It’s Saturday Night!!!! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.

If you’ll indulge me for a second, I’d like to share with you my Don Pardo impression: A-MY POEHL-ER!!! No doubt about it, that’s got to be my favorite ever SNL cast member declaration from the show’s former announcer.

As fate would have it, the first time that Amy P. returned to host her old stomping grounds was also my first time reviewing SNL episodically. Maybe perhaps one day you’ll grow up to follow my example and I can be your role model. Speaking of, the musical guest for Amy’s third venture as host is a fellow who goes by the stage name of Role Model.

As for the reviewing gimmick for this episode, since our host’s last name is “Poehler” and that’s a homophone of “polar,” I’ll try to incorporate the concepts of North and/or South into my take on each sketch.

Pam Bondi Hearing: Amy plays the current U.S. attorney general, and things go South fast, which I guess was the whole premise, wasn’t it? “Klobuchar” really does sound like a Pokémon!

Amy Poehler’s Monologue: Maybe sales of low-sugar, high-tequila sodas will be going North, North, North in the wake of this episode.

The Rudemans: I bet the titular characters from this sketch would look at my North & South gimmick and go, “Okay, I guess you’re doing that.” Doncha think?

Non-Non-Alcoholic Beer: For when you want to go South by pretending to go North, lol.

Miss Lycus The Fast Psychic: I bet if you ask Miss Lycus what’s happened to all the people in the North and South Poles she’d say that they were drowned by p. bears and penguins.

The Hunting Wives Season 2: Isn’t this just what this show is anyway? I haven’t watched any episodes, so I’m not sure, though. (“Netflix” has the same first letter as “North.”)

Office Birth: This is the sort of thing that happens when you follow your North Star and don’t listen to anyone else.

Role Model, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”: I was certainly feeling North when Charli XCX strutted onto the stage, if you know what I mean.😏

Weekend Update: The Jokes: Update is always a North-and-South affair (more commonly known as “up-and-down”), and the gags about Mark Sanchez and the Nobel Prize for Literature were among those pointing in the most appreciated direction.
Weekend Update: Ronda LaCenzo: I feel like this is what happens when your compass is on the fritz while navigating the NYC Metro area.
Weekend Update: Grant & Alyssa: You can always tell that it’s Fall/Autumn when the couple you can’t believe are together start migrating South. Or do they actually fly northward? Discuss.

Experienced Lawyers: Well, now here’s a sketch that never went south, but instead just kept building and building on top of itself. (In a way that made me laugh!)

Role Model, “Some Protector”: Is plaid in style in the Northern Hemisphere this season?

Emo Mom: This is like the inversion of that family dinner sketch where Amy played one of the bratty kids that’s usually included in the SNL Thanksgiving compilation. So I guessed it switched poles, as it were.

Juilliard Masterclass: Supposed theme song composers played by Amy and Bowen Yang prefer to rap Fresh Prince-style. This is like one of those North/South aka uptown/downtown culture clash comedy sketches.

Are you in the mood for double duty?! Well, get ready, because that’s what Sabrina Carpenter is scheduled to do on Saturday, October 18, 2025. And then after that outing wraps up, we’ll catch each other on the other side.