Everybody, it seems, loves Ted Lasso, the Apple TV+ series developed by Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis. The comedic actor who we called J-Suds before you called him Ted Lasso has won an Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe award in the past year for his portrayal of an American football coach suddenly thrust into the very different world of English football. Somehow he hasn’t hosted SNL since he left the cast in 2013. Until now. So what should we expect? What could we hope for? Would his impersonation of Joe Biden upstage newbie James Austin Johnson’s Biden? What about What Up With That?! Would that be too much to ask. Apparently not!
What’s The Deal For The SNL Cold Open For Last Night (10/23/21)?
We get right to the Oval Office, where JAJ’s President Biden receives some tough news from his press secretary, Jen Psaki (Chloe Fineman). I guess nobody watched his CNN Town Hall this week, and his approval numbers are down? Are these things true? I’ve been avoiding the “news.” Doesn’t matter. What matters is Biden misses “the old me.” Cue Jason! This is a perfect way to handle the dueling impersonations and the premise of the sketch. “I’m you from eight years ago,” Jason’s Biden tells JAJ’s Biden. “The ghost of Biden past!” In a nice touch, we even get a surprise appearance by Alex Moffat’s Biden, just to remind them and us that Lorne Michaels did give him a brief chance to play the president on the TV. “March 2021,” to be exact. Also, for as much fun as Jason seemed to have with his Biden, he’s also a great enough scene partner not to upstage the current occupant of the role. Team players!
How Did The SNL Guest Host Jason Sudeikis Do?
A sincere monologue might’ve shocked anyone who hasn’t been watching Ted Lasso. Sure, he took a crack at himself, joking this might be his first and last time hosting, but he also took the opportunity to even make this a bit of a pep talk to the live studio audience and the viewers at home or wherever, reminding all of us that our favorite SNL moments from the past 47 years have taken place in that same studio. He noted that the show changed his life twice, first as a kid watching it on TV, then later by casting him on the show, before joking that his episode probably won’t change any viewers’ lives.
We’ll see about that. After all…
He made out with Ego Nwodim on a teacher’s desk.
He showed what a male testosterone-driven version of Ellen would look like. Complete with cameo impersonations of Kyrie Irving (Chris Redd), Conor McGregor (Alex), Louis C.K. (JAJ), Jake Paul (Pete Davidson) and Gritty (Gritty). Wait. Is that the real Gritty? Can anyone buy a Gritty costume? How do you schedule a private gig for the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers? So many questions.
And he gave us an updated version of the recurring “Science Show” sketch, in which a frustrated science teacher has to put up with precocious students played by Cecily Strong and Mikey Day. Did Jason do a better job of it as Mr. Teacher than previous attempts by past hosts Adam Driver or Sam Rockwell, or by Bill Hader way back when they were parodying the real Mr. Wizard? Who’s to say? What is matter? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Definitely something the matter with the musical take on Annie’s “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,” where the servants are joined by the mysterious Ricky (Jason), who eventually reveals Daddy Warbucks keeps him around to feed secret meet to his ultra-rich cabal?
And having Jason play a variation of Thomas Jefferson asking his fellow colonial white men (Kyle Mooney, JAJ, Andrew Dismukes, Mikey, Alex) for their pitches on the Declaration of Independence gets sidetracked by Dismukes’ bid to put a treasure map on the back of it.
How Relevant Was The Musical Guest Brandi Carlile?
As a comedy person, I’m morally obligated to remind you that this week’s musical guest, Brandi Carlile, wrote a magnificent song called “The Joke” that won two Grammys in 2019 (in the Roots categories) and was up for two others in Record of the Year and Song of the Year. But Carlile has a new album which came out earlier this month, and no jokes, just rocking roots music.
First up, “Broken Horses.”
Her second song of the night was the lead single off the new album, and a song I even heard on the car radio as a certified old person. “Right On Time.” So to speak.
Which Sketch Will We Be Sharing: “What Up With That”
Obviously. With a new announcer in Mikey and new backup singers in Punkie and Melissa, Kenan Thompson’s Diondre Cole makes a stirring return to his celebrity talk show, complete with surprise cameos by Oscar Isaac, Emily Ratajkowski, Nicholas Braun. It’s the Halloween edition, so Isaac wears a pirate hat, Emily has cat ears, and Nicholas? Actually, Diondre thinks that’s his longtime foil Lindsay Buckingham in costume as Cousin Greg from Succession, instead of the real-life actor who plays him. Anyhow. Moving on, because the gang’s all here to see if J-Suds can still bring the dance moves (sorta?) and hey, look! Fred Armisen’s back, too, as the saxophonist. Some of the other current cast members make walk-on appearances, but none of them land, so let’s gloss over them.
Who Stopped By Weekend Update?
Just the devil. I mean, The Devil, as portrayed once more by J-Suds.
Jason’s Devil returns to the Update desk, this time with Colin Jost as his foil — whom he fiendishly gets in some solid digs about his marriage to ScarJo. The Devil also reveals he uses Florida as a testing ground for new ideas, keeps Tom Brady’s soul trapped in a portrait, and he takes credit for bitcoin, vaping, and online ads that take up too much of the page you’re trying to read. He won’t take credit for QAnon, though. “Hey, no! Those guys are crazy!” “Don’t drag my good name into your sick fantasies.”
What Sketch Filled The “10-to-1” Slot?
At 12:55 a.m. Eastern, we’re at the bar of a Vegas casino, where Jason and Heidi Gardner are drowning their gambling sorrows into booze when Kenan comes up from behind them with an indecent proposal. Only his proposition crosses the line from decency and then some as he cannot stick to one monetary offer to sleep with Heidi’s character; one moment, it’s $5 million; the next, $10,000.
Who Was The Episode’s MVP?
When an SNL alum comes back to host, they’re usually counted on to carry the load, if not also steal the show. Everybody loves a good comeback and some nostalgic recurring characters. Jason Sudeikis did not disappoint on those grounds. It was slightly disappointing, on the other hand, to see the cast’s female contingent confined to the sidelines this episode. It’s almost as if the men shat themselves trying to get all the screen time for themselves. IYKYK
We’re off on break next weekend for Halloween. See you back here Nov. 6 when Kieran Culkin hosts with musical guest Ed Sheeran!
Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat for his own digital newspaper, The Comic’s Comic; before that, for actual newspapers. Based in NYC but will travel anywhere for the scoop: Ice cream or news. He also tweets @thecomicscomic and podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.
Watch Season 47, Episode 4 of Saturday Night Live on Peacock