Saturday Night Live
Matt Damon and Noah Kahan
May 9, 2026
Somehow, this is only Matt Damon’s third time hosting, which doesn’t seem right? Part of it is that he’s made several cameos on SNL, including quite memorably in 2018 as Brett Kavanaugh, and then in 2024 when he, among many other Not-5-Timers, helped induct Kristen Wiig into the vaunted hosting club. And maybe part of the reason he feels like he’s a regular presence in Studio 8H is because he had a recurring role on 30 Rock and I’m conflating the two? I don’t know.
But cameos are not enough when we’re dealing with someone who is such an obvious SNL host. As I noted the second time he hosted (where I was flabergasted that it was only his second time), Damon is a natural fit with SNL. He doesn’t just have movie star charisma, he’s obviously intelligent and genuinely funny, and he radiates that he’s having a good time on that stage. So what’s the deal? How long is it going to take to get him back on this stage? Because it best not take another 8 years, guys.
As soon as Matt Damon was announced as this week’s host, people were speculating that he would bring back his Brett Kavanaugh. And in fact, he did, as one-third of a drunken trio that includes Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth and Aziz Ansari’s freshly minted Kash Patel. The three proceed to do what they love best: get blacked out drunk at a bar and trade date rape jokes. Very funny; way too real.
Grade: A
Matt Damon’s opening monologue reminds us that he is starring in a big movie … nine weeks from now. In the meantime, he creates a personalized Mother’s Day message you can share with your own mother. He’s charming, it’s fine.
Grade: B+
Here, a U.S. submarine discovers Godzilla rising up through the ocean, a finding so astonishing, Matt Damon’s character repeatedly does spit takes in Mikey Day’s face. It’s dumb, it’s predictable, and because it is dumb and predictable, it’s very very funny on a very very base level. Sue me, I love a good spit take.
Grade: A-
This is a trailer for “Mom the Movie,” a movie “completely devoid of conflict, suspense, and dramatic tension” and filled with things that mothers love, like her children telling her how great a mother she is, her daughter having twins, Matt Damon as her love interest, and the entire family watching House Hunters together. As a mother, I approve of this film and want to know when it will be available on streaming.
Grade: A-
Three “tough guys” share stories about how they confronted people, only to have their asses kicked. It takes a strange turn at the end, just as the bit was becoming a little repetitive. It’s inoffensive but not particularly inspired.
Grade: B
So there’s a kitty litter that will change colors to signify your cat’s health (it’s a real thing) and this is a commercial spoof for such a product. But here if the litter turns blue … that ain’t no cat urine. This revelation sends the family in the commercial into a paranoid spiral, all while the narrator tsks disapprovingly. Very funny, though maybe a little drawn out.
Grade: B+
Weekend Update is extra long this week with solid jokes about Marco Rubio visiting the Pope, the Hanta virus crisis, the abortion pills issue, and Kash Patel’s bourbon. Also, a good recurring bit playing off of Marco Rubio’s name.
Grade: A-
Jeremy Culhane’s Tucker Carlson is back at the “Weekend Update” desk to share his feelings about the Met Gala. Brilliant, brilliant, love it, brilliant. I will note that there has been some controversy around Culhane’s impersonation, with some people claiming he ripped off a podcaster who has been doing a similar impersonation. My position is that no one “owns” an impersonation of someone famous, and everyone needs to calm down.
Grade: A+
Mikey Day and Marcello Henandez visit the “Weekend Update” desk as a pair of Iranian kamikaze dolphins. It’s mostly a set-up for a superior joke regarding Jost’s famous Staten Island Ferry boat.
Grade: B-
Jane Wickline stops by the “Weekend Update” desk to sing a song about being chronically late, and deliver a “fuck you” to people who complain about it. Wickline isn’t for everyone’s taste, but I happen to love her.
Grade: B+
Matt Damon is a substitute teacher on his final day, who tries to encourage his students to participate in a dance party in the final minutes of class. They refuse. It’s sooo painful and perfect.
Grade: B
The final sketch of the night finds Damon and Sarah Sherman as a pair of married auctioneers whose marriage is falling apart. I have no idea how these two pulled this off without flubbing a single line. This is why Damon needs to host more often; not everyone could pull this off. Oh, and bonus points for the Whataburger callout.
Grade: A+
Final Grade: A.
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC and streams on Peacock.