Saturday Night Live
Jack Black & Jack White
April 4, 2026
Jack Black last hosted SNL almost exactly a year ago. At the time, we all learned that Black hadn’t hosted SNL in TWENTY YEARS before that night, which is simply lunacy. Black went on to deliver one of the best episodes of the season (with an assist from two cast members who are no longer on the show: shout-out to “Goth Kid on Vacation” and “Miss Eggy”) with his manic rock star energy and specific brand of pure, distilled goofiness. Fortunately for all of us, SNL realized their mistake and brought Black this week, where he picked up his well-earned Five Timers jacket and helped his musical guest — Jack White — bring down the house. Not everything stuck the landing in this episode; I don’t think it was nearly as sharp and unexpected as the last time he hosted. But Jack Black is a natural fit on the 8H stage and should be on a regular rotation.
LOOK, I get it: everyone is sick of the Trump cold opens. We see enough of his dumb face and hear enough of his dumb voice as it is. But I need those of you who hate the Trump cold opens to look at me in the eye and tell me that this hodge-podge spoof of March Madness coverage and Pam Bondi’s firing is funnier or better than James Austin Johnson riffing in that maddening wig and makeup. Because, as far as I am concerned, this was the weakest bit of the night, which, while ultimately was good news, was not, exactly, a promising start.
Grade: C-
Here’s something I’ll never wrap my head around: somehow, Jonah Hill became a member of the SNL Five-Timers club before Jack Black. I know this because in the monologue, it’s Hill who welcomes Black into the Five-Timers’ Clubhouse, which is in a state of disarray. Also on hand to welcome Black are Tina Fey (who is in her FIFTH Five-Timers sketch), Candace Bergen, Melissa McCarthy, and Jack White, who has his own Five-Timers jacket, having performed on the show six times now. White teams up with Black to perform a version of “Seven Nation Army” that brings the club’s mojo back, and with that, Black announces they’ll “be White Black.” Someone is patting themselves hard on the back for that one.
Grade: A+
Here, a group of co-workers tries to ignore their fellow office worker, Kathy, because she’s a weirdo energy vampire. It’s actually pretty quiet for a Jack Black performance, which is maybe why it works.
Grade: A
In this neo-country song, a trio of singers reminisces about the words of wisdom they received from a dying parent, a literal wise man, and a child, except … they can’t exactly remember what it was. This one didn’t land for me, but mileage will probably vary.
Grade: B-
This is another “wacky Marcello character with a wacky accent” sketch; this time, he and Black are self-defense instructors with unconventional fighting techniques. It’s not great, but Black manages to match Marcello’s energy and step up the wacky.
Grade: B
A group of husbands who have never met each other is forced to hang out while their wives have a get-together, and they bond by singing Kansas’ “Carry on My Wayward Son.” I guess when you have Jack Black hosting, you have to double down on the musical bits. Not for me, but I know a bunch of y’all will enjoy this one.
Grade: B
A solid “Weekend Update” takes on the war with Iran, Pam Bondi’s firing (with some sharp Epstein jokes), J.D. Vance’s new book, Trump’s visit to the theater, and a Canadian hot dog-stuffed pizza.
Grade: A
Kristi Noem’s husband also visits the Weekend Update desk to challenge the “liberals” to kink shame him over his balloon boobs. It’s already a good bit, made better with a cameo from Wally the Cue Card Guy, and Kenan’s Law Roach, who we haven’t seen since Charli XCX hosted. (MORE LAW ROACH.)
Grade: A
Hey, a rare shout-out for Wally
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Also visiting the Weekend Update desk is the new Professor Snape, who, in the new Harry Potter series on HBO, will be played by Paapa Essiedu, a Black actor. This Snape accuses Harry Potter and all of Hogwarts of being very racist, and it’s a great idea. But I find myself distracted by Kam Patterson’s inability to hang onto an accent. Still, shout out to the Wu-Tang Name Generator, which gave this very site her name.
Grade: B+
Here, Black (and his gloriously rotund belly) is a Spartan soldier waiting to be called up as one of the 300 to fight in an impossible war, only to be told he will not be tagging along. I’m not sure why I was so charmed by this bit, except maybe I admired Black’s willingness to go there.
Grade: A-
Finally, Black is an over-involved, slightly creepy Airbnb host who won’t give his teen guests privacy. It’s fine, but it is the surprise introduction of Melissa McCarthy as his unhinged partner (and her bottle of Jergens) to send this sketch into the comedic stratosphere. Give these two a movie together.
Grade: A
Also, Jack White was pretty great:
Cut for time: CoolPap ad — it’s a CPAP machine, but cool.
Cut for time: Veronika Slowikowska, Marcello, and Black are incompetent Chili’s waiters with a distinct speech pattern. It’s giving strong Kristin Wiig vibes.
(And I hear there was a cut digital sketch from Martin Herlihy; still waiting for that to post on YouTube.)
Here it is:
And also cut for time, this visit to the Weekend Update desk from A Guy and his Girlfriend Who is Always Cold:
Final Grade: A.
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC and streams on Peacock.