Nick Jonas was a great double-threat, hosting and performing two songs, and, ahead of a one-month hiatus, Saturday Night Live's cast and crew were in top form. Here's everything that happened on SNL this week.
The cold open
The cold open
Kate McKinnon's Dr. Anthony Fauci hosted a made-up game show called So You Think You Can Get the Vaccine, which featured a panel of U.S. governors as the show's judges, and also contestants vying to be vaccinated. California Governor Gavin Newsom (Alex Moffatt), New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Pete Davidson), and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Cecily Strong) each found unique ways to turn down desperate and occasionally duplicitous American citizens, each looking for a shot in the arm. Despite some fine performances and witty ways of encapsulating news from the past week, this laboured a bit for its length.
The monologue
Jersey boy Nick Jonas introduced his brother Kevin, who was sitting in the audience and, given Nick's solo outing here, nervously worrying about the future of their band, the Jonas Brothers. After assurances that the Jo Bros were fine, Nick sang us a whimsical Broadway tune about drinking in isolation, and was soon joined by Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Beck Bennett and Cecily Strong for a funny, hopeful tune about pandemic life and also impending normalcy.
Mirror Workout
Characters played by Chris Redd and Mikey Day made use of one of those mirror workout video machines with live trainers, but are disturbed by something. Conventional trainers played by Jonas and Heidi Gardner seem normal enough, but then a middle-aged woman named Shannon Delgado (Kate McKinnon) appeared to plead to be freed from the mirror portal and Pete Davidson's evil overlord, who insisted she "work." This was surreal and great.
Murder Show
In this funny remote, women from the cast sang a song about all the murder shows and podcasts they consume when left to their own devices by their partners. Kicking off with Jonas heading out for the night and Chloe Fineman launching this catchy jam, it concluded with him returning to highlight another strangely popular genre series that dominates most streaming services these days. An observational comedy sketch, this was very strong.
Cinderella
A funny bit, Prince Charming (Jonas) arrived at Cinderella's house with a glass slipper supposedly belonging to his mysterious love interest, but it was far too small for any human woman to wear. It seems he boned a mouse instead of a woman. This was also good.
Boner Next to My Friends
In another hornball bit, this clever musical number highlighted how truly strange bachelor parties are, as a group of men get together with exotic dancers and sit side by each with erect penises in an ironically homoerotic send-off. Another funny concept paired with a hooky song and catchy chorus. Good stuff.
Nick Jonas
Using some unique stage production and a 360-degree camera that allowed us to see the audience from behind, the fashion-forward Jonas made his "Spaceman" interesting television, and even recalled what a focused Kanye West used to get up to for such occasions.
With a brightly lit stage and a brighter pop song that sort of had a slicker War on Drugs vibe, complete with a sax solo by the show's own band leader, Lenny Picket, this song was also just fine.
Weekend Update
Colin Jost opened with some bits about the recently passed stimulus package while Michael Che dumped on Democrats for not being tough. Jost got a good joke in about Trump doing cocaine and railed against Ted Cruz before Che took a good shot at New Jersey. Kenan Thompson showed up as Lavar Ball, ostensibly to talk up LaMelo Ball's great play of late, but instead ranted and raved about an uncontrollable number of subjects, which was okay. Jost got in a good dig at the planned Frasier reboot before Che gave United Airlines a double blast and got in a great joke about COVID and anti-black racism. Oh man, Jost delivered an excellent joke about Cherokee Jeeps.
Cecily Strong appeared as despicable U.S. representative Marjorie Taylor Green, who was very dumb and evil, and revealed that she had a truly demonic sneeze. All told, a very strong Update this week.
Viking Voyager
Six high school students negotiate how they're going to pair up for a water amusement park. Though other boy-girl pairings are established, Kyle Mooney's "Cuck" is left to team with a giant stuffed version of the guy from the movie Soul. As the others tentatively sort out their intimate ride positions, "Cuck" is ridiculed and alienated, which was pretty good, mostly thanks to Mooney's willingness to play dutiful losers.
The Dionne Warwick Talk Show
Ego Nwodim reprised her spot-on Dionne Warwick, as the real-life elderly singer continues to charm followers on Twitter with her innocent rambling through contemporary life. Kenan Thompson's the Weeknd, Nick Jonas as himself, a loud parrot, Melissa Villaseñor's Dua Lipa, and Pete Davidson's Machine Gun Kelly all turned up to to be subjected to Warwick's blunt, unfiltered questions and hatred of Wendy Williams. This was minimal but well done.
Singles at a Bar
In a refined version of the old flirty lush she used to play with the host at the end of some episodes, Kate McKinnon appeared in a slicker lounge and we saw her and the object of her affection (Jonas) aimlessly trying to court. Comically stupid and built for the five-to-one slot, this was snappy and silly.