May 23, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Season Recaps, Television
Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50, SNL50
CREDIT: NBC/Screenshots
Oh wow, did you notice that Saturday Night Live Season 50 recently ended? Whenever that happens, I like to reflect upon the goings-on at Studio 8H from the past several months. What sketches stuck with me the most? What Weekend Update lunatics are most worthy of discussion? Was the music any good?
So here’s how that’s going to go down this time: First I’m going to consult The SNL Archives and my own weekly reviews, and maybe re-watch a few sketches if I have time. Then I’m going to report to you, dear readers, what made the most lasting impressions on me. And please let me know how SNL50 made you feel as well! (And keep your eye on this space in the months to come in case I realize later that there was something that I forgot to mention.)
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May 18, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Bad Bunny, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, Scarlett Johansson, SNL, SNL Season 50
What is the 50th best things about these people? (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.
Congratulations to all those 50s out there! Yes, the rumors are true, Saturday Night Live has now fully and undeniably completed its 50th season. In the course of doing so, it featured a finale guest lineup of 7-time host Scarlett Johansson and three-time musical guest Bad Bunny. So in honor of ScarJo, I’ll be reviewing each sketch and segment by metrics of seven. So for example, I might convey a grade of “3 out of 5 Seven Deadly Sins.”
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May 11, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Arcade Fire, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50, Walton Goggins
Arcade Goggins (also Ego) (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.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in the universe! Did you spend part of the holiday watching the newest Saturday Night Live? I sure did! It’s a great idea if Mom loves to laugh.
The 2025 Mother’s Day edition of SNL was hosted by Walton Goggins, whom you might recognize in recent months from The White Lotus or The Righteous Gemstones. He was also in a pretty entertaining movie called The Luckiest Man in America! Or perhaps you remember him from back when as the primary antagonist on Justified. But I think I like him best for the short-lived sitcom The Unicorn.
The musical guest was the rock ‘n’ roll band Arcade Fire, whom you might remember from their five previous appearances on the show, dating all the way back to 2007. I wonder what 18-year-olds who weren’t alive at that time think of them?
Seeing as it is Mother’s Day, I’m going to review each sketch and segment by asking: Would Mom like this sketch? Now, of course, there are many different moms out there, and not all of them have the same sensibilities. So one mom might love a sketch that another absolutely hates. But I’ll do my best anyway.
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May 4, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Benson Boone, Quinta Brunson, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50
When Benson met Quinta, and also Sarah (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.
May the 4th be with Quinta Brunson and Benson Boone. Or more technically, May the 3rd be with them. But May the 4th be with me, and with all my readers, because I watch SNL and write my reviews on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
This is Quinta B’s second time hosting, and wackily enough, her main gig of Abbott Elementary is currently on summer vacation, although I suppose she can promote getting caught up on her show streaming. As for Benson B, he’s one of those newly minted pop hitmakers that you’ve probably encountered even if you don’t follow the Top 40, since he really goes after that high note on his big hit.
This is one of those weekends when I annually run a 10-mile race, so based on that theme of speed, I’ll be reviewing the sketches and segments in this episode with one word each.
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April 13, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Jon Hamm, Lizzo, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50
About last 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.
Here we go, it’s time to review another episode of Saturday Night Live! And just like last week’s edition, we’ve got a dude hosting for the fourth time after more than a decade since his third. But unlike Thomas Jacob Black, Jonathan Daniel Hamm has made plenty of cameo appearances in the intervening period. And as for the songs, well, fourth time’s clearly the charm, because Melissa Jefferson (better known as Lizzo) is also making her fourth appearance as musical guest.
In honor of one of Jon Hamm’s most classic SNL sketches, I’m going to review each segment of this episode by declaring if it’s More Hammy or More Bubbly. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, it all depends on the context!
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April 6, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Jack Black, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50
a group of April Foolz (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.
Happy April, everybody! And I’m not fooling when I say that.
The reason I’ve assembled you all here today is to convene in the wake of the April 5, 2025 episode of Saturday Night Live, which was hosted by Jack Black, along with the two-for-one musical guest combo of Elton John and Brandi Carlile. It’s been 19 years and 4 months since Mr. Black last hosted, and that was one of my favorite SNL episodes ever. As for Mr. John and Mrs. Carlile, they’ve both graced the 30 Rock stage with their presence before, but never yet combining forces! So there’s plenty worth getting excited about here.
Since this is the first episode of April this year, I’m going to take inspiration from that old axiom of “April showers bring May flowers” and review each sketch and segment by concluding whether they’re more like showers, or more like flowers. That’s not to say that one is good and the other is bad – instead, it all depends on all the context.
And, away… we… go:
Trump Tariff Speech: More than a shower, this is a steady rain that keeps on persisting.
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March 30, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Mikey Madison, Morgan Wallen, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50
three human beings standing on a TV stage looking at the camera (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.
March 2025 is almost March Twenty-Twenty-Goodbye, but there was still time for SNL to get one more new episode in this month. Serving as Mrs. The Host was Freshly Minted Academy Award Oscar Winner Mikaela Madison Rosberg (better known as Mikey), and checking in as the Music Dude was Morgan Wallen. This was her first time on Studio 8H, while he was previously there one time before, and almost there one other time before that.
I’m getting over what I believe is a cold, so I’m going to revisit a reliably reliable reviewing strategy and review this episode by transcribing the notes I took while watching.
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March 9, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Lady GaGa, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50
Talkin’ ’bout the goo-goo, talkin’ ’bout the Gaga (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.
Here’s the deal: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (better known by her stage name Lady Gaga) has memorably appeared multiple times on the sketch and variety show Saturday Night Live. And she did it again on the episode that began airing on March 8, 2025. Indeed, she served as both the host and the musical guest. She can’t help but keep herself busy, I reckon.
Because this episode aired on the eve of my birthday, and I’m writing the review on my birthday, I will be reviewing it by determining what was the most *festive* part of each segment.
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March 2, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, Shane Gillis, SNL, SNL Season 50, Tate McRae
Something seems fishy* (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)
*-That’s a pun based on the host’s last name
Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.
It’s a case of the Terrible Twos! Shane Gillis and Tate McRae are both in their SNL Toddler Era, as they simultaneously make their sophomore guest appearances on the March 1, 2025 episode.
Since this is the first episode after the 50th anniversary special, I’m going to review it by discussing whether or not I think each segment will end up being spotlighted in the 100th anniversary special.
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February 16, 2025
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 50, SNL, SNL Season 50, SNL50, SNL50 The Anniversary Special
Thank you, 50 SNLs (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…
…but this time I’m liveblogging the 50th Anniversary Special! I’ll be tossing off some thoughts for each segment as they arrive. Please join me and watch and read along, if you please.
For context, in the past several weeks, I’ve also been consuming some other 50th Anniversary coverage, like the series of documentaries on Peacock; the SNL music documentary directed by Questlove; the concert special at Radio City Music Hall; and plenty of articles on various websites, newspapers, and magazines. I haven’t finished all of that yet – it may just be enough to last me another 50 years!
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