‘SNL’ Recap: Ariana DeBose, Bleachers Kick Off 2022 With Songs And Swagger

You know how sometimes people complain that Saturday Night Live, much like show business, or even like regular business, sometimes suffers from that syndrome where they’ll repeat the same thing over and over once they find something that works rather than try new ideas because they want to stick with what works? Tonight’s episode definitely felt like that. Despite having no recurring characters! Nor even multiple cast members! No Cecily Strong tonight, nor Aidy Bryant, nor Punkie Johnson nor Aristotle Athari. What they did have? Three separate sketches featuring speakers at podiums with feedback from the “audience,” and three separate sketches taking a familiar classic cultural touchstone and finding the funny in updating the references to today. Did they find the funny, though? Let’s recap!

What’s The Deal For The SNL Cold Open For Last Night (01/15/22)?

Is it weird that SNL’s President Joe Biden (James Austin Johnson) gets much wilder applause than the real Biden these days? JAJ’s Joe is certainly more fun to watch right now, especially making the case for blaming the Omicron wave of COVID-19 on how many Americans have gone to see the new Spider-Man movie in theaters! Fun fact: When I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home at my local cineplex, the only other masked person I saw in my packed theater was the person sitting next to me. So maybe the premise is valid?! At any rate. The “reporters” in the press room (Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Heidi Gardner, Chris Redd, Andrew Dismukes) try to hit back with more serious questions, but only Dismukes’s “nerd” curveball about the multiverse gets a rise outta Joe and the live studio audience. And then Pete Davidson shows up to prove how much more of a celebrity he is now, as the “real” Joe Biden, complete with a meta joke about his fame and an explanation that our universe is clearly a joke that began with the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series. Oooh, that’s a deep cut.

How Did The SNL Guest Host Ariana DeBose Do?

Ariana DeBose, by far the best performer in Steven Spielberg’s update of West Side Story, eased into her guest-hosting role, thanks to Kate McKinnon showing up in the monologue to perform a duet medley from the iconic musical.

The show never forced DeBose to do anything too outlandish, really, and she proved game for what they did throw at her. From the woman who showed up to watch an NBA game only to have to play for the Sacramento Kings when the whole team got COVID (the “NBA on TNT” sketch’s funniest sight and sound gag was boosting Bowen Yang up high to play Yao MIng in the TNT studio) to anything else.

Davidson and Sarah Sherman sure seemed like they had a lot of fun with this sketch as owners of a formal emporium, where high-school girls can rent anything they need for the prom, including the couple’s nerdy son, Donovan (Dismukes). DeBose bore witness to this in her testimonial!

Both DeBose and Chris Redd looked like they had that much fun introducing New York City’s newest mayor, Eric Adams, to the rest of America. For us here in NYC, it’s felt like a long couple of weeks already in the Adams era, but Redd’s SWAGGER carries the sketch and makes us feel like maybe we should be enjoying this change of pace to city life?

McKinnon showed up alongside DeBose two other times this episode. First, in a Sound of Music parody where McKinnon as Maria introduces DeBose as the new governess who has her own very modern takes on relating “Do-Re-Mi” to the kids.

Then DeBose and McKinnon played scholars at a Cornell lecture about the Greek poet Sappho interpreting her ancient lyrics from Lesbos into much more contemporary lesbian tropes such as moving in together very early in the relationship.

How Relevant Was The Musical Guest Bleachers?

Well, Jack Antonoff filled in as a mid-week replacement substitute for Roddy Ricch, whose entourage or some such came with the COVID, so, yeah, relevant! Antonoff’s pop-rock band, Bleachers, did put out new music during the pandemic when Antonoff wasn’t busy producing Taylor Swift’s Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated pandemic albums, so there’s that, too. Their first song, “How Dare You Want More,” definitely gave off some Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band vibes. And look, that’s his dad behind him on guitar, too!?

Speaking of Springsteen, Bruce actually appears on the recorded single version of Bleachers second song of the night, “Chinatown,” which also includes the lyric, “taking the sadness out of Saturday night.” Timely!

Which Sketch Will We Be Sharing: “Urkel Reboot”

With Peacock rebooting Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a gritty reboot, it certainly felt on the nose for a new look at Family Matters with a dark turn by Urkel, right? Right?! Chris Redd is great in the role, and Kenan Thompson as the Winslow patriarch definitely works. And yet. I couldn’t help but remember that I’ve already seen at least two other takes on Urkel in sketch comedy TV from the past decade…both from Key & Peele, as well as from Friends of the People. So this felt nice. Just not a nice surprise.

Who Stopped By Weekend Update?

Only time for one guest to visit the Update desk? Well, it’s gotta be Elmo (Chloe Fineman) to elaborate on the viral videos revealing a feud between the Muppet and a pet rock named Rocco? I don’t know. I mean, I guess. Do you get your kicks watching Michael Che interact with an actual rock?

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

At 12:56 a.m. Eastern, we’re suddenly in the kitchen of a Longhorn Steakhouse in Texarkana on New Year’s Eve. The time-and-date relevance doesn’t seem to matter so much as the place does, as DeBose and JAJ are chastised by their restaurant manager (Heidi Gardner) who keeps confusing them by saying “lurr” at the end of every sentence. Only to be upstaged by even more confusing accents by a mustachioed Dismukes who’s going for something French-ish, and Alex Moffat with his own durr-de-doo two cents. Not the wildest or craziest premise. But. You know. It’s SNL in 2022.

Who Was The Episode’s MVP?

Two different takes on an MVP for the episode. For DeBose, the obvious answer was Kate McKinnon, who clearly came to play as DeBose’s wingwoman. For sheer stage time, the answer was Andrew Dismukes, who’s getting asked to take on more of a central role in this record-settingly large cast. Will they both be as front and center next week, though?

Look who’s coming back next week….Will Forte!

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 10 of Saturday Night Live on Peacock