Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an iconic staple of comedy admired in the U.S. and beyond. It displays quintessential NYC culture and brings in current events and pop culture to satirize since its inception in 1975. One of the consistent themes of SNL is its ability to make fun of everyone and anything and its willingness to take risks. It has become legendary with its own rumors, myths, and history. It has a rich history for numerous reasons not just because it has given rise to many of the most beloved comedians like Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Kate Mckinnon to name a few. Also in part because many of the sketches have a life of their own after the characters in those sketches become immortalized because they’re hilarious, witty, and unique. I have spent countless hours watching all the different seasons and famous sketches because it brings me joy and laughter. I do hope it’s around for many more years because the comedic possibilities are endless.
Pete Davidson Kicks Off The New Season
What better way to start the season after the writer’s strike concluded, than to bring back former cast member Pete Davidson to start the new season with Ice Spice? This duo in their own right has a wide appeal to audiences but with surprises from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce throughout the night, it blew the roof off. The energy from Studio 8H was electric as they responded and laughed at the sketches and surprises of the night. One of my favorite and most memorable was “I’m Just Pete” which is poking fun at “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie film. Pete Davidson has always been unapologetically himself and very disconnected from the muscle and beach glamor of Ken. This created the perfect recipe for self-deprecating humor on Pete’s famous interests, hobbies, and tabloid stories like weed, Kanye West, or his appearance. However, on a serious note, the Cold Open that week was given just by Pete Davidson, addressing the horrors of war with Israel and Hamas in a way that was timely and heartfelt because Pete worked in his own backstory to be authentic in his concern. After that episode, I’m even more a fan of his.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio Hits Studio 8H
The next surprise of Bad Bunny’s episode for which he was the host and the musical guest, was bringing out Pedro Pascal during his monologue and sketch “Protective Mom 2.” Pedro Pascal is a very famous actor who performed very well during his job as host in the spring. Their connection and friendship were played into during the monologue where Bad Bunny got to re-introduce and invent himself that night, more than just a singer but someone who is proud of their Spanish heritage and what he created. The monologue was cheeky which was good for fans because they got what they wanted. Another hit of the night occurred during the Please Don’t Destroy series in which Bad Bunny got to lean into his humorous side. He dressed up as Shrek working on a Shrek script. I enjoyed it because it was absurd and not serious, Bad Bunny’s demeanor was great for that. I hope he is cast in more acting roles in the future!
SNL Halloween
The most recent episode of SNL was their Halloween episode hosted by Nate Bargatze with musical guests the Foo Fighters. I was unaware of Nate before the episode but he is a stand-up comedian whose Tennessee charm soared throughout the night. The Halloween episode has become iconic because of the larger-than-life characters created during the sketches like Tom Hanks’s David S. Pumpkins. Tonight the world got to see esteemed actor Christopher Walken as the spirit of Halloween during the Cold Open. This has layers because Mr. Walken has hosted before and because of his recognizable voice, many comedians try to imitate it. During one of his hosting experiences, his musical guests were also the Foo Fighters, creating a legendary moment of the pronunciation of the band by Christopher Walken. Another knock-out was “Hallmark Horror” which took Hallmark Christmas to a new height for a spooky and bloody spin with the city girl falling in love with her old hometown crush turned serial killer. This bizarre combination thrives on Hallmark’s formulaic plot structure. Since Nate was awarded the nicest Stand-Up, I’d love to see him in an actual Hallmark movie.
Wrapping Up & What’s Next
SNL gives its audience what they want to see, it may just be an amazing marketing strategy, but it always delivers. Each episode this season had surprise guests, popular musical artists, and fresh commentary on the many events and trends of the last few months. Everyone should be thankful that SNL has an incredible staff, crew, performers, and most importantly writers because they have been so successful. The jokes, scenarios, and performances are authentic, funny, and timely. I predict this season will do amazing if it continues in the same direction as the last three episodes, as people of all generations are giving praise to SNL this season. The next episode airs on Saturday, Nov. 11 with Timothee Chalamet returning to host for his second time with Boy Genius as the musical guest. Another amazing booking combination because their fans will tune in to see the trendy and silly content from that night! I will be eagerly anticipating this new episode.