Saturday Night Live Recap: SNL Is Figuring Out Olivia Rodrigo’s Sense of Humor

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It’s no surprise that pop stars often host Saturday Night Live. They’re comfortable performing for a live audience, have a dedicated fanbase, and many have already been on the show as musical guests. That’s why we see a consistent stream of pop stars hosting each season – you might even imagine Lorne Michaels sending them an invitation! So, with a new album coming out and previous experience on the show, Olivia Rodrigo was a natural fit to host and perform on last night’s episode.

The show struggled last night because it expected Olivia Rodrigo to be good at everything a pop-star host does. While Rodrigo is a talented singer-songwriter with a charming personality and a good sense of humor, she’s not a naturally broad comedic performer. She excels in subtle, clever moments, but isn’t suited for the big, energetic comedy—like musical impressions or physical gags—that hosts like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, or Lady Gaga deliver so well.

The show’s decision to feature Olivia Rodrigo in wildly comedic sketches felt especially strange. While the opening sketch – a soap opera parody where her character pushes people down the stairs – wasn’t a bad idea on its own, it cast her as an over-the-top villain, which didn’t suit her well. This pattern continued throughout the night, with Rodrigo appearing in a silly Shop TV sketch, attempting a Southern accent and delivering obvious suggestive jokes. She even starred in a musical parody based on The Isley Brothers and Trapped in the Closet, playing a potentially unfaithful girlfriend opposite Marcello Hernández – a challenging role for any sketch performer. It wasn’t that Rodrigo performed poorly, or wasn’t willing to try – it just became increasingly clear that the show wasn’t highlighting her actual talents. This was disappointing, as she clearly has a lot to offer!

Luckily, we had a few great moments last night where our host was really shining. Here’s what you missed:

My Room

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=C56q32NwESY

I have to say, this is probably the best example of Rodrigo’s subtle comedic talent I’ve seen. This installment of Dan Bulla’s Midnight Matinee is just wonderfully bizarre – the idea of Rodrigo’s character being stuck in a human zoo run by alien bug-people is already wild, but they really lean into the details. Like, the bug-people put on an all-bug version of A League of Their Own for her, and she actually falls for one of the bugs who’s protesting the zoo! There are some truly unforgettable moments, like when she gets tranquilized after a bug kid wanders into her space, and James Austin Johnson shows up as a potential love interest. It’s so strange and charming, and Rodrigo absolutely nails her performance.

My Ex

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=u-CoAXse1YM

Saturday Night Live seems to make room for an Ashley Padilla sketch every week, and it’s a welcome addition. This particular sketch starts with a slightly confusing setup – four people at a birthday dinner are seated in pairs – but it quickly doesn’t matter once Padilla gets going. She and Ben Marshall play exes attempting to make each other jealous by pretending to date other people (Tommy Brennan for Rodrigo and Padilla for Marshall). Their physical comedy is fantastic, and a perfectly timed moment – mashed potatoes falling from Padilla’s face into her champagne – solidifies the sketch as a highlight of the show.

Weekend Update: Alix Earle and Alex Cooper on Their Brewing Feud

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=mlg5RAW9YSM

Okay, so this Update desk piece was hilarious! Veronika Slowikowska and Chloe Fineman totally nailed their impressions of Alix Earle and Alex Cooper, explaining that whole silly internet thing to Michael Che. Honestly, even if you weren’t following the drama, the sketch worked because of the amazing chemistry between Veronika and Chloe – it was just really fun to watch. And Michael Che played the confused outsider perfectly. That chyron, “Michael Che: Enemy to White Women,” had me cracking up, too!

Rasta Driver

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=sTUmhxi6Mo8

This sketch is a standout from the later episodes, featuring Slowikowska and Rodrigo as passengers in a taxi driven by Andrew Dismukes. Their night out takes a hilarious turn when Dismukes’ character reveals an unexpected talent: he’s a surprisingly skilled Rasta-style emcee. Dismukes is fantastic – his performance feels completely authentic, and he convincingly portrays being lost in the moment. It reminded me of a similar bit from the show Community. Rodrigo is also great, reacting perfectly to Dismukes, and her line, “No offense, but like, how?” is particularly funny.

Home Security Ad

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=Nl5bX1VO-90

A quick pre-recorded sketch really improved the episode. The idea – a home security company using TikTok influencers to interview robbers to get more views on their security footage – is clever and relevant. The sketch perfectly captures the style of the influencers it’s poking fun at. Rodrigo delivers a dryly humorous performance as a regular-guy influencer, and Hernández shines as the memorable ‘Subway Takes’ guy.

Cut for Time

Let’s talk about the cold open – specifically, Colin Jost impersonating Pete Hegseth. While it makes sense to give James Austin Johnson a break from his Trump impression, swapping one recurring character for another isn’t working, especially since Jost isn’t as strong a sketch performer as Johnson. Jost does his best, but he’s much better suited for Weekend Update than being a regular in the cold open.

• Also, Aziz Ansari as Kash Patel: sure, fine, whatever.

The way Debbie Harry and Connor Storrie introduced Olivia Rodrigo’s performances perfectly captures what she’s all about. She clearly admires musical legends, but also stays current with what’s popular – and I really appreciate that.

I thought Kam Patterson really showed some promise this week – that Weekend Update bit was fun, and he was great getting to play a bigger role in the Home Security sketch. Honestly, though, while he’s definitely heading in the right direction, he still feels like he’s finding his footing, you know? He’s not quite a fully established player just yet.

The U.S. State Department is releasing a new passport design with a picture of Donald Trump, jokingly described as a memento for those who left the country due to his presidency.

• Jake Paul catching strays in Rodrigo’s monologue? I’m not mad about it!

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2026-05-03 20:55