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For more than 45 years, Saturday Night Live has been one of television’s most important comedic institutions. Sketch comedy has had ups and downs on television, but SNL has routinely been a home for many names that become some of the biggest players in comedy.
The same can be said for the many hosts and musical guests that get to anchor each episode. This privilege is seen as a rite of passage for many of the bigger celebrities. 2021 was a trying year for many TV productions, but Saturday Night Live experienced a very encouraging season with some great new talent and some fantastic hosts.
9 Paul Rudd Leads A Skeleton Crew Episode That’s Mostly Old Content
SNL’s previous season learned to roll with the COVID-19 punches through some experimental at-home episodes. A COVID surge led to SNL‘s final episode of 2021 losing its entire cast – except Michael Che and Kenan Thompson. Paul Rudd’s noteworthy fifth time hosting doesn’t give him much to do – none of this is his fault.
His appearances in the pre-recorded sketches go over well and his goodbye message is surprisingly funny. Hopefully Rudd will be given a proper hosting appearance in 2022 to make up for this one’s shortcomings.
8 Kim Kardashian Isn’t Afraid To Laugh At Herself In Her Hosting Debut
Kim Kardashian has been the center of sketches and Weekend Update headlines for years, but 2021 marks the first time that she hosts SNL. October 9th isn’t the highlight of the season, but it shows how Kim uses her strengths to get the most out of her involvement.
Kim’s broader characters, like Jasmine from Aladdin, go over well. Her impression of her sister Kourtney was well-received, as is a sketch that pokes fun at Skims for dogs. Overall, it’s a fairly forgettable installment. If nothing else, this episode might have been what sparked Kim Kardashian’s relationship with Pete Davidson.
7 Rami Malek Fails To Find His Footing
Rami Malek is a very talented actor. Unfortunately, his hosting on Saturday Night Live doesn’t come together. The October 16th episode struggles to find the right use for Malek’s skills, which results in a lot of surreal characters.
There are a lot of highlights in the episode, such as some well-done Daniel Craig cameos, but Malek himself is not responsible for them. He makes the sketches interesting, but hopefully a second hosting appearance will find more to do with Malek.
6 Billie Eilish Helps Elevate An Average Episode Of The Season
Billie Eilish was previously on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest. Her 2021 episode features her doing double duty, as the host and musical performer, on December 11th. Eilish is clearly excited for this opportunity and this translates into playful, infectious energy that lasts. There are some smart ideas in the episode, like the TikTok sketch, but it’s a relatively thin installment. The return of Kate McKinnon, who’s been absent all season of SNL, also goes a long way.
5 Jonathan Majors Proves That He Can Handle Whatever Gets Thrown At Him
Jonathan Majors is set to become an even bigger star after his starring role in the upcoming Ant-Man sequel, Antman And The Wasp: Quantumania. His Saturday Night Live episode on November 13th provides a strong blueprint for the actor’s versatility. Majors gets a variety of roles to play, as well as some strong writing that makes each sketch work. The episode turns to several cameos, but Majors commands every sketch. He triumphs whether it’s serious material or silly absurdity. Majors absolutely gives it his all.
4 Kieran Culkin Thrives In Chaos And Delivers Big Performances
Kieran Culkin has grown into a star with winning performances in films like Scott Pilgrim and his current role on the HBO series, Succession. His SNL monologue has fun with how his older brother, Macaulay, hosted nearly 30 years ago. Culkin’s scrappy attitude is hard to deny and it channels into some unforgettable performances across the episode.
Culkin is a rare talent that’s able to take mundane sketches, like Cancelling Cable and Weatherman, and elevate them into hilarious pieces. He definitely proves that he has excellent comedic timing and sensibilities. Hopefully he’ll get another chance to host SNL before Succession ends.
3 Owen Wilson Kicks Off The SNL Season To A Strong Start
Saturday Night Live’s 47th season kicked off the year with Owen Wilson as its first guest, who is hosting for the first time. With a lot of strong material that’s built up from SNL‘s absence, Wilson excels across the board. Wilson does exaggerated characters, and material that pokes fun at himself, like the Cars 4 sketch. Wilson’s calming energy also helps create an effective counter to some of the more absurdist sketches that conclude the episode.
2 Jason Sudeikis Returns To His Old Stomping Grounds And Hasn’t Missed A Beat
Former Saturday Night Live cast members sometimes return to host, making episodes extra special. Jason Sudeikis was a vital part of SNL before leaving and finding success with Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. Sudeikis’ return achieves the perfect mix of nostalgia and new material as many of Sudeikis’ classic characters. Fans of SNL are so delighted to have Sudeikis back. He’s just such a natural in this environment that even the lackluster material still works.
1 Strong Writing And Great Sketches Fuel Simu Liu’s Excellent Episode
Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, is a first-time host from 2021, but he comes across as a seasoned pro. Simu Liu’s episode is the most consistent of the entire season and it features the best writing and premises. Classic SNL winners like Dog Head Man and Thanksgiving Baking Championship are returned to, but they still hit hard. Republican Or Not is a smart game show sketch. Simu and Bowen Yang both excel in the Good Job (Asian) Awards video sketch.
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