Paul Mescal makes his hosting debut with fellow new comer, Shaboozey. The episode also features Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, Trisha Paytas and David Spade.
Mescal was joined by musical guest Shaboozey, who was also making his debut on the show. He joins country-rap artist Jelly Roll and Chappell Roan (who debuted a country-style song on an episode earlier in the season) to bring a little country to NYC’s Studio 8H. Shaboozey played his new song Good News and his mega-hit A Bar Song (Tipsy).Cold Open
This week’s cold open saw the revival of Dana Carvey’s iconic character, the Church Lady. While newer viewers will likely not remember the character who mainly appeared in the late 1980s, SNL super-fans and viewers of a certain age will love this cold open. The Church Lady has made several returns since her heyday, most recently in 2016. In this new iteration, she hosts her talk show with guests Matt Gaetz, Hunter Biden and Juan Soto.
Sarah Sherman’s Matt Gaetz impression is always fun to watch. David Spade stops by to play Hunter Biden, which, while less convincing, also feels like a 90s throwback. Marcello Hernández turns in an excellent performance as Soto, but overall, there is a slight disjointedness to this cold open, even while resurrecting an iconic character.Monologue
The monologue was charming and good for a host not known for comedy. After a montage of him crying in films, he says it himself, “Safe to say, not a ton of comedy on the resume!”
The most interesting part of this monologue is the inclusion of multimedia elements. It includes a montage and superimposed images, which make this feel more like a late-night talk show monologue than an SNL one. However, their inclusion really works.
Hernández also comes out in short shorts (a staple of Mescal’s usual wardrobe.)Earring
This sketch really showcases the comedic timing of Heidi Gardner and Emil Wakim.
