“Saturday Night Live” is back in full swing! The show is officially a half-century old, joining a category of TV old-timers that includes “60 Minutes,” “Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Young and the Restless.” The season 50 premiere aired last Saturday and was hosted by Jean Smart, with musical guest Jelly Roll.
With any new season comes cast changes. CNN reports that three female comics left the show in late summer. Punkie Johnson announced on Aug. 1 that she would be leaving the show after four years, Molly Kearney announced their departure after two seasons the next day and then it was released on Sep. 9 that Chloe Troast would also not return after one season as a featured cast member. SNL revealed the names of three new cast members joining as featured players. Groundlings alum Ashley Padilla, stand-up Emil Wakim, and Tik-Tok comedian Jane Wickline will be the newest faces on the sketch series.
The season 50 premiere kicked off with a star-studded cold open that put a focus on the upcoming presidential election, satirizing the rallies held by candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Maya Rudolph, reprising her role as Harris, joked that her campaign was not unlike Sabrina Carpenter’s summer hit “Espresso”, saying “the lyrics are vague but the vibes slap.” Rudolph was joined on stage during the sketch by Jim Gaffigan as Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden. In the other half of the sketch, James Austin Johnson reprised his role as Trump, who in the bit was speaking at a rally of his own, with the crowd behind him slowly thinning out as he entered his third hour of speaking. Cast member Bowen Yang then appeared, playing Sen. JD Vance.
2024 marks a decade of Colin Jost and Michael Che in their role as co-anchors of “Weekend Update”. The first “Weekend Update” of Season 50 welcomed two first-time guests to the desk. Thailand’s internet-beloved baby hippo Moo Deng played by Bowen Yang and newly-indicted New York City mayor Eric Adams played by Devon Walker. Yang drew a parallel between what he portrayed as the animal’s overexposure and pop star Chappell Roan’s recent withdrawal from the spotlight, following an excess of attention on her political views as well as what she’s described as harassment and stalking from fans.
There were many standout sketches, such as “Spirit Halloween”, a commercial highlighting Spirit Halloween’s tendency to take over empty storefronts in low-income communities. Devon Walker played Michael Strahan hosting a parody of “$100,000 Pyramid”, with Kenan Thompson as Mark Robinson. In an “I Love Lucy” sketch, Smart plays a dramatic actress who nearly starred in “I Love Lucy”, hilariously showing how the 1950s sitcom would’ve faltered without Lucille Ball’s comedic touch. In the “Talk Talk” sketch, Yang’s Charli XCX hosts a bizarre, hilarious boiler room show featuring topical humor and Sarah Sherman as Troye Sivan. Musical guest Jelly Roll performed “Liar” and “Winning Streak” from his upcoming 10th studio album, Beautifully Broken. He was introduced by Smart and her Hacks co-star Hannah Einbinder.
So who’s hosting next? On Oct. 5 Nate Bargatze will host with musical guest Coldplay. Ariana Grande will host Oct. 12 with musical guest Stevie Nicks, Michael Keaton on Oct. 19 with musical guest Billie Eilish and John Mulaney on Nov. 2 with musical guest Chappell Roan.
