Beat! This week a unionized group of post-production workers at Saturday Night Live authorized a strike to speed up negotiations on their first contract, which they say talks have stalled. This group, which last year merged with the IATSE-affiliated Motion Picture Editors Guild, is responsible for the post-production of pre-recorded sketches such as music videos and commercial spoofs. The approval hasn’t turned into an actual strike just yet, so it will be interesting to see if the show relies on pretapes they’ve been keeping in their back pocket or how the aftermath will be structured with this looming strike. But the show, as they say, must go on.
This week’s episode is hosted by Michael B. Jordan, who cut his teeth on TV before breaking into Hollywood. Today he is the heir to the legendary Rocky franchise; Creed III, which he also directed, is out in March.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – “Michael B. Jordan, Lil Baby” Episode 1837 – Pictured: (lr) Musical guest Lil Baby, presenter Michael B. Jordan and Heidi Gardner at Studio 8H during promos on Thursday, January 26, 2023 – ( Photo by: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC)
Rosalind O’Connor/NBC Lil Baby, Michael B. Jordan and Heidi Gardner on “SNL”
Joining me tonight is former SNL cast member Denny Dillon, who – much like Jordan – has weaved between movies, traditional television and HBO over the years. She is currently starring alongside Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) in M. Night Shyamalan’s Servant which airs on Apple TV.
Dillon says, “Jordan is a superhero performer. He not only created superheroes like Kilmonger in Black Panther and Wakanda Forever but also in animation. He has the same seriousness in his voice that he brings to screen.”
She adds, “As a quarterback on Friday Night Lights, I felt both his heart and his strength. Having HBO in my TV background early on – six years on Dream On – I was a fan of The Wire. Jordan brought his vulnerable drug dealer role to life. Not an easy task. It’s captivating and versatile. It switches effortlessly between movies, network and streaming. I look forward to seeing him in comedy.”
SNL in review Beehive – rise!
Catch up on live updates throughout the show.
Cold open
A new sheriff is in town: Merrick Garland (Mikey Day). He has been hunting Jan. 6 insurgents and is now investigating the secret documents scandals of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. “Merrick Garland isn’t playing!” says Day with a nasal whine. He plays up the Attorney General’s demented librarian’s demeanor and underscores his claims with whiplash. Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim play special agents helping the case. Yang’s character humbly boasts about having met Barack Obama — and makes a solid impression of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This is the highlight of the Cold Open! “Look around and find out!”
The story goes on
The sketch ends with a touching moment that references the release of new videos from Memphis showing police brutally attacking Tire Nichols.
Honestly, this might be one of the strongest cold opens I’ve seen this season.
monologue
“Tonight, Michael B. is hosting, Michael B. is joking…Michael B. is vulnerable!”
The presenter points to a pretape he filmed this week which was the same location as one of his first acting jobs on All My Children! He opens up about a recent breakup and a photo of him that went viral. Not ideal, but thankfully, Michael Jordan’s iconic crying meme replaces any search for “sad” images next to the actor’s name on Google.
Chloe Fineman comes out to flirt with Jordan, and Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim also join. The latter has just put on a wedding dress! Punkie Johnson says she’s “curious” as the actor suggests he thought she was gay. “Vegans have cheat days too, right?” she jokes.
Jordan says he can take himself too seriously, so he’s looking forward to trying out live comedy. Compared to traditional TV or even film and streaming production, Dillon notes, “Saturday Night Live is a different kind of epic beast. Being funny with the electricity of live performance requires extraordinary powers. Jordan showed us he has them. I started my television career at SNL and am forever grateful for the leap into the volcano. It requires danger from an actor, wild, risky acting like Aubrey Plaza, which was sensationally shown last week.
good morning today
Chloe Fineman and Kenan Thompson present the “Cuisine With Francine” section. Sarah Sherman plays Francine, who missed yesterday’s show after being caught on a roller coaster for 19 hours. Now she looks insane, her face paralyzed after hours of windburn.
The placement of this segment at the top of the show is a sign of the show’s confidence in Sherman’s brand of comedy. She is able to make grotesque body humor appear charming and appealing. Indeed, her Francine is an impressive display of physical comedy. She is joined by Jason (Jordan), who was also on the roller coaster.
funny ending
Southwest Airlines
Southwest canceled more than 16,700 flights over several days in late December. While a massive winter storm caused the initial cancellations, the company’s outdated software systems turned what should have been a normal problem into a disaster. Now the airline is trying to remedy the situation.
Hand towel
This is a fun showcase for Marcello Hernandez, who is joined by Kenan Thompson as two towel guys at a Punta Cana resort. Almost like passing the torch. They are visited by different guests. Watch this if you want to see Marcello in the center of a scene; it’s really built around its comical energy. Michael Longfellow is also funny as the clumsy guest from New Jersey. This could be a fun recurring sketch!
district farm
Jordan plays Jake from State Farm, who slowly takes over a man’s family. Mikey Day plays the betrayed husband who slowly realizes his wife’s betrayal and goes insane. I like that this is going to be a horror movie trailer. Really fun twist with Andrew Dismukes. “He’s not a good neighbor!”
Street Fighter Voiceover
Jordan and Bowen Yang record the grunts and sound effects needed for fighting video games. While Jordan is solid, Yang’s stupid deceptions lead him astray. We’ve seen this before.
Lil Baby – “California Breeze”
This was included on Baby’s third studio album It’s Only Me and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest-charting song on the album. Solid melody and heartfelt I think, but that’s not for me.
weekend update
Colin Jost compared Donald Trump’s reinstatement “with guard rails” on Facebook to the reopening of Jurassic Park, while Michael Che compared Taylor Swift fans to Jan. 6 insurgents.
New York is set to be the country’s most expensive rental market – Che’s new bouncer, Carl (Kenan Thompson), is here to comment. “Hey Che,” he interrupts before telling a story about an awkward encounter. Six cats are looking for Che!
Vanilla Frostys are back at Wendy’s! Angel, the Girlfriend in Every Boxing Movie (Heidi Gardner) is back to debate. It’s been a minute! I think this is her first appearance on Update since 2018. She begins, frantically as usual, to talk about her boyfriend’s desperate boxing addiction and the health hazards it poses. His last fight? against belief. Adonis Creed (Jordan) joins her – he wants to take her kids to her sister! Cute.
Self-confidence seminar for men
Andrew Dismukes plays a variation on Tom Cruise’s Frank TJ Mackey in Magnolia, an “alpha” who gives sad men tips on how to talk to women. He has a scarf and rings, the whole package. Well, until a worker from Nu Water (Jordan) sits and makes fun of his forehead. The facade quickly melts away as those in attendance (played by the male performers) follow Jordan.
Bachelorette party in Palm Springs
Vince (Jordan), a firefighter (male stripper), joins a group for a fun night of debauchery. However, his wife (Gardner) shows up and causes a commotion. Hijinks follow. This is a fun companion to the male confidence sketch – this time Jordan joins the female cast. A reversal! “Push, push, push!”
Lil Baby – “Forever”
This was produced by Fridayy, Bizness Boi & Fortune. It’s a beautiful love song; that’s all!
Toyota ad
Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson are the King brothers – this is a good moment to appreciate the versatility of these two performers. Leave the Autobahn 8, exit 260! But there is a problem with the left lane. It’s the Overstock Sell-o-thon! They hate trendy chains invading their property and have a lot of animosity towards raising canes. Johnson’s daughter says her plight is a “fun mirror” that reflects the American Dream.
One note: This episode keeps reminding us how jacked and hot Michael B. Jordan is.
decline
Michael B. Jordan keeps falling as the music plays – with Andrew Dismukes as a witness. He keeps falling around 8H. It consumes him. Very silly and strange. Kyle Mooney’s 10-to-1 slot gets filled.
Final Thoughts
– Well, how did we feel about it? Vote here or weigh down.
– Thanks to Denny Dillon! Check them out in Servant! She says: “It was a completely different experience for me. I was in Stephen King’s The Outsider on HBO, so I had dipped my toes in the ominous world, but M. Night has his own signature darkness. Once during filming in Philadelphia, a crew member remarked, “Denny, you’re really funny.” And Lauren [Ambrose] said, “Denny’s been funny for a long, long time.” Saved my day.”
—Happy 45th anniversary this classic episode!
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