Saturday Night Live
Pedro Pascal
February 4, 2023,
Here’s the thing about Pedro Pascal — currently he’s playing a pair of gruff loners in two of the biggest shows on television: The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. But Pascal’s big breakthrough role was Oberyn Martell, also known as The Red Viper, on Game of Thrones. And Oberyn Martell is the absolute opposite of Joel and Din Djarin. Oberyn is a witty, clever, sexy lothario, oozing charm and danger and seducing everyone in his path. And he seems much more what Pascal is like in real life than in either of his current roles.
Or maybe that’s just what I want to believe:
My slutty daddy #Pedropascal pic.twitter.com/4cF8HcfGk2
— Vaenerys Targaryen 🐉🔥 (@senoritav76) February 3, 2023
All that sexiness aside, Pascal also gives off a definite goofy energy; he seems like a guy it would be entertaining to have a beer with — until he seduces your wife. And he brought all that charisma, exuberance, and yes, sexiness with him to deliver one of the best Saturday Night Lives of the season.
Or maybe I was just blinded by the Daddiness of it all.
For those who need it: here is Pedro Pascal saying he is our cool, slutty daddy. pic.twitter.com/sPutcruzxj
— Heather is a Nerd (@NerdIsAHeather) February 1, 2023
Pedro Pascal is your daddy.
pic.twitter.com/NPEgdosuk8— R E P L I C A N T (@Roybattyforever) January 19, 2023
It was kind of China to provide SNL with the week’s stupidest news story for their cold open: their spy balloon that made its way above our country, making Fox News FREAK OUT. In this bit, Katy Tur interviews a military officer about the threat, before interviewing the balloon itself, in the form of Bowen Yang. Yang is, as he often is, the highlight of the bit, calling himself “Joe’s Osama” and arguing that everyone is freaking out because he’s a CHINESE balloon. It’s fairly obvious, but I’m not mad at it.
Grade: B+
Pedro Pascal’s monologue is pretty textbook: he works in his current projects, The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, he gives us a glimpse into his background, and shows us photos of some of his earliest roles. It’s fine, but these monologues are starting to feel very similar like there’s a monologue template that the writers are just plugging info into.
Grade: B
In the game show skit of the night, Yang hosts “Big Hollywood Quiz,” a game show in which contestants answer questions about classic and current movies and TV shows. The joke is that when it comes to current entertainment projects the contestants are completely stumped. Though it takes a minute to get warmed up, this is one of my favorite bits of the night, in large part because of how close it hits home. Though I did know all of the answers to each of these questions — even the Julia Roberts reference at the end — it’s only because it is literally my job to know this stuff. It’s a weird time, man.
Grade: A+
The Last of Us, but make it Mario Kart.
Grade: A-
In this bit, Pedro Pascal’s character wakes from a coma with a weird accent and a completely different personality. In the sketch, they say he is talking with an “L.A. mush mouth thing.” But it sounded more like Julia Garner’s accent in Inventing Anna? I don’t know what is happening here, it goes on entirely too long, but it has its own charm, thanks in large part to how much fun Pascal is clearly having here.
Grade: B
At a school assembly on safe social media use, Pedro Pascal’s hot teacher asks the students to stop making fancams of him. It’s one big “Daddy” joke. Extra points for the use of “Big Boy” and the Sarah Paulson cameo. (Sarah Paulson and Pedro Pascal have been best friends for decades.)
Grade: A-
In this Wing Pit ad, we learn how many wings are too many wings, before things take a very dark turn. ALL HAIL CHIRAZ.
Grade: B
“Weekend Update” tackles the Chinese balloon; Florida removing the African-American AP class; George Santos’ continued craziness and next week’s Super Bowl. Like every week, it’s fine, even if there are no really memorable jokes here.
Grade: B
Punxatawney Phil visits the Weekend Update desk to share his bleak outlook on the world. It’s just OK.
Grade: B-
James Austin Johnson and Devon Walker are a pair of British rappers who, using incomprehensible British slang, comment on the Royal family and other U.K. concerns. It is not nearly as funny as they seem to think it is.
Grade: C+
Here, Pedro Pascal, with all of his facial hair, plays an overprotective Cuban mother meeting her son’s girlfriend for the first time, and insulting her in Spanglish. This bit is entirely dependent on Pascal’s humor and charm and I loved it.
Grade: A
In one of the few weak sketches of the night, Pascal is one of several waiters at an Italian restaurant who are complementary to a table of women, all but one, whom they repeatedly insult. It feels like it was based on a true story that has been exaggerated for comic effect — except I bet the true story was funnier.
Grade: B-
Ego Nwodim plays Lisa from Temecula, a woman who orders her steak extra, extra well-done, and knows that Pascal’s character just wants “the butt” (he does not). The entire joke seems to be that her steak is so burnt that it shakes the entire table when she tries to cut it? I think? Whatever it is, Nwodim makes every person in this sketch break several times. Everyone being unable to hold their shit together makes it funnier than it actually is.
Grade: B
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC.
I was also thinking the Anna accent!!