‘SNL’ Recap: Keegan-Michael Key Is Joined By Olivia Rodrigo And … The Muppets?!?

No matter how much I wished for Saturday Night Live to be audacious enough to actually do the bathttub-in-the-kitchen apartment tour sketch as a meta-wink (see Keegan-Michael Key’s character arc in Don’t Think Twice), I have to wrestle with the reality that SNL will never be that audacious. But there’s still plenty of hope for this episode, as Key is a sketch stalwart, who somehow never got the time of day from SNL. His partner in comedy from MADtv to Key & Peele, Jordan Peele, did get a look back in 2008-9 when Lorne Michaels needed a Barack Obama impersonator. Narrator: Peele did not get the job. Second Narrator: Key & Peele made hay with that thanks to Key’s anger translations of Peele’s Obama. But no hard feelings here! In fact, Key was over the moon delighted to be part of SNL this episode.

What’s The Deal For The SNL Cold Open For 5/15/2021?

We open with Dr. Fauci (Kate McKinnon) providing us all with the latest federal guidelines on wearing a mask, since if you’ve been paying attention to the news, that changed quite a bit in the past week. We can now go without masks outside if we’re vaccinated. Or not? Confusing, right? Bring in “The CDC Players” to demonstrate the different scenarios and protocols. Except when the SNL cast does it, of course, each scenario ends with a whammy. Aidy Bryant figures she deserves to catch COVID since she was in a bar with Beck Bennett at 11 a.m. Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim decide their horniness trumps safety on an airplane flight. A large gathering outside seems safe, but what if it’s the U.S. Capitol and they’re rioters? You get the idea. I didn’t even try to explain the hot dog LGBTQ alliance bit, or did I? It gets more perverse from there. I suppose mocking awkwardly-acted safety demonstrations is usually great comedy fodder. Maybe I was just lulled by the length of these bits and needed them to get to the zingers quicker, a la Laugh In! Wait. Am I really that old that I suggested SNL follow Laugh In!’s format? I guess so. Moving on.

How Did The SNL Guest Host Keegan-Michael Key Do?

“Everything’s coming up Keegan!” Keegan-Michael Key emerged in black-tie, which even a costume change could not deny, and declared his intentions to make the most of his dream gig hosting the show. After a couple of quick gags involving people mistaking Key for Peele or for Kenan Thompson, Thompson stuck around alongside Cecily Strong to sing the rest of the monologue with Key. Including this bit, Key would sing three different times during the episode with Strong, which makes sense, because they spent the winter filming an entire musical comedy series together, the upcoming Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+. The other musical numbers? One had Key as DJ Balls in a duo with Strong’s recurring British character, Gemma, to serenade Gene (Kenan Thompson) at a T.G.I.Friday’s for his birthday party that took a twist when his wife left him as soon as she got vaccinated.

The other had Key, Strong and Kate McKinnon as elderly stars singing whatever words they could remember from George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm” in a Kennedy Center tribute.

Key also held court as “super” senior Shneeb reporting on the high school prom in his third year of trying to pass pre-algebra, as well as Michael Jordan in outtakes from last year’s docuseries, The Last Dance, in which we learn how MJ’s obsession with payback wins led to the demise of his friend and longtime security guard John Michael Wozniak (played by Heidi Gardner). I must admit that having done a deep dive on the real guy, it made it more difficult for me to laugh along with their mockery. Wozniak died last year of cancer just before the docuseries debuted. The short film did have solid turns, however, from Chris Redd as Dennis Rodman and Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley.

How Relevant Was The Musical Guest Olivia Rodrigo?

This season previously paid tribute to Rodrigo with all the fellas belting out her lyrics to “Drivers License” just two months ago.

So of course she performed it. Since I’m not a teenager, I didn’t know that 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo already was a Disney star, from the past series Bizaardvark and the new series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Disney strikes again with another teen heartthrob pop star!

She also performed her new song that just came out with a music video two days ago, “good 4 u.”

Which Sketch Will We Be Sharing: “The Muppet Show”

Usually this slot is filled by a short film (such as The Last Dance outtake), but when you figure out a way to bring the Muppets back into the SNL fold, you’ve got everyone’s attention. In real life, Jim Henson’s Muppets were part of the very first SNL episode. And Lily Tomlin was a guest star on the real Muppet Show. Here, though, we’re treated to Melissa Villasenor as Tomlin, alongside a Kermit impersonator (Kyle Mooney), while oversized Statler and Waldorf heads in the balcony (voiced by Mikey Day and Beck Bennett) did their usual heckling thing. Only this time, venue security guards played by Kenan Thompson and Keegan-Michael Key weren’t having it. In fact, they’d beat up Statler and Waldorf! Don’t worry. This all has a happy ending, and even a happy middle, as Thompson and Key both broke character momentarily they were having so much fun.

Who Stopped By Weekend Update?

Kate McKinnon appeared first as embattled Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, newly ousted by her fellow Republicans from her slot as the third-ranking officer in the party’s House of Representatives. That’s despite Cheney embodying the very principles of a conservative woman: “Blonde. Mean.” Oh well. At least she has so many supporters in the Republican Resistance. Her list wants to remind me of Stefon. And yet. Different party.

Andrew Dismukes gets an Update as himself?!? For his first Update bit, he informs us that he’s a proud Texan, even if the things he thinks Texans are known for aren’t much to brag about. One thing he can brag about: Growing up knowing his great-grandmother. Whom everyone called Old MawMaw. She was the only family member with cable TV, tho? So that meant a priceless memory he shared with her of watching the Disney movie Blink! about in-line skating gangs. Good thing this audience is all about the Disney, thanks to Olivia Rodrigo. The kids on social media also seem to be loving the Dismukes! More Dismukes for the kids!

What can horse trainer Bob Baffert say in defense of his Kentucky Derby winner that got caught using drugs? Beck Bennett as Baffert offers plenty of alternative realities, while admitting to the basic truth: “Do I look like a shady character to you?”

What Sketch Filled The “10-to-1” Slot?

At 12:55 a.m. Eastern, we’re in the gym for the Eastern Valley High School Commencement, with Alex Moffat as the presiding principal, having to remind the parents to hold their applause, to no avail. The misdirect of the sketch is that they want you to think it’s racial, until late in the game when the white families join in the excessive cheering, and the bottom falls out of the premise when one of the parents begins insisting the principal is “a kid toucher.” Not sure how this passed muster, but at least it got all the rookie cast members involved. Besides, Simon did promise a back flip. Why you bugging?

Who Was The Episode’s MVP?

If nothing else, you’re left with a big old tease for whatever Key and Cecily Strong have cooked up for their Apple TV+ series this summer. But it’s still Kate McKinnon who kept the good ship SNL from sinking tonight, what with her anchoring the cold open, kicking off the Update characters and bringing her usual gusto to a sketch in which she plays a legendary actress of stage or screen.

Key almost left us thinking it was the season finale during good-nights, but oh no, that’s next week. With guest host Anya Taylor-Joy and musical guest Lil Nas X, so you know it’ll be a banger!

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 Saturday Night Live, Season 46, Episode 19 on YouTube