‘SNL’ recap: Ryan Gosling, Matt Damon, Jon Hamm and more stars help welcome Kristen Wiig into the Five-Timers Club
Plus: British singer Raye gives an epic performance and the NYC earthquake gives its version of events.
?? Who was on this week?
Host: SNL fan-favorite and Palm Royale star Kristen Wiig
Musical guest: Raye
?? Monologue: Kristen Wiig joins Five-Timers Club
The show kicked off on a high note when host and Saturday Night Live alum Kristen Wiig was welcomed into the Five-Timers Club, an honor bestowed upon those who’ve hosted the sketch variety show at least five times.
?? Surprises: Star-studded cameos
It was the Mount Rushmore of cameos when Paul Rudd, who’s also hosted SNL five times, Matt Damon (three times), Jon Hamm (three times), Martin Short (three times) and Ryan Gosling (who’s hosting for a third time next weekend) made surprise appearances at 30 Rock to present Wiig with an exclusive “Five-Timers Club” jacket to commemorate the milestone.
Although Rudd and Wigg were the only ones onstage who had hosted five times, the group gave her the jacket at the end of her monologue, bookended with a funny song.
Lorne Michaels, the show’s legendary creator and showrunner, held back laughter during an appearance with Gosling, who joined Wiig on the stage to present her with her well-deserved jacket.
?? Cold open: March Madness postgame coverage
TBS’s postgame coverage of the ongoing NCAA basketball tournaments provided a break from political satire for this week’s cold open, making a point that the women’s contest has been far more engaging than the men’s this year.
Real-life college basketball commentators Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith were brought to life by Kenan Thompson, James Austin Johnson and Devon Walker. In the sketch, Heidi Gardner appeared as Louisiana State University women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, poking fun at her eclectic fashion choices and what Gardner referred to as “resting Q-Anon face.”
?? Buzziest moments: Kaia Gerber stars in 'Pilates'
Actress Kaia Gerber joined her Palm Royale co-star in a pretaped horror movie trailer spoof for a fictional film called Pilates. The trailer pokes fun at the cult of pilates instructors, who refer to everyone as “mama” or “mamacita” and warn that carrying around a 1-pound weight can lead to sudden death.
? Most rewatchable moments
On "Weekend Update," Wiig revived her beloved Aunt Lydia character, the outspoken “aunt” who has lots of opinions about the latest film releases — including Barbie.
In the sketch “Jumanji,” game night is ruined by board-game-hating Nina (Wiig) who’s very “afraid of getting Jumanji’d.”
?? Ripped from the headlines
The New York City earthquake (played by Marcello Hernández) appeared on "Weekend Update" to give its version of events. Meanwhile, Kenan Thompson appeared as the solar eclipse, set to take place on Monday, April 8.
Colin Jost and Michel Che mocked former President Donald Trump for claiming that President Biden was on cocaine during his State of the Union speech, vowing to make Nov. 5 ‘Christian Visibility Day’ and saying he wants to be a modern-day Nelson Mandela.
?? What didn't land
While Aunt Lydia was a hit with audiences, viewers shared online that they wanted to see more of Wiig’s other beloved SNL characters like Target Lady, Surprise Sue, Barbie, Penelope and the Maharelle Sister, known for her awkwardly tiny hands.
Tonight’s #SNL was great, although it really missed an opportunity to bring back some of Kristin Wiig’s best characters. pic.twitter.com/vmyl44EnOZ
— Joel Garcia (@MrJoelGarcia9) April 7, 2024
?? Musical performances
British singer Raye, who’s co-written songs for numerous stars (including “Riverdance” from Beyoncé’s latest album Cowboy Carter) performs “Escapism” and “Worth It” — and both are worth a watch.
?? What is the ‘Five-Timers Club?’
Following Wiig’s monologue, folks online started doing some digging about the history of the Five-Timers Club. According to NBC, it started in December 1990 when Tom Hanks referenced it during his monologue while hosting the show for the fifth time.
Although Hanks was the first to introduce the concept, the first to officially host the show five times was Buck Henry, who achieved the milestone in November 1977. That was followed by Steve Martin in April 1978, Elliott Gould in February 1980 and Paul Simon in May 1986.
The first woman to achieve the milestone was Candice Bergen, who hosted SNL for the fifth time in May 1990. The second was Drew Barrymore in May 2001.
