Last weekend, Kansas City Chiefs tight-end and two-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut alongside musical guest Kelsea Ballerini. The athlete proved to have quite the funny bone, as he was a natural on the Studio 8H stage as a proud American Girl Doll Cafe patron, a punch-happy self-defense instructor, and a classic Straight Male Friend. This week’s host made the sketch show mysterious, spooky, and altogether ooky.
Host Jenna Ortega is having quite the week. Actually, she’s having quite the last few months. In addition to reprising her role as Tara Carpenter in Scream VI, which slashed its way into theaters this past weekend, she also starred in the hit horror movie X, and of course, dominated Netflix when she inhabited the titular role of the iconic Addams Family character in the aptly titled series Wednesday. Before she was getting covered in blood and immersing herself in the macabre, Ortega starred in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle, played a young Jane in Jane the Virgin, the inquisitive Ellie Alves in You, and starred alongside Maddie Ziegler in The Fallout.
But, as Ortega explains in her lovely monologue, she actually got her real start in an adorable Colgate toothpaste commercial, where she can be seen at nine years old with a super squeaky voice yelling about getting rid of those pesky “invisible nasties.” The monologue featured a delightful surprise cameo by comedian Fred Armisen, who not only plays Uncle Fester to Ortega’s Wednesday on the hit Netflix series but was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live for 11 splendid seasons. In addition to dropping by the monologue, he also acted in one of the best sketches of the night (but more on that below!).
The Scream star also emphasized how surreal her hosting the legendary sketch show actually is. At 20 years old, she's the season’s youngest host, but this wasn’t the first time she’s been in the studio. “This feels like a dream. When I was kid, I wasn’t old enough to watch SNL yet, so I took a tour of the SNL studio with my parents like six years ago, and they said, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be amazing if you hosted some day?’” adding, “It seemed impossible then, but now I’m here tonight, and my parents are in the audience, and they get to hear me say, ‘We have a great show for you tonight!’”
Let’s revisit some of the best moments from the March 11 episode of Saturday Night Live. Live from New York, it’s Jenna Ortega!
6 Honorable Mention: Michael Che on Weekend Update
Weekend Update has been consistently strong this season, with anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che delivering some the of sharpest jokes of every episode. Last night, Che was an all-star, leaning into his misogynistic Update persona and serving up jokes that are hard to hear in the best of ways. The punchlines this week felt particularly edgy and harsh, and Che’s reactions to the crowd’s groans and gasps never get old.
5 Ridiculousness
Okay, so this MTV show is, like, still a thing? Apparently, it's what’s keeping the entire channel alive. Mikey Day plays host Rob Dyrdek who dresses and acts like a teenager but is, as we learn, approaching 50. He’s joined by his loyal co-hosts Steelo Brim (Kenan Thompson) and Chanel West Coast (Chloe Fineman) who are ready to comment on epic fail videos on the internet. Joining them this week is TikTok star Lee Lee Two Times (Ortega) who brings good vibes and chill times but also some very detailed and disturbing anecdotes.
4 Cold Open: Oscars Red Carpet
The 95th annual Academy Awards are upon us! Did something happen at last year’s that was traumatic? Oh yes, yes. Now I remember. To kick off the episode, Marcello Hernandez and Heidi Gardner play red carpet hosts Matthew Lopez and either Kit Hoover or Maria Menounos. She’s genuinely not sure. (They definitely aren't hoping for another shocking moment.) In the pre-show, they interview a number of unique folks that come their way, including security guard Mike Tyson (Thompson), “Tom Cruise” (Bowen Yang), and best of all, Oscar nominee Jamie Lee Curtis, played brilliantly by Chloe Fineman, who captures the actress’ eccentric energy and enthusiasm that’s been the highlight of awards season.
3 Waffle House
There’s that old saying that nothing good happens after midnight, but what about how nothing good happens at a Waffle House? (Okay, except for the waffles. It’s kind of their “thing.”) Ortega and Hernandez play a long-time boyfriend and girlfriend dealing with the complications of diverging paths and life post-high school. But if you thought that was dramatic and stressful, then just look at what’s going on inside the Waffle House in the background. Shirts are off, tasers are tasing, and of course, fights are happening.
2 The Parent Trap
Classic films are getting the modern-day remake treatment, whether audiences want it or not. Next up is a remake of the 1998 Lindsay Lohan vehicle The Parent Trap about twins Annie and Hallie who were separated at birth and raised separately by one of their parents. At summer camp, they meet for the first time and are determined to piece their family back together. Sweet, right? Unless the actress standing in for one of the twins is out sick, and the lead of the movie is stuck acting alongside a crewman who doesn’t quite grasp the concept. Said crewman stepping into the role for the day is Ray, played by none other than Fred Armisen, who brings his hilarious A-game to this unfiltered character.
1 Please Don’t Destroy: Road Trip
They’re going on a road trip! A beautiful cross-country American road trip! The Please Don’t Destroy trio Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy have been absolutely crushing it this season with their pre-recorded sketches, and this one is no exception. The boys are about to embark on a de-stressing road trip and Jenna Ortega wants in. The four hit the open road and sing a soon-to-be classic SNL original song as they try to get past the many emotional and literal road bumps along the way. Road trip!
On April 1, Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson is set to make her Saturday Night Live hosting debut alongside musical guest Lil Yachty.