Saturday Night Live opens with Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) talking to reporters aboard Air Force One. From behind “curtain”, the Ambien and Adderall-riddled commander-in-chief “openly simp[s]” over his press secretary Karoline Leavitt (Ashley Padilla), brags about targeting suspected drug boats and drug planes over the Caribbean (footage from a strike reveals that the military blew up Santa’s sled), bashes the proposed sale of Warner Brothers to Netflix (“I don’t know why anyone woudl want Warner Brothers, they have one of the worst studio tours in LA”), and admits that “we should all be very worried about my health, I’m very ill”, before having Leavitt sign off with “Live from New york, it’s Saturday Night!” (Padilla, who is quickly becoming one of SNL’s most featured cast members, gets the honors.)
To call this cold open slight is giving it too much credit – Johnson’s Trump remains a winner, but there is just no meat on this bone.
Related: Saturday Night Live: melissa McCarthy hosts for sixth time but laughs are sparse## SNL Review: Travis Kelce Hosts a Night of Missed opportunities
this week’s *Saturday Night Live*, hosted by Travis Kelce, felt like a series of sketches that had promising premises but ultimately failed to land with consistent impact. The show leaned heavily into Kelce’s off-field persona, particularly his relationship with Taylor Swift, but often relied on surface-level observations rather than sharp satire.
The opening monologue saw Kelce playfully address the media frenzy surrounding his romance, but the bit felt somewhat safe and predictable. A pre-taped sketch featuring Kelce as a contestant on a dating show, judged by various NFL players, offered a few laughs, but quickly devolved into repetitive football-centric gags.
The most talked-about sketch of the night centered around a bizarre doctor character (revealed to be named Dr. Please).The strange, suspicious, and obviously inept physician delivers baffling test results to a patient with the help of his attendee and lover. O’Connor and Yang share two kisses that get big applause from the crowd, while the supposed jokes are met with icy silence.
A cozy bachelorette party at a remote cabin gets heated when one of the bridesmaids brings in “the two most sensitive strippers in the Catskills” (O’Connor and Ben Marshall), whom she found on a Sally Rooney message board. These sensitive sex workers check all of the performative male boxes: tiny beanies and cardigans, a copy of Hanya Yanagihara’s novel *A Little Life*, platitudes about being enough, and lots of tears. A solid idea, but one that could have cut a little deeper in sending up its subjects. The kiss shared by O’Connor and Marshall also feels forced.
Musical guest Lily Allenwearing a lingerie and sauntering through a moodily lit bedroom set, performs the song Sleepwalking. Then, on Weekend Update, Marcello Hernández joins the desk to talk about his Christmas traditions, including meeting new boyfriends (“You don’t like the food, Kyle, you like having sex with my cousin”), his Cuban mother guilt tripping him to give her grandkids (“You won’t give it to me because you hate me”), and his love for the holiday classic *Home Alone* (“This kid misses the plane, destroys the house, and ruins the vacation, and somehow, this movie doesn’t end with a historic ass-beating”). Most of the humor revolves around Hernández’s rapid-fire Spanish and heavily accented pronunciation of words like spider (“*ethpider*”).
SNL with Lily Allen and Jack O’Connor: A Disappointing Pre-Christmas Show
Table of Contents
Saturday Night Live’s December 14th, 2024 episode, hosted by Lily Allen and featuring musical guest Jack O’Connor, largely failed to deliver the laughs expected of the long-running sketch comedy show. The episode was marked by weak sketches and a reliance on concepts that didn’t land, leaving viewers hoping for a stronger finish to the year.
A Conceptual Misfire: “Characters on Characters”
The episode attempted a unique premise with a sketch titled “Characters on Characters,” riffing on the popular “Actors on Actors” and “Directors on Directors” formats. This sketch brought together iconic Yuletide figures – The Grinch, Scrooge, Tiny Tim (referred to as “just Tim”), Little Drummer Boy (now “Drum Daddy”), Mrs. Claus, and Grandma from “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” – for a painfully unfunny conversation. The concept, while potentially interesting, fell flat in execution, lacking the sharp wit and comedic timing SNL is known for.
Lily Allen Shines, But Can’t Carry the Show
Lily Allen’s performance was the clear highlight of the episode.She appeared both as herself and as a member of the waitstaff in a restaurant sketch, where four friends revealed hidden feelings through a rendition of Allen’s hit song, “West End Girl.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44WI45cq9Cg While Allen’s presence was appreciated, it wasn’t enough to elevate the overall quality of the show.
Sketch Struggles and a Weak Finish
Beyond Allen’s contributions, the sketches largely missed the mark. The episode concluded with the aforementioned restaurant sketch, which offered little comedic relief. The only notable laugh came from Jack O’Connor with a self-deprecating joke about his chair being a “daddy-mobile” fueled by “daddy juice,” a moment that felt isolated amidst a sea of underwhelming material.
Looking Ahead to the season Finale
Critics agree that this episode was a low point for SNL.As variety noted, the show struggled to find its footing throughout the night. https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/lily-allen-snl-review-jack-oconnor-1235836449/ With only one episode remaining in 2024,scheduled for December 21st,SNL faces the challenge of ending the year on a stronger note and delivering the Christmas miracle viewers are hoping for.
Key takeaways:
* lily Allen’s performance was the strongest element of the show.
* The “Characters on Characters” sketch failed to generate laughs.
* The episode was generally considered weak and lacked standout moments.
* SNL has one episode remaining in 2024 to improve its performance.
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