SNL: Miley Cyrus, Elon Musk, Cecily Strong (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

Happy Mother’s Day! How come Richard Roundtree has never hosted SNL? Instead, this Mother’s Day Weekend, the host is Business Man Elon Musk, whose booking reminds me of that of Steve Forbes (i.e., Teve Torbes) in 1996. Musk is famously Not-A-Comedian, but can he successfully appear in funny comedy sketches? I have decided to find out. Miley Cyrus is the musical guest. She likes to appear on this show frequently!

I received my second COVID vaccination dose approximately 16 hours before I began watching this episode. I think the shot made me especially hungry, so it helped that I had a hearty breakfast that included some combination of eggs, strawberries, crumbs, and other nutrient-packed selections.

Now onto the part of the review where I talk about the sketches! The Cold Opening (Grade: 3.5/5 Mothers) features Miley Cyrus singing a song and the cast members bantering with their moms. It all culminates with a quite-possibly-record-breaking 36 people declaring, “LFNY,ISN!” at the same time.

During his Monologue (Grade: Vaguely Chill), Elon Musk asks, perhaps rhetorically, “Did you think I was also gonna be a chill, normal dude?” The implication here is that his lack of chill is why people don’t like him, and maybe that’s true to some extent, but I suspect it also has a lot to do with his anti-union and COVID-misiniformation stances. Despite all that, his intro to the SNL crowd was actually kind of amusing and somewhat self-aware (perhaps self-aware enough for him to re-evaluate his more dangerous ideas?).

The Gen Z Hospital sketch (Grade: Z-Minus) seems to be lampooning Gen Z stereotypes, but honestly? Nobody I know who’s currently in their teens or early twenties talks anything like that. Really, hardly anybody I know of any age talks like that, although the slang that falls out of their mouth does strike me as fairly millennial. Less “Gen Z” Hospital, more “Who Are These People?!” Hospital.

Every Conversation With People You Haven’t Seen Since Quarantine Started (Grade: 3/5 Cousins) is just so dang angsty. I can barely handle it!

Has SNL ever had an Icelandic talk show sketch before this episode? I know Finland’s been covered before. And Iceland has certainly been lampooned in other formats. Well, there’s a first time for everything, or if not everything, then at least this thing, this thing being The Ooli Show (Grade: Gray Sack Dress Energy). I think the funniest part was the odd pronunciation of Frances McDormand’s name, so take from that what you will.

I am originally from Southeastern Pennsylvania, and have written many SNL reviews while stationed in the region, so the Mare of Easttown parody Murdur Durdur (Grade: 3.5/5 Hoagies) rang mostly true to me. The Philly Phanatic and Gritty both in the same sketch? Can’t complain about that!

Miley Cyrus has performed several of her own songs on SNL before, but this time, she brought along a fellow who goes by the moniker The Kid LAROI, and they sang his song “Without You” (Grade: 3.5/5 Oh-Ohs). I must say, Miley did a fine job pulling off some one-decade-younger energy. (The Kid LAROI is 11 years younger than her, after all.)

In case you’re wondering what made me laugh during Weekend Update, I’ll mention the jokes about Joe Biden being a wax figure president and the Goop Grass & Moss Diet.

Now is the section of the review where I talk about the Update guest correspondents, including, first of all, Ego Nwodim as Pauline (Grade: 4/5 Mr. Splash Mountains), who we’re introduced to as a Weary Mother in Her Darkest Hour after taking her kids to Disneyland. I am happy to declare that this is some of Ego’s finest work. Her frustration is pointed and unique, and that leads to laughter.

Elon Musk (the host of this episode) shows up behind the desk as a fellow named Lloyd Ostertag (Grade: Plummeting Cryptocurrency Futures) basically just so that Michael and Colin can ask, “What is dogecoin?”, something that a lot of people have been asking lately.

Kyle Mooney showed up once again to do his Baby Yoda (Grade: 3/5 Pointy Ears), and I found myself wondering about the mechanics of the puppetry more than usual. I would watch a behind-the-scenes video about that!

The Wario trial (Grade: 3.5/5 8-Bit Sound Effects) had enough weird touches to justify its existence, particularly Pete’s Andrew Cuomo strolling on at the end for some message about Italian-American defamation. (Satire?) But weirdest of all was the person playing Princess Peach, whom I was struggling to identify until the Goodnights when I realized that it was Musical Person/Elon Musk Romantic Partner Grimes. What a world we live in!

I’m always happy to see Pete Davidson show up as Chad, and I doubt I’m the only one. Thus I give high marks to The Martian (Grade: 4/5 Okays), in which Chad makes his debut on the red planet while also suffering from sweaty balls and becoming the father of Miley Cyrus’ baby. What more can you ask for!

For her second musical number, Miley performs one of her own songs, and in fact, it’s the title track off her latest album, “Plastic Hearts” (Grade: 3.5/5 Californias). The dress she had on was even bigger than her!

The Western-themed Pearl River Gang sketch (Grade: 3/5 Cravats) was rather odd, and I’m not sure what its joke was beyond “Elon Musk as a cowboy,” although I will admit I laughed at that “self-driving horses line. Where did that vulture come from at the end?

Delivering the laughs next week will be Keegan-Michael Key, the first of two hyphenated hosts in a row. Providing the tunes will be Olivia Rodrigo, who interestingly enough was the subject of a recent SNL sketch.