Olivia Rodrigo Hosts 'snl' And Debuts New Song, While Aziz Ansari Takes On Kash Patel

If you were to spell by “Saturday Night Live” hosting capacity alone, you mightiness deliberation that nan champion measurement to guarantee a memorable, good rounded and amazingly funny show is to book a female popular prima — preferably 1 pinch immoderate child-acting experience.

With apologies to Harry Styles, it’s been popular stars including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa and now Olivia Rodrigo who’ve shown themselves to beryllium naturals astatine adapting their on-stage talents to nan Studio 8H shape for “SNL.”

And while she mightiness not person crushed it to nan grade of Grande (something astir nan Bowen nan era of nan show and Grande seemed successful cleanable lockstep pinch each other), Rodrigo was a very bully host. Whatever she lacked successful sketch drama chops, she much than made up for arsenic philharmonic guest, world-premiering a caller opus called “begged,” and singing successful respective sketches, including a memorable 1 astir a woman successful a zoo on a satellite of bug people (we’ll get to that).

After a charming speech successful which she besides sang, Rodrigo played a scheming female successful a “Dynasty”-like nighttime soap opera from nan 1980s, “Edge of Destiny,” wherever group kept falling down nan stairs. The operation of beingness comedy, distant cue cards and having to support from breaking characteristic arsenic formed members flopped down a group of clone stairs seemed almost excessively overmuch for nan impermanent host. But she recovered nicely successful different coagulated (and hilariously gross) “Shop TV” sketch astir a baker (Rodrigo) who makes lava cakes that look a batch for illustration anuses.

She besides played a female competing pinch her ex-boyfriend (Ben Marshall) astatine a day statement by pretending to person a day (he does nan aforesaid pinch a wacky Ashley Padilla). She besides played a cheating romanticist partner successful a philharmonic sketch about getting busted, a rideshare rider whose driver (Andrew Dismukes) discovers he has a talent for Jamaican dancehall rapping, and a TikToker employed by a location information institution to take viral videos of burglars.

Rodrigo’s songs were tremendous, particularly “begged,” but it was difficult for immoderate of nan sketches to apical Aziz Ansari’s quality arsenic FBI Director Kash Patel, which drew nan biggest non-musical assemblage guidance of nan show erstwhile he appeared successful nan acold open.

As philharmonic guest, Rodrigo performed her latest azygous “drop dead,” introduced by Debbie Harry, and a caller song, “begged,” introduced by recent host and “Heated Rivalry” prima Connor Storrie.

It was nan uncommon acold unfastened without a rambling James Austin Johnson capacity arsenic President Trump. Instead, aft a clever opening title paper (“You’re watching A-Span. Of your life disappear. Watching C-SPAN.”), White House property caput Karoline Leavitt (Padilla) talked astir her upcoming maternity time off earlier introducing “The man, nan myth, nan liability,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost). Hegseth talked astir nan warfare successful Iran pinch its “sick aerial raids. This warfare has been a movie … specifically ‘The Neverending Story.’ ” Hegseth fielded a fewer questions, belittling reporters arsenic he’s done before, answering nan mobility of erstwhile nan warfare will end: “That’s for illustration asking erstwhile is activity gonna beryllium over,” he replied, “Answer: erstwhile nan man is done.” Hegseth introduced Patel (Ansari), who fast-talked his measurement done a defense of his alleged drinking and spending. From debased hanging consequence (“We dotted each T and bulged each I”) to a overmuch sharper takedown of Patel (“I’m nan first Indian personification to suck astatine their job”), Ansari brought his Tom Haverford from “Parks and Recreation” energy, peculiarly erstwhile describing jumping connected nan sofa astatine a nighttime nine screaming, “Who wants nan atomic codes? J/K, I ain’t sewage ‘em!”

Rodrigo’s speech began by acknowledging really young nan 23-year-old popular prima really is: they opportunity your favourite “SNL” formed is nan 1 you saw erstwhile you were a teen and hers, she said, was nan existent cast. After teasing her caller album retired adjacent month, she showed a clip of a commercialized she did for Old Navy and mentioned moving pinch Jake Paul connected nan Disney Channel show “Bizaardvark.” Paul, she said, erstwhile told her, “I really want to hit up aged guys connected Netflix!” and they some achieved their dreams. Rodrigo past played astatine a soft a return of her first deed azygous “drivers license,” focused connected getting a Real ID astatine nan DMV and each that it requires. “Passport, W2, first-born boy / Gas bill, assemblage count, bra size, really agelong will this be? I’ll conscionable usage my aged clone ID,” she sang.

Best sketch of nan night: They moreover person Olivia-shaped popsicles!

Unsurprisingly, nan champion of nan nighttime was 1 of Rodrigo’s philharmonic performances, this clip a pre-taped euphony video astir a woman who loves her cleanable bedroom. It’s sewage a purple corded phone, a lava lamp, a beanbag chair … and it happens to beryllium a residence astatine a zoo connected a satellite of bug people. The wistful, beautiful opus is accompanied by weird visuals of nan aliens, who look for illustration praying mantises, admiring nan quality specimen done nan room’s windows, applauding erstwhile she goes to nan bath and taking pictures. There are capable bizarre touches, specified arsenic a VHS type of “A League of Their Own” pinch aliens successful quality tegument suits, a bug protester and an unsuccessful antheral mate (Johnson), that rather a spot of world building happens successful nan short span of nan very catchy tune. Can we get this opus connected Apple Music and Spotify, please?

Also good: Cute — barroom frosting connected nan nose. Sexy — mashed potatoes each complete nan face.

Former “SNL” formed personnel Kristen Wiig had a talent for introducing characters whose 1 bizarre trait, expertly performed, could thrust a full sketch. These days, it’s Ashley Padilla (maddeningly, she’s still billed arsenic a “Featured Player”) who is capable to elevate a perchance annoying characteristic pinch a postulation of hilarious tics and a batch of bound overstepping. In a sketch astir a broken-up mates (Rodrigo and Marshall) who effort to make each different suspicious by glomming connected to clone caller dates, Padilla laughs excessively loudly, smears mashed potatoes each complete Marshall’s face, gives an unhinged reside that includes, “We are to beryllium joined astatine midnight! Now fto america pray.” It seems for illustration each section of precocious has had 1 sketch reserved for Padilla to show her measurement pinch these types of self-unaware characters, and this was different awesome showcase for her.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Podcasters are astatine warfare and it’s difficult to understand why

If you don’t cognize why “Call Her Daddy” podcaster Alex Cooper (Chloe Fineman) and TikToker and “Hot Mess” podcaster Alix Earle (Veronika Slowikowska) are feuding, spot us, you are not alone. Their evident beef, which has been speculated astir by very online group and, weirdly, business reporters, is now “Weekend Update” fodder, pinch nan women comparing their conflict to a “literal Chernobyl for achromatic women.” Perhaps nan champion portion was Michael Che’s complete bafflement arsenic to who these women are and why they’re huffy astatine each other. Elsewhere, Kam Patterson continued his streak of clunky “Update” segments, this clip vying for a day pinch Megan Thee Stallion aft her breakup pinch NBA subordinate Klay Thompson. In describing himself, Patterson said, “Some opportunity he’s uncovering his sound much each week.” Unfortunately for Patterson, there’s only 2 episodes near successful nan season.