Season 48 overview

While we’ll never really know exactly what Season 48’s final plan was, the episodes that did air do not paint a bright picture of the future. Despite all of the fresh blood being hired, the show was way more focused on pushing the same few veterans on us. Let’s take a look and see how each cast member fared…

Repertory Players

Mikey Day: Mikey had one of his best seasons in quite a while…when they bothered using him, that is. He got a lot of airtime in the first few shows, but then it was up and down for him. A lot of other fans have theorized that this might be his last season, and given the lack of focus he had in several episodes, I’m beginning to see what they mean. Still, the good stuff he did this season (the Black Heaven sketch with Chappelle and that film with Jake from State Farm) is more than enough to call this a strong season for him. And, hey, he had a lot less explaining roles this year!

Andrew Dismukes: Despite being promoted to a repertory player, Dismukes’ airtime is just as bad as ever, being forced to play second fiddle to less talented players such as Chloe and Bowen. On the nights they actually remembered to use him, though, he did amazing. He has a delightful bizarre streak that I’d love to see more of, provided that they don’t fire him over the summer.

Chloe Fineman: Blecch!!! Chloe is just as annoying as ever. I’m glad other people are starting to catch on to her flaws, because it’s something that needs to be addressed. Her constant staring at the camera and chipmunk voices irritate me more than they amuse me. If she does come back, I hope she reins those annoying habits in.

Heidi Gardner: What the hell happened, Heidi? Despite now being the senior member of the female cast, she has inexplicably taken a turn for the worse. There were so many sketches this year of Heidi playing a “wacky” new character, like that godawful mother character on Update. But despite her new annoying habits, I still like Heidi, and I wish she would go back to what she excels at, instead of trying to be a “star” like Kate McKinnon or, ugh, Kristen Wiig.

Punkie Johnson: Oh, that’s right, Punkie got promoted. I’d forgive you for not knowing that because she had the least amount of screen time of any cast member this season.

Ego Nwodim: After a couple of really strong years, this season was a bit of a step back of Ego. She returned to the “sassy black woman” cliche a little too often, and don’t get me started on those awful Lisa sketches.

Cecily Strong: In her final half-season, Cecily was even more out of place than ever, but she still got a shit ton of focus for some reason. In fact, she had more screen time than any of the four newbies. Let that sink in…

Kenan Thompson: This is the season where I finally reached my breaking point with Kenan’s eternal presence on the show. He had way too many sketches this season where the only joke is him yelling, to say nothing about his constant giggling and unprofessional moments. It’s gotten to the point where I cannot stand anything Kenan does anymore, and just wish he would leave already.

Bowen Yang: Ugh, I can’t believe how bad Bowen was this year. He gets way too much time to mug and act like a campy gay stereotype. Whatever happened to the more absurd stuff from his first couple seasons? I guess we’ve got no time for that now that the media is eating his inanimate object impressions up.

Featured Players

Marcello Hernandez: I really like this guy and I can’t wait to see what he has planned in Season 49. The fact that we have a Hispanic dude in the cast again really came in handy this year with all of the Hispanic hosts that appeared, and we usually got a sketch in those episodes where he plays off them in Spanish. Mad respect, bro. Hopefully we can get an Italian cast member hired next.

James Austin Johnson: James gets the award for the biggest growth arc this season. He moved away from doing nothing but impressions and started doing a lot of really solid character work, my personal favorite being the cucked father from the Travis Kelce episode. The only problem I have is the overuse of his Trump impression, and not a lot of use of his Biden. You know, the President?!? Why are there so few sketches about the fucking President in this season?!!?? But I digress.

Molly Kearney: Molly who? Despite making such a big deal in the press about hiring a non-binary cast member, SNL proceeds to treat them like shit and only cast them as fat male celebrities. 

Michael Longfellow: Out of all the newbies, this guy was the standout, despite not getting as much airtime as Marcello. He quickly found a niche for himself on Update doing commentaries, some as himself, and others as goofy oddball characters like the Statue of David. 

Sarah Sherman: Sarah is still a welcome presence on the show with her patented bizarre sketches, such as the woman with googly eyes and the news reporters with deformed mouths. She’s also unafraid to be different on Update with her Sarah News segments, which are better than Che and Jost at this point. However, I have noticed a troubling trend where they’ve been starting to put her in cheap drag roles as old men. 

Devon Walker: Essentially a replacement for Chris Redd, Walker sadly hasn’t gotten as much screen time as him. You generally only saw him when there was a black host. This is a shame, because I like Devon and want to see him succeed on the show. But, as we saw with Redd, he tends to suffer because Kenan automatically gets all the black roles.

Michael Che and Colin Jost: I am beyond sick of these two chuckleheads. They are the longest running Update anchors (for some reason), and they were only funny for about the first four years or so. Just let Sarah take over the desk!

Now it’s time to rank the episodes. This is gonna be hard because most of them were just blandly average.

Best episodes: Dave Chappelle/Black Star, Steve Martin, Martin Short/Brandi Carlile, Austin Butler/Lizzo, Michael B. Jordan/Lil Baby, Travis Kelce/Kelsey Ballerini

Worst episodes: Megan Thee Stallion, Aubrey Plaza/Sam Smith, Woody Harrelson/Jack White, Ana de Armas/Karol G

Now it’s time for us to rank the sketches. This should be easy…

Best sketches: Monologue (from Teller), New Cast Advice (from Gleeson), Headshots (from Gleeson), Eyes (from Gleeson), Drunk Uncle commentary (from Harlow), JNCO Longs (Cut), COVID (from Schumer), The Looker (from Schumer), Monologue (from Chappelle), Barber Shop (from Chappelle), both Sarah News commentaries, Black Heaven (from Chappelle), Election Night (from Chappelle), Big Boys (from Palmer), United Tingz of Aubrey (from Palmer), Kenan & Kelly (from Palmer), Monologue (from Martin), The Science Room (from Martin), A Christmas Carol (from Martin), Christmas Epiphany (from Butler), Jewish Elvis (from Butler), Plirts (from Butler), Blue Christmas (from Butler), Good Morning Today (from Jordan), Towel Guys (from Jordan), State Farm (from Jordan), Falling Down (from Jordan), Mario Kart (from Pascal), Protective Mom (from Pascal), Cologuard (from Harrelson), The Hippo (from Harrelson), American Girl Café (from Kelce), Self-Defense (from Kelce), Mama’s Funeral (from Kelce), Straight Male Friend (from Kelce), Family Meeting (from Kelce), School vs. School (from Ortega), Road Trip (from Ortega), Waffle House (from Ortega), James’ impressions commentary (from Ortega), Jingle Pitch (from Ortega), Drug Dealer (from Brunson), Street Eats (from Brunson), Monologue (from Shannon), Shannon 2K23 (from Shannon), American Girl (from de Armas), Spanish Class (from de Armas)

Worst sketches: Charmin Bears (from Teller), Grimace (from Teller), Blood Oath (from Gleeson), Hot Girl Hospital (from Megan Thee Stallion), Deer (from Megan Thee Stallion), Hole and Bussy commentary (from Megan Thee Stallion), Cold Open (from Harlow), Joker (from Harlow), Bartenders (from Harlow), Monologue (from Schumer), Jurors (from Schumer), Tammy the Trucker commentary (from Schumer), Jets Fans (from Schumer), WKTVN News (from Schumer), Cold Open (from Palmer), Ultrasound (from Palmer), Marzipan (from Butler), Miss America (from Plaza), Avatar (from Plaza), Party In Palm Springs (from Jordan), Waking Up (from Pascal), both Lisa from Temecula sketches, Jail Call (from Harrelson), Slingshot (from Harrelson), Beautiful Gym (from Harrelson), Garrett From Hinge (from Kelce), Too Hot To Handle (from Kelce), The Parent Trap (from Ortega), Midwife (from Brunson), Fart Baby (from Shannon), New Choreographer (from Shannon), Nails (from de Armas)

SNL Reviews: Ana de Armas/Karol G (4/

Cold Open: First Warm Day Of The Year Arrivals Show

Two reporters interview random people in Central Park.

• A variation on that Halloween red carpet sketch from the Jack Harlow episode.

• Perfect casting of James and Michael as pervs. For some reason, this is the only time we see James tonight, which is a sad way for his great season to end.

• Nice pratfall from Molly, continuing the Chris Farley similarities. We’ll get another example of this later on…

• Ego gets some good use out of her usual “bitch” routine. 

• Kenan once again comes off as out of place in this sketch with his overused shouting routine.

• Nice fakeout with the LFNY at the end.

• I didn’t think this was as good as the Halloween version. I guess I need to be a regular visitor of Central Park to get it.

Monologue 

Ana talks about learning English and reflects on her amazing year.

• I must admit that I have no idea who this gal is.

• Seems like we’ve had a lot of Hispanic hosts lately. In fact, for the first time, both the host and the musical guest are Hispanic.

• I wonder if her story about learning English from Friends is true, or if it’s just some sweet NBC synergy.

• Not too much to say about this monologue, but I found her charming enough.

Sketch: The Dome

Matt Schatt competes on a game show with his new wife.

• For once, the game show host has a normal name, instead of a “funny” pun or sexual reference.

• Sudden return of Matt Schatt for the first time since Season 45. 

• No matter how many different settings this guy appears in, the joke is always the same: the host of some show (usually Kenan) is puzzled as to why someone as lame as Matt Schatt is married to a hot woman.

• This probably goes without saying, but Kenan has reached the point where I am actively rooting against him in sketches. That line he screams about Matt eating dog food was particularly cringeworthy.

• No comment on the reveal of Matt’s many nipples. I also definitely could have gone without seeing Kenan pinch one of them.

• This sketch was thankfully kept at a short enough length. Can you imagine how much lower I’d be ranking it if it was ten minutes of Kenan screaming?

Film: American Girl

American Girl dolls travel to the present day.

• What’s with all the American Girl product placement lately?

• The reveal of Ego’s slave girl character was good for a laugh.

• Nice awkward silence after Ego reveals that she doesn’t know when her birthday is because she’s a slave.

• Sarah: “Look what I can do!” *coughs up blood, and the scene cuts to her getting covered by a tarp*

• I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying this despite not being a little girl. 

• We end on a funny callback to Sarah’s death from earlier when Heidi announces that she’s going to cure cholera, before coughing up blood herself, and getting thrown out the back of the wagon.

Sketch: Recording Session

Two voice actors help a music producer with his new album.

• Uh-oh, there’s Kenan again. I hope we’re not in for more shouty shenanigans.

• I’m about halfway through this, and Kenan’s goofy voice shtick is ruining this otherwise blandly average sketch.

• Between the American Girl film and this, Ego’s been having one of her best nights in quite a while.

• Not too much to say about this one, other than the fact that I’m extremely tired of Kenan.

Sketch: Spanish Class

Spanish class gets interrupted by two new students. 

• The exterior shot of the school looks very familiar. I can’t remember where I’ve seen that school before, but it must have been in some movie or sitcom.

• Mikey’s hilariously badly-pronounced Spanish immediately got a laugh from me.

• Marcello, naturally, has a big role in this sketch. He has pretty good chemistry with Ana.

• As good as Marcello and Ana are, Mikey steals the show with his awkward teacher character. 

• Nice appearance from Karol G at the end, and even the cliche dance party that follows is pretty fun.

Please Don’t Destroy: Hangxiety

The guys overthink everything they did at the SNL afterparty.

• Sixth episode in a row with PDD.

• There appears to be a cue card from Megan Thee Stallion’s episode on Ben’s desk.

• Nice interaction between Ben and Michael.

• I love the scene of John getting hit in the eye by his phone.

• I’m surprised it’s taken this long for Ego to show up in one of these shorts.

• Nice ending with Mikey chastising the three for their rude behavior at the party, only for the camera to reveal that he has no pants on.

• I know I had very little to say about that one, but I think I‘m finally burned out on these guys. If they come back for the next season, try to space out their appearances more.

Musical Performance: “Mientras Me Curo del Cora”

Weekend Update (featuring Funky Kong, Genesis Fry, and Molly Kearney)

• Can Che go through a single Update without laughing at his awful jokes? That Clarence Thomas joke was particularly bad. And it’s the second episode in a row to have a bad Clarence Thomas joke.

• Oh shit, now it’s time for another horrendous Kenan commentary. Here, he’s playing Donkey Kong’s relative, Funky Kong, in yet another awful example of Mario movie shilling. 

• Am I the only one who thinks it’s kind of offensive that they’re having Kenan play a monkey?

• I could really do without the return of the Jean K. Jean dance break routine.

• So far, this commentary is pure cancer. I’ve said it time and time again this season, but Kenan needs to get the fuck off the show.

• What in the world is the “Monkey Kong/he’s a donkey” joke about? Did he flub a line and they just decided to leave it in to be “funny”?

• What frustrates me the most is all of the idiots in the comment section eating this shit up. Should I start compiling retarded fan comments on this blog?

• Overall, one of the worst commentaries I’ve ever seen.

• Ah, thank goodness Sarah is here to liven things up, playing a meditation guru named Genesis Fry.

• This really seems like a character that Heidi would play, but Sarah is making it work.

• We’ve gone back to the “roasting Colin” routine. I always keep expecting it to get old, but it never does. Why is that?

• Sarah briefly corpses during her line about nobody at the NBC Store recognizing who Colin is.

• Not the funniest Sarah commentary, but she’s the only person in the world who could make this material work.

• Now, Molly finally gets a commentary as themself, after being forced to play another fat guy a few episodes ago. 

• After being pleased about how SNL has wisely not made it a big deal that Molly is non-binary, they unfortunately throw that out the window with the “super special” introduction they give Molly here, where they get lowered onto the stage with wires.

• While I certainly admire the message Molly is trying to convey here, is a comedy show the right place for it? This gets me thinking about what some other reviewers have accused SNL of doing lately, by using certain female performers (like Kate, Cecily, Molly, etc.) as a “security blanket” for the audience. 

• Lots of cringeworthy clapter here. But Molly’s eternal likability is making it work.

• Molly rising from the desk with the help of wires is very Bennett Brauer-esque, and yet another example of Molly’s similarities to Chris Farley.

Sketch: Lisa From Temecula

Lisa disrupts a wedding her sister invited her to.

• Fuck, not this again. The first installment with Pedro Pascal was only a “hit” because of all the breaking. As we’ve seen in the past with Debbie Downer, trying to make a sketch recurring solely because of breaking will spell disaster. 

• I like all the airtime Molly has gotten in this episode.

• This sketch is so far just a lame rewrite of the already lame original. Oh, but she’s got a salad this time instead of a steak! Such a big difference!!!

• I kinda laughed at the line about the piece of meat looking like a Fruit Roll-Up.

• Ana is starting to smirk a little bit, but this sketch has thankfully not degenerated the same way the original one did.

• Mikey has been in almost every sketch tonight. Here he has one of his typical reacting/explaining roles.

• Ego’s line about being gay is just a worse version of her line about being black in the first one.

• Overall, this sketch is a perfect example of why certain characters should never become recurring.

Sketch: Acting School for Dogs

An acting school for good looking dogs.

• Are you kidding me, SNL? Is this Season 45 again?

• No comment on Chloe and Ana’s stupid “cute” faces.

• Also, Chloe’s name is “Donna Colonoscopini”. Can you guess who wrote this???

• The first dog they show off is already refusing to cooperate.

• That pug is not having any of Chloe’s antics.

• I have nothing to say about the awkward closeup of the dog saying “Le woof”.

• Usually these “cute animal” sketches elicit some kind of response from me, but I’ve lost all interest in them. The second half of this episode is pure murder so far.

Musical Performance: “Tus Gafitas”

Sketch: Nails

A trip to the nail salon doesn’t go as planned.

• Please kill me. Another “SILLEEE” Bowen showcase? 

• A big ol’ yawn from me at the reveal of Bowen’s long nails.

• The tape recorder bit fell flat.

• Now all of a sudden we get a random Twilight reference. What is the point?

• And this bland, underwritten sketch is how they end the season. I know this wasn’t supposed to be the finale, but it still sucks that we end things on a horrible Bowen vanity piece.

Final thoughts: The season comes to a premature end with a huge thud. The first half of the episode was merely average, but the post-Update half was a nightmare. Ana de Armas was an okay host. Not too special, but not awful.

Best sketches: American Girl, Spanish Class

Worst sketches: Funky Kong commentary, Lisa From Temecula, Nails

Stay tuned for my final overview of Season 48!!!

SNL Reviews: Molly Shannon/Jonas Brothers (4/8/23)

 Cold Open

Donald Trump invades the Last Supper to ramble on about unimportant shit.

• Nice recreation of the iconic Last Supper painting.

• I’m fairly certain that Jesus had no Chinese followers, so I don’t know why Bowen is here. 

• The casting of Molly as Judas is yet another example of their unfortunate typecasting as fat guys, but Judas’ nonverbal reaction to being dissed by Jesus is hilarious.

• All of a sudden, this is interrupted by yet another fucking appearance from Trump. UGGGHHHHH!!!! Why’d they have to do that? I kinda liked where this was heading before the interruption.

• Yawn, more of the same old tired shtick from JAJ as Trump. I don’t care how dead on the voice is. If they never switch things up, then why are we still doing these?

Monologue 

Molly Shannon talks about her new book and shares advice she learned from her dad.

• Feels weird to see Molly Shannon on the show in 2023, for some reason.

• This suddenly becomes a musical number about a minute in. Normally, I’d complain about this overused cliche, but we honestly haven’t had that many this season, so I’ll allow it.

• Ah, the two Mollys meet. I was hoping they would.

• Molly K: “Well, I’m not really in the show much tonight, so, I’m interrupting your song to get more camera time.”

• Funny brief appearance from Lorne, along with a random Martin Short cameo, because why the hell not?

• Nice touch at the end of the song with Molly shouting “Superstar!” like Mary Katherine Gallagher, who we are thankfully not getting an appearance from later. 

Sketch: Vincent’s Valets

A valet expert trains a group of beginners.

• Andrew has surprisingly gotten quite a bit of airtime so far.

• Sarah plays yet another old lady.

• James is pulling his character off flawlessly! His amazing season continues to get better.

• Kenan’s yelling antics are extremely out of place here. He really really needs to leave soon.

• Shannon’s character is very Kristen Wiig-esque. At least I think so, anyway. Her random “I’m kidding” interjections remind me of that awful Judy Grimes character Kristen plays.

• And because Kenan’s first outburst was apparently so funny, he does it again! Ugh.

Film: Selective Startage

Hack comedienne Jeannie Darcy has a new Netflix special.

• This character from Molly’s final season returns. 

• Good, corny joke about TikTok. I love the shot of the bored audience immediately after that.

• WTF?!!?? Ego is playing Arsenio Hall? Why couldn’t they let Devon Walker do it? It doesn’t help that Ego is just speaking in her normal voice without even trying to sound masculine.

• The scene with Punkie as Wanda Sykes being informed that Darcy isn’t a lesbian is pretty funny.

• Horrible Sarah Silverman “impression” from Chloe.

• While it was good to see this character again, I could have done without all the cutaways to other comedians.

Sketch: Fart Baby

A pregnant woman keeps farting.

• Bowen’s brief Marlon Brando impression was surprisingly good.

• Aaaand there goes the first fart of the sketch. I see James Anderson’s old scripts are still occasionally being used.

• Twenty minutes later, the only joke in this sketch is farting. That’s hilarious, right, guys? Guys??? Why are you all changing the channel?

Please Don’t Destroy: Molly Shannon 2K23

The guys show Molly a video game based on her life.

• Fifth episode in a row with one of these? Don’t get me wrong, I love these guys, but I wish they’d get a break.

• I absolutely love this concept.

• Funny “side quest” where Molly is on The Tonight Show making Jimmy Fallon crack up.

• I like how choosing the option to go on a tirade about cancel culture causes you to lose all of your points.

• Nice use of Molly’s Season 20 picture for the cover of “Shannon ‘95”.

• Even the brief glimpse of “Super Mario Batali” made me laugh.

• Just the fact that they have a level where she has to give her daughter the “birds and bees” talk is hilarious.

• Molly, in the game: “I’m gonna kill you, bitch!”

• They also get in some nice jabs at EA, when they say that the game has a few glitches, but they’ve heard that the next game is supposed to be flawless.

• I like the Mary Katherine Gallagher references in Molly’s rap, which once again makes me happy that she’s not going to be appearing tonight.

• Despite being overused, these PDD shorts are still reliably funny.

Sketch: The Play

A man watches a play that his girlfriend wrote.

• Nice to see Devon with a big role, but I wish it wasn’t a typical reacting role.

• Making me even more worried is that Jimmy Fowlie is credited as a writer here.

• *Bowen shows up as an annoying character* Yep, this is Fowlie, alright.

• We get our obligatory Nick Jonas sketch appearance. 

• I have not laughed at a single thing in this sketch so far.

• And there goes Kenan overacting yet again. Kenan, please get the fuck off of the show.

• Overall, blecch. 

Musical Performance: “Waffle House”

• I ain’t goin’ to no house made of no waffles! BEEEEEF JELLY!

Weekend Update (featuring Jafar, Angel Reese, and Co-Worker Who’s Extremely Busy Doing Seemingly Nothing)

• Wow, I have never heard a joke where they imply that Clarence Thomas is a rapist before! Have you????

• Bowen debuts his latest gay stereotype character, this time playing Jafar from Aladdin. All I will tell you is that it sucks like every other commentary of his.

• Thank goodness Punkie is here to liven things up. She plays LSU basketball star Angel Reese, who I’ve never heard of.

• While I have no knowledge of what Punkie is talking about in this commentary, she’s giving it her all as usual.

• Punkie, plugging a sponsor: “Garden Gnomes: Man, get yo little ass out my face!”

• Heidi introduces yet another annoying character, continuing the godawful season she’s been having. The long, overly-specific name this character has makes me worried that she’s going to become recurring.

• This character is no different than any other character Heidi has debuted on Update over the last season and a half. Is there any wonder why her detractors often call her “Vocal Fry: The Person”?

Sketch: Drug Commercial

Shenanigans are afoot on the set of a menopause commercial.

• Andrew’s great night continues!

• Another sketch that has both of the Mollys in it!

• The cast is pulling off these dance moves pretty well, but I’m not exactly laughing so far.

• All of a sudden, this sketch is interrupted by Kenan doing his tired old shtick for the millionth time. Have I made it clear this season that I absolutely hate Kenan now?

• No comment on him mispronouncing the product’s name as “Vegeta”.

• Yet ANOTHER sketch that ends with a random dance number. 

• Unfortunately, the writers’ guide on Reddit that I use for reference doesn’t say who is behind this awful sketch. The use of Kenan and the silly word substitutions make me think that Kent Sublette had something to do with it.

Musical Performance: “Walls”

Sketch: New Choreographer

The Jonas Brothers decide to switch things up by hiring an old familiar face as their new choreographer.

• I knew I was in for a rough sketch as soon as Kenan started talking in that dopey voice.

• They’re talking about a choreographer. Uh-oh, I know exactly which dreaded character is about to show up…

• Ugh, there she is. Sally O’Malley has returned. 

• Is Kenan able to go through a sketch anymore without looking like he’s about to die laughing? 

• I’m glad the audience is enjoying this, because I’m not.

• The Jonas Brothers then appear, and LOL!!! They’ve got the same outfit as Sally O’Malley!!!! Ugh…

• As if this couldn’t get any worse, we have a hacky, overused newspaper headline ending. 

• Overall, not a single laugh from me. I guess I should be counting my blessings, though, because it could’ve been worse. At least there was no Helen Madden in this episode.

Fake Ad: CNZen

An ASMR version of CNN that lulls liberals to sleep with details of Trump’s arrest.

• I liked Ego’s line about liberals basing their entire personalities on hating Donald Trump.

• Ummm, I don’t really buy Longfellow as Anderson Cooper. Alex Moffat was much better in that role.

• Sarah in drag yet again?!!?? This time as Wolf Blitzer??? Why couldn’t they let JAJ do it?

• Oh, that’s why, he’s playing Lindsay Graham.

• This was kind of boring, but I liked what it was going for.

Final thoughts: A bit of a hard episode to figure out. There was some good stuff, some average stuff, and a lot of really awful stuff. Molly Shannon, to her credit, fit right back into the cast, but there’s not a lot she could’ve done to save shit like that awful fart sketch.

Best sketches: Monologue, Molly Shannon 2K23

Worst sketches: Cold Open, Fart Baby, The Play, Heidi’s commentary, Drug Commercial, New Choreographer

Next review: The season comes to a premature end with Ana de Armas/Karol G