Despite a couple of shining moments (like the "Welcome to Hell" pre-taped song and video number and a cameo from Greta Gerwig), the show has come under fire for playing off a number of tired stereotypes.
In addition to opening the show with a dragged-out monologue about how to pronounce Ronan's first name, the show missed the mark with a late-in-the-show sketch mocking Irish airline Aer Lingus. Questionable accents, an abundance of dogs and a potato-only in-flight menu left some viewers dismayed.
Even the airline itself jokingly responded on Twitter, taking a tweet out of Donald Trump's playbook to say: "Just tried watching Saturday Night Live — unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Ronan impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad."
See some of the episode's harsher critiques via Twitter down below.
Apparently, we were written into an #SNL sketch last night! 😏 So... what did you think?
— Aer Lingus (@AerLingus) December 3, 2017
Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Ronan impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad
— Aer Lingus (@AerLingus) December 3, 2017
So let me get this straight, everyone was looking for two things:
— Gerry McBride (@GerryMcBride) December 3, 2017
1) Saoirse Ronan to not play up her begorrah and bejaysus Oirish paddywackery shtick, and
2) a Saturday Night Live sketch that was funny.
Wow, you lot don't ask much, do you?
The Brits occasionally claim Saoirse Ronan, but they never put her through that Aer Lingus sketch on SNL. Let's never speak of it again.
— 🥃Donald Clarke🎬 (@DonaldClarke63) December 3, 2017
Sheesh, someone just sent me that snl aerlingus sketchy, bit of a swing and a miss, we get it, Irish people like dogs and poetry and potatoes and our accents are funny. Classic
— JamesVincentMcMorrow (@jamesvmcmorrow) December 3, 2017
I think Saoirse Ronan is great- brilliant actress and seems bang on. The "Welcome to Hell" bit on SNL was 👌 But the Aer Lingus sketch was *awful*. Aran jumpers, potato jokes, Americans doing stage Oirish accents? Definitely expected more from SNL than that old shtick.
— Nicola Brennan (@nnibhraonain) December 3, 2017
Can you die from second-hand embarrassment? https://t.co/4MCRO4qTzZ
— Brian Lloyd (@BrianMLloyd) December 3, 2017
Lord, grant me the patience of Saoirse Ronan, who has been famous for a full decade and is still forced to make jokes about her name
— Aideen (@aideenblackwood) December 3, 2017
I'm two minutes into Saoirse Ronan's SNL monologue and so far it hasn't been about anything other than "I'm Irish and my name sounds funny."
— Hunter Lurie (@hunterlurie) December 3, 2017
Ronan is an extraordinarily talented actress. This is the only thing I ever hear her talking about on TV. Can we please help her out?
Saoirse Ronan's #SNL monologue has me cringing and gritting my teeth in equal measure, it was borderline offensive tbh. YOUR NAME ISN'T SPELLED 'WRONG' JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT ENGLISH!!! 😠
— Maolíosa (@MeterMaid26) December 4, 2017
All of that said, U2's shtick-y musical performances during the show were probably still the most embarrassing moments to watch for Irish viewers — or anyone, really.
