After last week’s slightly languid “Saturday Night Live” episode hosted by Mikey Madison, there was no doubt that Jack Black needed to bring the energy and boy, did he not disappoint. Following a pretty standard cold open featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump announcing his tariffs, as well as yet another appearance from Mike Myers as Elon Musk, Black took to the main Studio 8H stage as if he was being shot out of a cannon.
Though initially unsure if he should take another spin as host, the band playing Aerosmith’s “Back in the Saddle” prompted Black to grab a mic and use the entire studio as his stage. Not only could Bill Burr and Kieran Culkin (both currently in the Broadway revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross”) be seen in the crowd, but if you look closely, a few faces from “School of Rock” were visible as well.
Though all of Black’s live sketches offered at least a few giggles, if not an outright cackle, the one that really showed off his comedy chops was a pre-taped bit that doubles as a commercial for both Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and the hemorrhoid treatment Preparation H. While the conceit is funny enough, Black’s over-the-top presentation and forceful enthusiasm for the combination of both products brings the gag to a whole other level, making this one of the best commercial parodies “SNL” has done in quite some time.
While “The Lonely Island” is no longer a full-time part of “SNL,” their impact on the show has remained, with pre-taped musical sketches now a staple of the variety series. Not all of these bits have landed in the absence of “The Lonely Island,” but last night’s “Goth Kid on Vacation” was top tier, harkening back to the glory days of “I’m On a Boat” and “Dick in a Box.” Featuring Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim as a Jamaican singing duo, the song is a jaunty ear-worm that recalls the one sibling in most families unable to enjoy an easy-going vacation in paradise. Michael Longfellow is hilarious as the eponymous goth kid, with Black offering a killer emo-inspired solo in the middle of the song as well.
Colin Jost and Michael Che have been delivering 3-pointers all season at the Weekend Update desk, proving why they’ve been mainstays on the show for over a decade, but last night, Nwodim ate them both up for a bit that recalled the Def Jam style of stand-up comedy from the 1990s. Referencing the recent news that Trump’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner would break with tradition and not feature a comedian as host — even after Amber Ruffin had already been announced for the job — Nwodim decided to offer her own skills to show that you can still be funny without referencing politics. Instead, Nwodim’s jokes focused around the food being served at the function and not being able to find a good man. Things went off-the-rails when she tried to get the audience to participate, proving that sometimes the best part of “SNL” are the moments you can’t plan for.
Again, all of the live sketches last night were better than many featured during “SNL 50,” purely based on Black’s own strong sense of timing, as well as the cast’s comfort working with a true professional who is on their level or higher. However, the one that stood above the rest came a bit later in the evening, with Black playing a band leader performing on a pier near “Bass Lake.” As he offers others to join him on stage for a rendition of Tom Petty’s “Freefallin’,” a host of what we’ll politely call “gator-trash” appear, ready to perform. The only problem is that they all insist on playing bass, a notion that soon gets out-of-hand, as the intensity of the sound begins to compromise the structure they’re standing on.
“Saturday Night Live” returns next week, April 12, with host Jon Hamm and musical guest Lizzo.
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