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“Saturday Night Live” is finding its rhythm this season now that the election is out of the way, with stellar hosts Charli XCX and now Paul Mescal bringing a youthful, silly energy to “SNL 50.” But that doesn’t mean Lorne Michaels and the cast don’t have a few political punches left to throw.
For the evening’s cold open, Dana Carvey returned once again, not to impersonate Joe Biden or Elon Musk, but to bring back one of his most beloved characters, the Church Lady. It was a welcome return that featured many headline-grabbing figures such as Matt Gaetz, played by Sarah Sherman, and Hunter Biden, played by fellow past cast member David Spade. While the show has always tried to be fair in its equal skewering of the right and the left, it definitely seems like its become more bold with its hits on both parties in its last few episodes.
For his monologue, Mescal introduced himself to a crowd who may not be familiar with his work, showcasing clips from “Normal People” and “Aftersun” that point to his skills with highly emotional and dour fare. Despite this prowess, Mescal was excited to show off his comedic abilities and represent his Irish heritage proudly. He also made sure to point out the difference between the Scottish and the Irish in that the Scots wear kilts and the Celts, especially Mescal, wear short-shorts.
In the night’s first pre-recorded sketch, the “SNL” VFX team went all-out, recreating Mescal’s “Gladiator II” world for a new version of the film that introduces musical sequences into the plot. This, of course, was done as a cash-grab related to the success of “Wicked” and “Moana 2,” but in all honesty, the music and lighting of the skit proved far superior to both of these films in many regards. And if it’s actually Mescal singing, Timothée Chalamet move aside, there’s a new song-and-dance man in town.
Speaking of song-and-dance, one of the best live sketches from last night featured Mescal and most of the male cast performing at what Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Heidi Gardner, and Chloe Fineman think is a pirate-version of Chippendale’s, but more closely resembles “Pirates of the Caribbean” dinner theater. When the men finally do unbutton their ruffled blouses, the women are greeted by signs of scurvy as well as a few abs. What’s most impressive about the sketch is Mescal’s ability to fit in with the cast mates and play off their quirks, proving his comic timing as adept as his emotional vulnerability.
For one of the last bits of the night, “SNL 50” took aim at the Spotify Wrapped trend, with Mescal showing friends his list and one name standing above the rest considering they have no idea who he is. As Mescal tried to explain who anti-instrumentalist Satoshi Gunman is to his peers, cast member Bowen Yang appeared as the mysterious figure in a long, silver-haired and partly-dreaded wig. It was the perfect oddball, sexually ambiguous character for Yang to take hold of and one that could and should definitely appear in future sketches, especially alongside performer and social media star Trisha Paytas, who pops in towards the end of the sketch for a brief, but impactful cameo.
“Saturday Night Live” returns next week with host Chris Rock and musical guest Gracie Abrams.
English (US) ·