Quinta Brunson — and a wild ‘Weekend Update’ prank — team up for the best ‘Saturday Night Live’ of the season

Saturday Night Live
Quinta Brunson & Lil Yachty
April 1, 2023

Thanks to the delightful, Emmy-winning sitcom she created, writes and stars in, Abbott Elementary, comedian Quinta Brunson has become something of a household name. But Brunson did not just appear out of nowhere: she’s been in the sketch comedy trenches for a while now, making bits for Buzzfeed, her own Facebook Watch show, Quinta vs. Everything, and perhaps most notably, as an original member of the critically-acclaimed Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO. Quinta is a veteran and her comedy chops did not disappoint in last night’s Saturday Night Live. Quinta was sharp, funny, and repeatedly played against type, showing off that she’s more than her Abbott Elementary character the sweet straight-man Janine.

The episode definitely had its weaker moments; but all-in-all, between some surprisingly well-written sketches, Brunson’s performance, and a “Weekend Update” prank that will go down for the ages, it was easily the best Saturday Night Live of the season.

The biggest news of the week was that Disney outmaneuvered Ron DeSantis using first-year law and King Charles Former President Dingus was FINALLY indicted by the Manhattan DA’s office on what is rumored to be over 30 charges of falsifying business documents. So obviously Saturday Night Live was going to open with that. James Austin Johnson breaks out his spot-on impersonation to shill a “Now That’s What I Call a Legal Defense Fund” album, in which Former President Finally Facing Consequences sings a number of songs including “Hard to Handle,” “Islands in the Stream” with Don King, and “Because I Got High” with Afroman for some reason. I know they didn’t have a lot of time to come up with this opener, but it feels lazy.

Grade: B-

Quinta Brunson’s monologue is quite good: she tries to separate herself from her Abbott Elementary character, shows off a video of herself with Obama, and then reminds us that we should be treating teachers better and paying them what they deserve. AMEN, QUINTA. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK.

Grade: A-

While out for a night of clubbing, a couple of bros decide they want to buy some cocaine and are approached by a number of dealers who assure them that they have the purest, whitest product. Basically, it’s a bunch of “it’s so white” jokes at the expense of white folks, and they are great.

And I particularly love this sketch because I can practically hear the Ben Shapiro/Tucker Carlson crowd wetting their pants over how they could never get away with a series of “it’s so Black” jokes (which they do address in the sketch). And you know what? That’s right! They couldn’t! Cry about it, losers!

Grade: A+

The first digital production is a trailer for a documentary about a cult, and the joke is that the members of the cult are actually just bridesmaids being abused by a despotic bride. Bridezillas = always funny.

Also, can I just take a moment and say how happy I am that the post-production editors who make these digital bits happen were able to reach terms with NBC on their labor demands. These videos are often the best part of the show, and the people who make them happen deserve respect.

Grade: A

In the obligatory game show spoof of the night, “Couple Goals,” is a take on The Newlywed Game in which couples have to guess what their partner will answer. One couple, who got together during COVID clearly don’t know anything about one another, while the other couple, played by Brunson and Kenan Thompson, is dealing with a very specific fear. It’s an OK bit salvaged by Brunson and Thompson’s enormous comedic talent.

Grade: B+

Mikey Day and Brunson are a pair of drivers stuck in traffic, forced to use rudimentary sign language to express their anger at one another. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is hilarious. Or maybe as a Houston driver, it just hits home. Genuinely, I can’t decide which is my favorite bit of the night, but this is certainly a contender.

Grade: A+

OK SO. “Weekend Update” gets off to a weak start when Colin Jost tells a bunch of jokes about Former President Dingus to a smattering of laughs. When Che takes his turn, the crowd is much more receptive, only to go quiet for Jost again. And that’s when Che reveals — APRIL FOOL’S! — he told the crowd to not laugh for Jost. It’s perfect, and Jost never quite recovers.

Grade: A++

Michelangelo’s David stops by the “Weekend Update” desk to educate Florida parents about his value and to try to show off his tiny dick.

Grade: B+

Marcello Hernandez also stops by the “Weekend Update” desk to celebrate short kings. And to dunk on Jost.

Grade: B+

In this convoluted bit, a midwife and an OBGYN have a long-running feud when the OBGYN doesn’t immediately recognize the midwife after having met him once at a party. I don’t know what they are going for, but placing increasingly long wigs on Bowen Yang is not enough of a gag to rest a whole sketch on, I’m afraid.

Grade: C

In this bit, a woman complains to her male bosses that other male employees are making her uncomfortable, but they are oblivious when Sarah Sherman and Quinta Brunson, as men, make a bunch of gross, objectifying comments about her boobs. Somehow, it manages to fall off a weird cliff from there.

Grade: C

The Please Don’t Destroy boys are a trio of YouTubers exploring New York City’s food scene in this bit, demanding plain chicken in a Jamaican restaurant and getting their asses kicked in a bodega.

Grade: A-

Final Grade: A.

Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC and streams on Peacock.