we got the feeling that the show — while left-leaning — wouldn’t be too direct with Kamala Harris, poking fun at her tendency to talk about her middle-class upbringing anyway. Kenan’s reactions as Steve were excellent as she rambled on and didn’t give an answer about what you could find in a glove compartment. Highlights once again included Dana Carvey’s Joe Biden (who is about as good as any of his traditional political portrayals) and James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump, teaching us all the methods for rambling incoherently before finally getting it right. point… well, one landing.
Evening home sport
“Do you have a tiny dick or something?” Ariana Grande’s Diane abruptly declared after Bowen Yang’s light-hearted conversation during this impromptu game of charades where he was reuniting with boyfriend Michael Longfellow’s family for the first time. , hypercompetitive mother in a sketch following her equally dedicated turn as a no-nonsense teenager. Ariana is so suited to the sketch format that she really nails the trash talk and aggression, reversing the mounting pressure with Bowen. The two fought flawlessly throughout this play, until the shocking ending.
Music for bridesmaids
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” has never looked so unhealthy and so funny. We like Chloe Bennett as the bride, who let her bridesmaids sing about her bachelorette party, and big props to Ariana Grande for being able to sing in such a monotone and horrible way (considering what a great singer she is). the cast who joined her, with all of them getting the kind of bad karaoke you’d see if that happened. But it was the lyrical message of the song’s verses that basically told a shocking story, detailing everything that happened with a remarkable ending. It could have been funny no matter how they sang it, but the bad vocals definitely added authenticity to it.
My best friend’s house
There it is, the best piece of the youth season to date! What an ideal track and narrative, delivered perfectly by Ariana Grande. Here, she let her voice shine and presented all of her acting experience as we worked through her feelings about her best friend’s house, all the memories tied to the scent – and all the things you don’t encounter when you’re a kid just hanging out with your best friend. We knew it was going to go somewhere, but we didn’t predict the path it would take, or the little twist at the end that was just perfect. This is how you do it!
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Given our opening comments, it might not come as a big surprise that James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman have been in the conversation for most of the week. We were also impressed by Bowen’s conviction against Ariana Grande’s hypercompetitive mother in the game night sketch, while Ego made us laugh as an overworked Amazon worker.
Sarah really nailed two performance pieces, as one of the singing bridesmaids and as one half of the Gallagher brothers, alongside James. But James definitely stole the show tonight, starting with his spot-on Trump, followed by a variety of players including Noel Gallagher and his hotel detective at the end.
Throw in a supporting role in the Italian Renaissance, and as a serious man in that Bridesmaids sketch, and he’s proving to be a good-natured leading man and a solid supporting player in the way you could count on a Phil Hartman to help. maintain a sketch collectively. As exciting as it is to see new players discover their paths, it’s often more fun to see more experienced veterans perfecting their craft.
The celebration of Saturday Night Live’s fiftieth season continues next week with host Michael Keaton and musical guest Billie Eilish.