Greatest Sketches From Glen Powell Internet hosting

Glen Powell’s delayed flip as host makes for a enjoyable, sturdy episode that was definitely worth the wait.
Photo: Will Heath/NBC

If you’re questioning why it took so lengthy for Glen Powell to host Saturday Night Live, he has a solution: He was supposed to advertise Top Gun: Maverick for the Christmas episode 4 years in the past, however the film acquired delayed, so his look was canceled. Lorne Michaels even known as him as much as inform him that nobody would know who he was.

That’s not true, Lorne! We all cherished him in Set It Up, Scream Queens, and Everybody Wants Some (if ) lengthy earlier than 2021! But level taken. I’m a giant Powell fan, so it’s good to see him lastly make his debut, slipping into the ensemble fairly effortlessly for among the finest episodes this season. He truly makes for a good utility participant, comfortable to take a supporting or minor position and bounce off characters like Sebastian Maniscalco within the boys weekend sketch (a chance for Marcello Hernandez to dial up the physicality and showcase a reasonably nice impression) or Ashley Padilla’s verklempt haircut sufferer.

But Powell additionally simply dealt with the massive roles. There’s actually not a lot to the Norwegian movie sketch — which appears to exist primarily as a imprecise peg to the discharge of Sentimental Value regardless of the 2 having little in widespread in addition to Stellan Skarsgård — however Powell completely dedicated to the position of a jubilant Norwegian actor enjoying a devastated husband in a movie known as Scent of a Marriage (a reference to Scenes from a Marriage, notably Swedish). The similar goes for his sergeant within the slay division of the Bob Army, one other one heavy on confidently delivered phrase salad and contours like “we gag them with blunt force” and “let’s show them how we serve country.” Again, form of one-note and never all the time that laugh-out-loud humorous, however the power stayed excessive all through, and I recognize what number of solid members get introduced in.

Powell wielded his physique and intercourse enchantment a few instances, most notably as Liam Neeson’s character from Taken. It’s an amusing, if dated premise: Bryan Mills is dropping off his just lately rescued daughter along with her mother on the airport, and her new husband (an egoless Andrew Dismukes) will get insecure about their sexual connection. It results in some apparent however stable one-liners, as when Bryan utters his iconic “I have a very particular set of skills” and poor Dennis pipes up, “Not communication, though, right?”

It was an evening of sketches that began tremendous sturdy and acquired a little much less constant because the present went on. But no notes on Powell, who has the vary. I anticipate him to be invited again tout suite.

Here are the highlights:

Powell’s attraction offensive started with a monologue the place he got here throughout as a candy, humble man. First, he acknowledged the sudden (and, for some folks, off-putting) ubiquity of his face, earlier than pertaining to a few of his early performances — in Spy Kids 3D, but in addition in a self-directed music video for “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.” (I can’t stress sufficient that we want a full model.)

The bulk of the monologue, although, was that story about Powell’s unique internet hosting plans in 2021. At the time, he and his household took a photograph with a passing UPS driver who noticed them celebrating — however then Powell didn’t get to host, so he gave the impression of a liar. In a healthful ending to the story, although, his sisters managed to trace down the motive force 4 years later, and Powell invited him out to the present. With Mitch up there on stage subsequent to him, he brings the story full circle completely: “The best things in life don’t happen overnight, and no one knows that better than UPS.” Very cute.

A household visits grandma at a senior residence for Thanksgiving and reveals her some outdated black-and-white photographs from her childhood, remodeled into little movies by an AI program. But the AI retains distorting these useful recollections and home windows from the previous into little nightmares, like a headless household canine with tails at each ends, a smooth-groined household pal, and a child picture the place her mom’s higher half floats and her dad stretches the newborn like an accordion. Great, related stuff — is that this a loss of life knell for AI? (Probably not but, however a man can dream.)

This is the form of tune I all the time take pleasure in in SNL: humorous, particular, relatable, and candy. The premise is correct there within the title: Have you ever missed an ex’s mum or dad greater than the ex? What actually takes this one to the following degree is the shift in POV from Ben Marshall and Tommy Brennan to the ex’s dads, performed by Powell and Kenan Thompson, who additionally miss their daughters’ exes.

Whenever I believe SNL has exhausted MacGruber as an idea, the present surprises me. And it turns on the market’s a selected motive for Will Forte to cease by this week: MacGruber is within the Epstein recordsdata, and possibly he wouldn’t thoughts blowing up with the documentation. In one chapter, he truly begins bashing the bomb in an effort to set it off, twist on the components. And the altering theme tune lyrics, as all the time, present a few of the finest traces: “He’s been doin’ lots of thinking ’bout where his life is taking him/Only God can judge him, MacGruber!”

Ashley Padilla continues her rise because the star of this gorgeous easy however well-executed sketch a few unhealthy haircut. She nails each word of the efficiency: Each facial twitch and playful line supply communicates her barely repressed dismay over the abomination on her head, together with the stylist’s private “skin square” signature. “I like it!” she retains delusionally insisting.

• The cold open targeted on what you’d anticipate: the newly launched Jeffrey Epstein emails. Padilla does stable work as Karoline Leavitt, dodging questions on Trump’s mentions at a time they’re turning into more and more unimaginable to disregard. As far as these go, it’s a good (and quick) one, and it was solely the start of a really, very Epstein-centric episode. No placing the toothpaste again on this bottle, people!

• Some good rhymes: “You’re the dad I never had, besides my real dad” and “Don’t remember his daughter’s name, which I know is bad.”

• “I didn’t try to kiss your back.”

• Chloe Fineman’s Jennifer Coolidge reveals up for the kicker to the boys’ weekend, which feels pointless.

• “We only answer to Leslie Bibb.”

• Weekend Update ran quick this time, with a number of minutes of the anticipated (however profitable) Epstein jokes and no company. I don’t thoughts the occasional switch-up like that, although. The Trump edit saying “Everybody knows I went down on Bill Clinton” did get fun out of me, as did “doesn’t make cents” and the display screen insert of Colin Jost as Hitler’s secret grandson.

• “So you killed a lot of people, huh? Must be scary, pretty major sin.”

• “Looks like my wife’s the one who’s taken.”