Category: saturday night live: season 51

Finn Wolfhard hosts a strangely disappointing ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Finn Wolfhard & A$AP Rocky
January 17, 2025

Finn Wolfhard has spent the last ten years of his life as one of the stars of Netflix’s biggest series, Stranger Things, and he (along with the rest of the cast) is VERY READY to move on with their adult careers now, please and thank you. To that end, he hosted the first Saturday Night Live of 2026 where Wolfhard … talked about Stranger Things, starred in a Stranger Things sketch, played Harry Potter, portrayed a 16-year-old podcaster, and was cast as a teen who rejects his boy band family legacy. To be fair to SNL, 23-year-old Finn Wolfhard is young-looking (just check out those 12 hairs on his chin), so I get casting him over and over again as a teenager. But to not be fair to SNL, they could have tried to write better teen sketches for him to lead.

As a host, Wolfhard seemed a little nervous at first, but by the end of the night, he had relaxed into the role and seemed to genuinely be having fun with it. As for the episode itself, I’m going to assume that it appealed to Wolfhard’s natural audience who are my kids’ ages — if not younger. It just wasn’t particularly appealing to me. /oldpersonrant

Continue reading “Finn Wolfhard hosts a strangely disappointing ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Ariana Grande was the perfect parting gift for Bowen Yang’s final ‘Saturday Night Live’ episode

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Ariana Grande & Cher
December 20, 2025

Ariana Grande returned to host Saturday Night Live for the third time, tasked with helming what is traditionally one of the best episodes of the year: the holiday episode. Recent previous hosts include SNL alums and royalty, including: Kate McKinnon, Martin Short and Steve Martin, Paul Rudd and Eddie Murphy, and so choosing her to host this episode suggests a degree of trust and faith SNL and Lorne Michaels have in Grande to deliver. On top of all that pressure, this episode was also now-legendary cast member Bowen Yang’s final show. So not only did Grande have to carry the Christmas episode, it also fell to her to usher Yang’s goodbye. And I’m happy to report she pulled it off.

This episode was easily the consistently funniest of the season so far. Grande was her delightful elfin self, leaning into whatever ridiculous task she was given, while also providing emotional support for Bowen’s final bow. All in all, a terrific episode, and she’ll be back for her Five-Timers jacket in no time.

Continue reading “Ariana Grande was the perfect parting gift for Bowen Yang’s final ‘Saturday Night Live’ episode” →

Josh O’Connor kisses his way through the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Josh O’Connor & Lily Allen
December 13, 2025

I do not know who Josh O’Connor is. Despite having watched and enjoyed Challengers, and having seen Peaky Blinders and The Crown, I have no idea who this man is.

And it would seem that the SNL writers were in a similar quandary this week, because they placed this man in so many sketches where he basically just filled space. He also occasionally made out with a male cast member, playing off the homoeroticism of Challengers, which I am guessing is the only thing the writers’ room saw him in.

It’s a shame, Josh O’Connor seems like a perfectly endearing actor: his monologue was self-deprecating and amusing, and I’m sure they could have done something more with his British charm. But it certainly feels like the show sandwiched him between two reliable hosts, Melissa McCarthy and Ariana Grande, and they decided to just take this week off.

Continue reading “Josh O’Connor kisses his way through the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Melissa McCarthy pratfalls her way back into our hearts on ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy & Dijon
December 6, 2025

NOTE: I am obviously running behind with my SNL recaps because I was out of town for the last couple of weeks. This week’s recap will be up sometime hopefully later today or tomorrow. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Melissa McCarthy is an SNL pro, but you know that already. McCarthy is maybe our funniest female physical comedian (maybe our funniest physical comedian, full stop), but she is also gifted at creating endearing weirdo characters whole cloth. She’s a natural fit for the show; every time she’s on, it’s a joy; and you just know Lorne Michaels would hire he in an instant if he could afford her.

So why is it that this is the first time for McCarthy to host in over EIGHT YEARS? I know it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since she hosted, thanks to a handful of cameos here and there, but the last time she hosted was in May of 2017. HOW? Did Lorne Michaels lose her phone number? Did she go live on an island for a few years? Did she have beef with someone on the cast in those missing years? Did she just really hate Chris Redd?

It’s a mystery for the ages. But after this episode, which I thought was solidly funny, I hope McCarthy isn’t a stranger for so long again.

Continue reading “Melissa McCarthy pratfalls her way back into our hearts on ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Glen Powell’s charm offensive is overshadowed by the return of ‘MacGruber’ on ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Glen Powell & Olivia Dean
November 15, 2025

Confession: I don’t get Glen Powell. I understand that he’s conventionally handsome and that he’s a huge movie star and that he has a “boyish charm” or whatever. But I also find his face kinda punchable? Not my thing, I guess, is what I’m saying; his name on the marquee is not going to draw me in.

So color me shocked at how charmed I was by Powell’s freshman outing as host of Saturday Night Live. He was funny and clearly having a great time in every sketch, and, dare I say it, endearing, thanks in large part to a winning monologue that helped explain why this is his first time on the 8H stage. I don’t know that you’d count me as a “fan” of Glen Powell now, but I definitely walked away from this episode liking him more than I did coming into it.

Oh, and yeah, they also gave us new “MacGruber,” as a little treat. And though it’s only the 6th episode of the season, it’s the best so far.

Continue reading “Glen Powell’s charm offensive is overshadowed by the return of ‘MacGruber’ on ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Nikki Glaser hosts a perfectly safe, perfectly obvious ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Nikki Glaser & sombr
November 8, 2025

Nikki Glaser is first and foremost a stand-up comedian who specializes in brash comedy — she talks a lot about her sex life — that makes some people (men) uncomfortable. Personally, I never loved her stand-up; it feels a little try-hard and is sometimes just mean (often to herself). But then she became host of F-Boy Island on HBO Max, and her sense of humor, her shrewd eye, and ability to roast these dumb men to their faces, it made me a fan — of at least her hosting reality shows. Honestly, I wish ABC would replace Jesse Palmer with Glaser to host The Bachelorette, but ABC would NEVER.

So how’d she do as host of a sketch comedy show? She was fine. She was goofy and funny, and she seemed to be having a lot of fun. The sketches were inoffensive in the sense that they didn’t punch down (because let’s be clear, there was some “offensive” material, i.e., toilet humor and sex doll jokes, in here). But there also seemed to be a lack of willingness to do anything daring or anything that would make Nikki Glaser look unattractive.

This week, there was a piece on Pajiba complaining that SNL has a “hot person problem,” arguing that when an attractive host comes on the show, SNL often writes sketches about how good-looking they are. But what the piece ignored is that the host has a lot of say about which sketches make it on air. For instance, Leslie Jones talks about how she admired Margot Robbie for daring to look ugly in her episode, and this is a long piece about all the sketches that were cut when President Megalomaniac hosted because he didn’t want to look like a “loser.” So, in a sense, the Pajiba article is right: SNL does have a hot person problem, in that they allow hot people to only choose sketches that make them look hot.

This is a long way to go to say that I think Glaser’s whole brand is being a funny hot girl, and it seems clear she was unwilling to do anything that might contradict that image. As a result, we had an episode that was perfectly fine, but not nearly as edgy as you might expect from the likes of Glaser.

(So many words to say the episode was just OK!)

Continue reading “Nikki Glaser hosts a perfectly safe, perfectly obvious ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Miles Teller stabilizes a strong ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Miles Teller & Brandi Carlile
November 1, 2025

Miles Teller returned to host Saturday Night Live last night, his second time on the 8H stage since 2022, where I praised his work despite finding him “very punchable.” I’m happy to report that last night he came off considerably less punchable: he seems to have matured in the past few years, and grown more comfortable in his own skin. And that worked well for him last night, as he was a solid presence in a very solid episode. The episode faltered towards the end; but for a good 80% of the show, the writing was sharp, the performances funny, and the jokes, especially the political ones, were whip sharp.

Continue reading “Miles Teller stabilizes a strong ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

Sabrina Carpenter charms as a first-time ‘Saturday Night Live’ host

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Sabrina Carpenter
October 18, 2025

Well, color me surprised, but this is the first time Sabrina Carpenter has actually hosted Saturday Night Live. But, back me up here, it feels like she’s hosted before, right? I guess my confusion comes from a couple of different places: Carpenter was a big part of the 50th Anniversary Special, performing the opening number with Paul Simon and appearing in the “Domingo” sketch of the night; and she had a little cameo in Quinta Brosnon’s episode last May, as well as a cameo when she was Jake Gyllenhaal’s musical guest back in 2024.

But I think the real reason I’m surprised this is her first time to host is that she’s such a natural. She’s cute, has tons of charisma, and, most importantly, she has very good comic timing and is game for anything. And that shouldn’t be a surprise, because, just like some of the other great musical guests turned hosts, like Ariana Grande and Justin Timberlake, Carpenter got her start on a kids’ comedy series, Girl Meets World (a spinoff of Boy Meets World). Apparently, the often abusive pressure chamber that is kids’ television produces the occasional variety show diamond, like Sabrina Carpenter. Is it all worth it? That’s probably a conversation for an entirely different post. THE POINT IS, Carpenter did great, the cast clearly enjoyed working with her, and I won’t be surprised if she’s invited back again and again.

Continue reading “Sabrina Carpenter charms as a first-time ‘Saturday Night Live’ host” →

Amy Poehler commits to the bit in a mixed ‘Saturday Night Live’

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Amy Poehler & Role Model
October 11, 2025

As a woman of a certain age, it probably doesn’t surprise you to learn that I consider Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler my queens of comedy and that I essentially believe they can do no wrong. I was thrilled to learn that Poehler would return to SNL to host this, the episode airing on the actual 50th anniversary of the show. It feels like a fitting tribute to both the show’s history, and to Poehler (and Fey) and their contribution to Saturday Night Live and its longevity.

As for the episode itself … it was a mixed bag. But then aren’t they all? Tina Fey swung by for a couple of inspired bits, as did Seth Meyers and Aubrey Plaza. And Amy Poehler, bless her, she’s a professional who obviously commits to every bit, even when they aren’t worth it. And, boy, there were some sketches in here that were definitely not worth it. Still, the writing was stronger than last week. Let’s hope that the writers are getting their legs under them.

Continue reading “Amy Poehler commits to the bit in a mixed ‘Saturday Night Live’” →

‘Saturday Night Live’: Bad Bunny presenta un episodio mediocre, pero no es su culpa. (I promise this is in Inglés.)

by Therese Odell, posted in saturday night live: season 51

Saturday Night Live
Bad Bunny & Doja Cat
October 4, 2025

It’s been a rough summer for comedy. First, Stephen Colbert gets cancelled, then the FCC guns for Jimmy Kimmel, all the while President Cankles is screaming that Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are next. So you can understand why SNL might be a little concerned that FCC Weasel Brendan Carr might set his sights on them. They might be concerned, but they are apparently taking the threat head-on: they mocked President Nuerosyphillis and Pete Kegseth in the cold open, they came gunning for the administration in “Weekend Update,” and, perhaps most importantly, they brought back Puerto Rican megastar, upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performer, and MAGA trigger, Bad Bunny, to host the season premiere. It’s just unfortunate that Bad Bunny is not particularly funny, or a good actor.

But listen! I’m not putting this all on Bad Bunny, not by a long shot. The first time he hosted, the episode was a lot stronger than this. And God knows I wouldn’t be able to bring the laughs if I had to headline a live comedy show entirely in Spanish. Adding to the language barrier, and the fact that he’s a singer, not an actor, was an unevenly written episode consisting almost entirely of sketches that were one-note. Now, the thing that drew the most headlines about SNL last month was the cast departures and new additions. But the biggest change that happened was behind the scenes, in the writers’ room. Four long-time writers left the show, and seven new writers were brought on, in addition to a returning writer. Let’s hope that between everyone shaking the summer cobwebs off and the newbies learning the ropes, they get into a better groove by the time Amy Poehler hosts next week.

Continue reading “‘Saturday Night Live’: Bad Bunny presenta un episodio mediocre, pero no es su culpa. (I promise this is in Inglés.)” →