Saturday Night Live Recap: Teyana Taylor Hosts a Somber Show

This weekend has been a difficult one for the nation, but unfortunately, that’s not unusual. Saturday Night Live has always had to navigate performing comedy in the wake of tragic events. It was particularly challenging to address the death of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE in Minneapolis through sketch comedy, especially with limited preparation time. While this episode didn’t perfectly handle the situation, it did acknowledge the events in Minneapolis (along with its regular focus on Trump), preventing it from feeling completely ineffective.

Teyana Taylor, recently nominated for an Oscar, is a talented performer, but this hosting gig didn’t give her much to work with. Despite weak material, her positive energy and willingness to perform still came through. She opened with a playful bit, claiming she dislikes attention, then immediately showed clips proving she’s always enjoyed being in the spotlight. For viewers unfamiliar with her work in film, music, or even her early appearances on shows like My Super Sweet Sixteen and her win on The Masked Singer, it was a fun introduction to her diverse talents – she’s even currently studying culinary arts! The segment with her kids offering support from the audience was a sweet touch.

As a big fan of sketch comedy, I always enjoy seeing what Taylor does, and she really got to showcase her singing and dancing skills in a few bits – there was this hilarious sketch where she played an 87-year-old bald man absolutely killing it to Earth, Wind & Fire at his grandson’s wedding. (You can totally tell they used a stunt double for the dancing at the end, which was funny in itself!) But honestly, she wasn’t always the star. She and Kenan Thompson did a musical number as airline gate agents ‘Shrimp & Grits,’ but their songs about flight delays weren’t exactly laugh-out-loud funny. I actually remember James Austin Johnson as the drunk pilot way more – the instant switch to sobriety thanks to Pedialyte was a brilliant little moment.

While some of the sketches had good ideas, they weren’t fully realized. Ashley Padilla led a funny sketch about a confidence coach, with Taylor playing a student who playfully questioned the coach’s self-assurance – the ending, where the coach silently continues her presentation, was a highlight. Another sketch, modeled after the PBS show “Beyond the Headlines,” rightly criticized white liberals for acting surprised by the federal response in Minneapolis, ignoring the long history of law enforcement violence against Black Americans. Though the point was valid, it felt a little like a deflection from the current crisis – and a way to avoid directly addressing the situation with Alex Pretti. It was understandable that no one wanted to joke about that, but the episode could have taken more chances. Ultimately, it didn’t quite deliver on its potential.

Here are the highlights:

Cold Open

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=2sVn0q_Yi9w

Honestly, this wasn’t the strongest segment. Trump’s ego and self-centeredness have been parodied on the show countless times already, and there are more pressing issues to address right now. However, it was good to see the show acknowledge that the ‘Trumps’ awards were a distraction from the serious problems with ICE. There were a few genuinely funny bits, like the repeated shots of Trump admiring himself, the absurd ‘Best Kiss’ nominations, and the running joke about putting Eric to bed. And I always enjoy seeing Mike Myers’ take on Elon Musk.

Toy Commercial

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=X5J5AbdaprU

Given Taylor’s recent Oscar nomination, it was likely Perfidia Beverly Hills would appear in this episode, but I didn’t anticipate how it would show up. I was surprised by how funny this segment was, especially compared to the rest of the episode. It’s always amusing to hear kids repeating lines like “My name is Junglepussy” and “Do you like black girls? I love ’em!” I’m embarrassed to admit that, as a big Paul Thomas Anderson fan, I actually found some of the action figures appealing – like the snap-on pregnant belly and the light-up joint! And a 50-piece desert road with tons of hills? Some of these would probably sell well to people like me, particularly as part of a larger collection.

NFL on ESPN

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

Results varied on this segment. Taylor’s Lisa Salters had a pretty limited role, mostly just repeating “come on.” However, the way James Austin Johnson awkwardly inserted those Quefs ads was occasionally funny, particularly with the sitcom-style graphics at the bottom of the screen. That pretty much sums it up.

Weekend Update

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=7vp1H6CBPvE

This week’s Update segment featured particularly sharp jokes, with Michael Che making fun of both Ghislaine Maxwell and Stevie Wonder. (My apologies for mentioning them in the same breath – that wasn’t ideal.)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=dw0ifECyfPI

I’m not a fan of Saturday Night Live‘s habit of building sketches around trendy Gen-Z slang, but Marcello Hernández’s bit as a translator was genuinely funny, especially when he playfully teased Colin. The joke that every slang term he used instantly became outdated was clever. I also enjoyed the quick cuts to gravestones marking the ‘death’ of words like ‘cap’ and ‘chopped,’ followed by a montage of even more phrases.

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

Jeremy Culhane introduced a new character, Mr. On Blast, who delivers weak jokes aimed at wealthy billionaires. While it’s unclear if he’ll become a regular on Weekend Update, his first appearance was entertaining, particularly with the electronic music backing it up.

Blowing It

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=u0Hfasr2rbQ

The show ended with a strong sketch featuring Martin Herlihy giving deliberately bad advice on how to get someone to end a relationship. While the idea was funnier than the actual performance, it was great to see Herlihy get more of his individual material showcased.

Cut for Time

I don’t have strong opinions about the show Geese, but I enjoyed both performances I saw.

• “Hey, what do you think ‘Quefs’ is short for? Queer chefs?” “Let’s not guess, Troy.”

Taylor Swift is only the second youngest person ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, following Stevie Wonder. What sets Taylor apart is that the Hall of Fame didn’t just give her an award – they recognized her incredible songwriting talent.

Some people who follow these trends worry that fewer children being born in China might negatively impact the demand for sneakers.

• “Also opening soon: your aunt.”

I usually don’t find Che’s jokes about Colin very funny, but this one made me laugh, especially Colin’s response about it not happening during rehearsal.

As someone who enjoys reality shows like Survivor and The Traitors, I was excited about “Backstab Island.” However, the show seems unsure of what it wants to be. While it’s supposed to be a competition focused on deception, it often feels more like a show from Bravo, with silly moments like throwing guava juice.

I enjoy the concept of a contestant who goes against the usual ‘I’m not here to make friends’ attitude, and Taylor embodies that nicely. She genuinely seems to be playing the game to build relationships, which is refreshing. Honestly, a lot of players on Survivor these days seem more focused on being liked than on strategic deception.

2026-01-25 22:56