Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: Review, saturday night live, snl

SNL Review: Bowen Yang, Gaffigan/Walz Shine in Strong Season 50 Start

SNL Season 50 got off to a very strong start, with Jean Smart, Bowen Yang, and Jim Gaffigan's Gov. Tim Walz just some of the highlights.

NBC's Saturday Night Live kicked off its milestone 50th season this weekend with host Jean Smart (Hacks), musical guest Jelly Roll (who owned the stage during two amazing performances), three new featured players, and the unveiling of SNL's Election 2024 major players. Spoiler? If Saturday night was a sign of things to come, then SNL might just have a very excellent Season 50 on its hands. And just so there's no confusion, this wasn't just a strong show through the lens of it being the first show back from the summer break. This was the kind of show that felt like SNL had already been back for a few weeks – that's how strong the "we got this" vibe was and why it made the season opener that much more impressive. But even in a show overflowing with highlights, there were definitely some standouts…

SNL Season 50 Episode 1: Jean Smart/Jelly Roll

Bowen Yang: I don't know if the Season 50 opener was intended to be a huge spotlight for Bowen Yang, but it definitely was by the time the team took their final bows at the end of the night. In the span of ninety minutes, Yang went from playing Donald Trump's (James Austin Johnson) VP pick, Sen. JD Vance, to baby hippo Moo Deng (who channeled Chappell Roan) to Charli XCX – and that's not including his roles in other sketches. And he f**king killed it every time. In particular, Yang continues his "Weekend Update" run of playing characters that have no right being as funny as Yang makes them – and Yang's take on Charli XCX was well-developed and layered, never going for the cheap laugh with a cheap shot at the singer/songwriter.

Jean Smart: If you need an example of how an excellent comedic actor who commits fully to their roles can elevate a sketch to higher levels of comedy, look no further than the artistry that Jean Smart put on display. As was the case with Yang, Smart wasn't lacking in some really diverse roles in her sketch lineup – including portraying Chimp Crazy's Tonia Haddix in "$100,000 Pyramid." But whether she was playing Haddix, a sexed-up writer with an interesting take on writing math problems ("Textbook Writer"), Edna Bergen, the "original" actress cast in I Love Lucy ("I Love Lucy"), or one of the Real Housewives of Santa Fe ("Real Housewives of Santa Fe Dinner"), Smart never had a "wink/nod" moment where she wanted us to know that she was in on the joke with the rest of us because she's too much of a professional. No, Smart helped sell each sketch because she committed to each role, embracing the absurdity as just part of the norm – elevating the laughs in some very big ways.

"Harris and Trump Rallies Cold Open": While Season 50 will be grabbing headlines all season long, the upcoming election between Trump/Vance and Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz – and SNL's coverage of it – will be another big reason folks will be tuning in between now and November. That meant seeing who SNL had tapped to play the major players – and the long-running late-night sketch comedy and music series did not disappoint. Maya Rudolph and Johnson adjusted their respective portrayals of VP Harris and Trump to match the changing political landscape, and it was further proof that they're both the right people for the job. But actor/comedian Jim Gaffigan's Walz was the highlight of the cold open – it was pretty clear only a second into him hitting our screens that Gaffigan has been doing his homework. But then they hit us with SNL alum, actor, and comedian Andy Samberg as VP Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, Yang as Vance, and Dana Carvey as President Joseph Biden, and it became really clear that SNL is planning to make this election season a priority.

"Weekend Update": I was hoping that Colin Jost and Michael Che's subtle swagger and vibe during interviews leading up to SNL's return (and to promote the comedy special they hosted for Peacock) was a good sign that the "Weekend Update" anchors would be hitting the ground running and hitting it hard. Oh, yes -they did. Making up for lost time, Jost and Che needed less than ten minutes (not counting "interviews") to remind everyone that they are equal-opportunity comedians and that everyone is fair game. I'm still surprised that the Hitler/Trump/TikTok joke hasn't gotten more of a reaction (but, damn, it was a good one) – and I loved that Jost and Che couldn't care less about any moans from the audience. They knew they were spewing fire and it was connecting – though bonus points to Che for those moments when he calls out the audience for laughing or applauding something. We already sang Yang's praises for portraying Moo Deng, but Devon Walker also deserves props for his take on New York City Mayor Eric Adams – funny, manic, and ominous isn't an easy trifecta to pull off in only a little more than three minutes, but Walker definitely cemented himself as Adams.

Saturday Night Live Season 50 Episode 1: Jean Smart & Jelly Roll

---

Review by Ray Flook

---

8/10

NBC's Saturday Night Live kicked off its milestone 50th season this weekend with host Jean Smart (Hacks), musical guest Jelly Roll, three new featured players, and the unveiling of SNL's Election 2024 major players. Spoiler? If Saturday night was a sign of things to come, then SNL might just have a very excellent Season 50 on its hands. And just so there's no confusion, this wasn't just a strong show through the lens of it being the first show back from the summer break. This was the kind of show that felt like SNL had already been back for a few weeks - that's how strong the "we got this" vibe was and why it made the season opener that much more impressive. But even in a show overflowing with highlights, there were definitely some standouts...

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!