As huge as “Saturday Night Live” has been this season with the celebration of its 50th year on air, there was something quaint about its finale bringing in not only one of its staple hosts over the last decade and change, but also wife to one of the show’s integral members, Colin Jost. Was there a touch of favoritism in bringing Scarlett Johansson in to host the “SNL 50” finale? Perhaps, but it was all quickly forgotten once ScarJo took the stage for her monologue and chose to offer focus on the main cast, all of whom have put in some of their best work yet this season. It wasn’t an earth-shattering, all-timer monologue like the one that came from Jack Black a few episodes prior, but it was a beautiful gesture and one that set the tone for the rest of the evening to come.
As she has before, Johansson blended in seamlessly with the cast, highlighting how “SNL” is not a place for show-boating, but instead, keeping up. In the episode’s first pre-taped bit — one of the few “Please Don’t Destroy” videos produced this season — she not only keeps up, but makes the whole sketch come together by embracing the oblivious sensibility these bits seem to hone in on. What’s more, the humor of the video taps into the zeitgeist in a way “Please Don’t Destroy” doesn’t always make a priority. Though not as timely as Season 2 of Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal,” the sketch makes light of recent issues surrounding commercial aviation, particularly when it comes to landing or flying out of Newark airport.
With Bad Bunny on as musical guest, we knew we would be getting at least one sketch with the talented actor/singer, and it certainly did not disappoint. Pitting Bunny and cast member Marcello Hernandez opposite one another as whipped men forced to fight each other due to their over-the-top female companions (Johansson and Ego Nwodim), this bit showed how far “SNL” has come in terms of expanding its audience. A bilingual sketch is not new in any way, but it stood out for its use of subtitles — an option that might not be available in most live circumstances when comedy is performed. It proved the unique space “Saturday Night Live” remains, and it was fortunately also was laugh-out-loud hilarious.
She’s baaaaaaack. Miss Eggy may just be our new favorite character to come out of “SNL 50” (Sorry, Domingo). Though her return for the finale may not top the introduction that earned her an FFC fine, Nwodim brought the house down with her food-related jokes and Def Jam-style delivery. Do we smell an Emmy nom in her future? You better believe it buster.
For a live bit later in the night, Johansson got to have a little fun with some of her own history by taking aim at the tasteless entertainment journalists she’s had to endure over the course of her career. With her and Bowen Yang taking on the role of said press members, the two hurl insulting and invasive questions at female “SNL 50” cast members performing as talent for a soon-to-be-released feature. The only one not to receive these probing queries was the male actor of the group, played by Hernandez — a signal to the reality of many unfair and misogynistic habits of the press.
