The spotlight shone bright on the last Saturday of March as Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison hosted a much-anticipated episode of Saturday Night Live. Known for her dynamic performances, Madison infused the show with her unique blend of humor and charisma, captivating audiences from the start.
That night, country music star Morgan Wallen electrified the crowd with a live performance of his latest hit, bringing a vibrant energy that perfectly complemented Madison’s hosting style. The talented Chloe Fineman joined Madison and Wallen in a short promotional clip to add to the excitement, cleverly setting the tone for the evening by showcasing their chemistry and wit. Madison’s hosting, Wallen’s musical prowess, and Fineman’s comedic flair made for an unforgettable night on SNL.
- “Please don’t destroy me“
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The standout moment was Madison’s creative rendition of a live-action episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. She presented a unique twist, similar to Bad Bunny’s storytelling style in his Shrek adaptation. Her performance captured the essence of SpongeBob, combining the drama of a live-action remake with outrageous costumes and humorous character interpretations—making it my favorite skit of the night. The dramatic take of any cartoon becoming a live-action remake drew laughter and applause from the audience.
- “Group chat cold open“
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This is a funny take on a current event, reiterating what Saturday Night Live does best. The SNL cold open sketch nails the absurdity of the U.S. government’s tech incompetence with perfect satire. A heavy contender is what makes it the second-best skit of the episode. The sketch imagines a group chat between government officials, where instead of serious, confidential discussions, it’s a chaotic mess of emojis, autocorrect fails, and accidental leaks of classified information to a teen girl group chat.
- “big dumb line“
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The sketch hilariously mocks society’s obsession with trend culture. It shows how we’ll wait hours in a mind-numbing line to get our hands on the latest item, only to post about it and feel zero enjoyment. The sketch shows how “FOMO” is one of the last things we want to experience, with characters gleefully enduring miserable waits to feel included in the “exclusive” club. As a certified FOMO anti, the sketch hit too close to home, making it my third favorite night. The characters then realize they don’t care about the item they’re waiting for.
The satire is sharp as it perfectly mocks how pursuing social validation often outweighs genuine personal interest.
- “acting teacher 2“
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“Acting Teacher 2” delivers a hilarious takedown of a completely unqualified, delusional acting coach who is clearly scamming students and offering no constructive criticism. The perfect absurdity teacher, played by Marcello Hernandez, is convinced that his worst student, Madison, is a “star” in the making despite her painfully awful performance. The chemistry between the two characters was enough to put this sketch above the rest. The best part is that Madison is just as clueless. She performs her line delivery with all the charisma of a cardboard box — yet, somehow, the teacher believes she’s destined for greatness. It mixes secondhand embarrassment and laughs.
- “jury duty“
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Madison hilariously exposes the absurdity of entitlement with a character who tries to weasel her way out of jury duty by claiming she’s too important to serve — because Caitlyn Jenner’s car hit her. She insists that this traumatic experience has made her too famous to participate in jury duty. If I had seen a little more of Madison playing this character, the sketch would have ranked higher.
The sketch brilliantly mocks how some people use flimsy excuses to avoid responsibility, turning a trivial situation into a self-absorbed saga. It perfectly reflects Madison’s chemistry with the SNL cast, with actor Ego Nwodim as the Judge.
- “barry the midwife”
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Bowen Yang’s midwife character returns “four-ious” at being forgotten by an OBGYN, played by Madison since they met outside a Hilary Duff Today Show. They met while Barry wore “prescription New Year’s Eve glasses,” making him unrecognizable to the OBGYN.
The sketch is a hilarious time-traveling ride full of wild jokes, with Madison’s delightfully over-the-top “seriousness” and Yang’s chaotic energy stealing the show. Their bickering and long-term one-sided beef is what fueled this episode for me. The best part is that the plot all comes full circle when the duo ends with Duff’s chores.
- “So, like… what are we?“
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I liked the game show’s portrayal of the epidemic women face in society. It demonstrates how some guys only want a booty call without telling the girl that that’s all she is — a booty call. Madison portrays another victim of this guy’s game, and when she calls out her hookup on a game show, they are still left together. It was a very modern, happy ending. The natural episode wasn’t an unbearable skit to get through; it was nothing too crazy.
- “spring break“
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In this skit, Madison depicts a crazy college student on spring break in Florida. The character gets so drunk that she jumps off the roof and fails to land in the pool. This all happens amidst an unsuccessful college spring break proposal. I would have preferred Madison to play the love interest in the skit instead of Fineman, which is why the laughable skit ranked lower on my list.
- “pop’s big regret“
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While Madison suited this role perfectly, as she has prior experience portraying a flamboyant woman with an accent who is connected to the mob, her character was not enough to save this sketch. The twist in the story is that she is the wife of an unfunny husband who is dying. The husband is reflecting on his life, particularly feeling regretful about the stand-up comedy career he never pursued.
Madison made her highly anticipated debut as a host on Saturday Night Live, providing a unique opportunity to present her vibrant personality beyond her acclaimed role in Anora and her more serious acting endeavors.
The episode successfully introduced her to a broader audience, allowing viewers to glimpse her refreshing, laid-back side, which starkly contrasts with the intensity of her previous performances. In this lively setting, Madison showcased her impressive comedic talents, revealing a playful and entertaining side that her past roles only lightly hinted at.