Saturday Night Live Recap: Colman Domingo Brought The Vibes

Colman Domingo has a fantastic energy, and that’s what his recent performance was all about. He explained that his home always has a great atmosphere, and he wanted to bring that same cozy, welcoming feeling to the 30 Rock studio. He set the scene with music, lighting, and a warm smile.

You might not know the name Colman Domingo, but you’ve likely seen his work. He’s been nominated for an Oscar for his roles in films like Rustin and Sing Sing, and many believe he should have been nominated for If Beale Street Could Talk. He’s also appeared in shows like The Walking Dead spin-off and the popular series Euphoria, which he was discussing during a recent monologue. During that monologue, Domingo playfully predicted how people would recognize him, based on their age and interests. He joked, “If it’s a young woman or someone older, they probably know me from Euphoria.”

What really stood out was the positive energy Domingo brought to the show. He was so calm and self-assured that you wouldn’t even know it was his first time hosting! He also gave each character a unique personality, even when they were similar – often sophisticated or wise men with funny names like D’Artagnan Meringue and Henry Debris. For example, in a sketch about a robbery, he played a fashion professor who criticized the robber’s style rather than his crime, warning everyone to look out for a “mess.” The other cast members also delivered great lines, like Chloe Fineman’s observation that some colors were “bold, but couldn’t get her in bed,” and Marcello Hernandez’s quip that certain colors declared, “Mama raised a dumbass.”

Domingo portrays a more unconventional professor in the sketch about a prep school. While it’s not as strong as some other parodies of Dead Poets Society, like “Farewell Mr. Bunting,” it’s still fun to watch the students interact and playfully apply the film’s themes to their math class. Not every part of the show was a hit, but most of it worked well, and the creative choices—particularly with Domingo leading the cast—really paid off.

Here are the highlights:

Artemis II

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=FOI8vLhRzkE

Astronaut Domingo is filming a video log during the Artemis II mission, attempting to describe the amazing experience of being in space. However, his crewmates keep playfully floating into view and disrupting the recording. The footage is delightfully charming, much like the real crew themselves. Most of the humor comes from the way the video is shot – focusing on the crew from the waist up – and the clever effects used to simulate floating, like Sarah Sherman comically spinning after accidentally unsticking from her sleep restraints. There are even little details like a hand briefly appearing to place a hat on Marcello’s head as he tries a silly trick, which is all part of the fun. And let’s not forget the impressively realistic floating snot bubble!

What If I Told You

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=7WcySx1ssrs

Okay, I’m not promising this show will click with everyone, but it totally grabbed me, even with all the unexpected twists – that first reveal with the ‘man-table’ genuinely surprised me! The main character, Domingo, reminded me so much of Jonathan Frakes hosting Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction – he’s constantly dropping these ‘what if’ scenarios, but then gets visibly upset when things start falling apart. He even has this great line, basically admitting he can switch things between being an object and a person at will. And honestly, the ending really worked for me, especially thanks to Andrew Dismukes’s really genuine delivery of a line like, “What if I told you you’re not [pathetic]?” It just landed perfectly.

Weekend Update

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=4lkuq7Gg2AM

Saturday Night Live’s ‘Update’ segment continues to be the most effective way to respond to current events – especially compared to this week’s weak opening sketch, which didn’t land at all. Trying to compete with the president’s recent, unbelievable statements about Iran by simply showing Trump ranting to his press secretary wasn’t particularly insightful. What was effective, though, was when Colin Jost created a fake, but completely plausible, Trump tweet promising to aggressively confront Iran, and ending it with a ‘salam alaykum.’ I have to admit, it fooled me!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=a_TGrd4Vq4g

I really enjoyed how quickly the host and Che found their rhythm, especially when they were riffing on Trump, Vance, and even Netanyahu at the start. The guests were a bit hit or miss, though they had some funny bits. First, Kam Patterson and Marcello came on – they felt like the guys who usually hang back, mixing talk about the economy with some pretty juvenile jokes. Even Jost joined in with a similar joke, though his version – “fat nuts” – seemed to leave Che pretty confused!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=vtbfqr4n658

Next, Jane Wickline appeared as a self-proclaimed Gen-Z expert on sex, which felt ironic given her persona. While the bit got a few laughs, it didn’t quite capitalize on either her unique performance or the interesting idea that young people today are less sexually active.

Grandpa’s Wake

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=IHhNKpb21vY

The show features Jeremy Culhane and Marcello as brothers who discover a surprising secret about their grandfather: he was a sex worker. From the start, the episode is incredibly well-executed, with each actor delivering a strong performance. Ashley Padilla is particularly outstanding, playing her role with subtle brilliance. She has some of the most impactful scenes, gently dismantling her children’s idealized image of their grandfather, and her line, “You keepin’ it one hundred?” is a highlight. While a cameo by Jost as a pimp felt unnecessary, he handles the scene well, continuing a trend of offering work to Marcello but dismissing Jeremy.

Beastomorphs

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=y7FlyhsmsZw

As a big fan of Animorphs, I immediately loved this sketch. While it doesn’t use the original characters or aliens (I miss the Yeerks!), it captures the same core idea and feels like the classic Nickelodeon show from the late ’90s. The timing is great too, with the recent announcement of a new adaptation produced by Ryan Coogler. The sketch itself isn’t complex – it mostly revolves around Sarah Sherman’s character hilariously getting stuck mid-transformation due to a sneeze and a fart – but I enjoyed it immensely, because of my fondness for the source material.

Cut for Time

I don’t know Anitta very well, but I really liked both of her songs, particularly “Várias Quejas.” The stage design for that song was excellent, and the whole performance had a great atmosphere!

Jeremy Culhane was the target of many jokes during tonight’s show. He was teased for not lighting up properly during the opening monologue and also received playful insults from several performers. He handled it all with grace.

Honestly, the cold open didn’t really land for me – none of the impressions were laugh-out-loud funny. But I have to say, James Austin Johnson’s little comment about Ashley Padilla playing Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, and Karoline Leavitt was brilliant. He delivered it so deadpan, completely in character, and it was just a really clever observation. It was a small moment, but definitely the highlight for me.

• Speaking of Johnson, his pimp character was amazing.

The premise of Black barbers unexpectedly becoming therapists for white men has potential, but I only found the nicknames ‘Jeffrey Dahmer’ and ‘Lil Epstein’ genuinely funny. It says a lot about the show’s quality that even this less-successful episode was still pretty good.

Iran doesn’t appear to understand their limited leverage. They control a vital waterway – the Strait – which gives them some power, but it’s a risky position.

• “I’m sure wherever he is, he’s looking up at those girls smiling.” “Looking up?”

Tommy Brennan would be an ideal choice to play an older version of Jake from Animorphs – if the character were around 30 years old. His hair is exactly right for the role.

• I figured those goodnights would get cut off, but still, it was a particularly brutal one.

2026-04-12 20:55