What makes Please Don’t Destroy, the New York-based comedy group composed of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, so wildly difficult not to like? With their trademark quick camera movements and rapid-fire dialogue, the newly-appointed Saturday Night Live writers might be what late-night comedy was missing. Before landing SNL, the group started out by creating their own sketches on YouTube and Twitter, many of which gained well-deserved popularity as the videos put the trio on the comedy map.
While it might be easy to compare the group to their predecessors, to write them off as a newer version of The Lonely Island would be unwise. Please Don’t Destroy has their own unique sensibility altogether, each member somehow able to seamlessly bounce back and forth from pompous, oblivious characters to awkward, often innocent and childish ones. Their videos range from absurdist, surreal sketches to seemingly casual conversations, but what seems to underscore each one is the fierce chemistry between the three members. Since the group has completed a total of 11 impressive sketches for the show, it’s worth looking at each one, ranked from great to infuriatingly brilliant.
11. Good Variant
Possibly the group's most exuberant sketch, “Good Variant” is studded with celebrity cameos and bright, poppy music evocative of a blissful, almost infantile era long before the pandemic. The short feels like a reflection of everybody’s fantasy for the past 2 years after endless news of new variants and rising cases. In the world of this sketch, everything COVID related turns into something celebratory, from Al Roker presenting a ridiculously large club sandwich to the group to the worst possible outcome of the variant being that it makes you sick (at playing synth). The sketch, thankfully, doesn’t have a turning point where it fades back to a bleak reality; instead, it’s just a fun few minutes of pure escapism.
10. We Got Her A Cat
There wasn’t a single sketch that Zoë Kravitz didn’t knock out of the park when she hosted in March, and her appearance in “We Got Her A Cat” was no exception. In this fast, almost anxiety-inducing sketch, the trio decided to gift Kravitz (Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman) a real cat, who immediately sneaks off. As the group desperately hunts around the office for Snuggle Bucket, the sketch masterfully plays on the exceedingly simple concept of cats being obnoxiously elusive. Fans of the new superhero film are also treated to an unexpected Paul Dano appearance.
9. Touch Up
“I asked for the Chalamet, is that coming through?,” might be one of the best lines in this brilliant sketch. Martin and John look at Ben in shock when he enters the room, his face stretched out like a rubber band. In classic Please Don’t Destroy fashion, the other two start immediately ganging up on him until it becomes apparent that they each have had a bit of their own work done. The sketch, which has moments that feel reminiscent to the group’s wildly funny and popular Twitter sketch, “I Got Vaccinated”, plays to the strength of Ben’s ability to portray a character who goes from overly confident to suddenly concerned about his own life choices. Like all great Please Don’t Destroy sketches, this one goes from seemingly normal to nearly surreal as it moves quickly from Ben’s botox, to John’s hand surgery, to a little face living on Martin’s head.
8. Calling Angie
While on the surface this might seem like a sketch built in the normal world, it’s built in a world just as surreal as you might find in “Good Variant”. John opens up to Martin and Ben about his love for his ex-girlfriend Angie, and the boys encourage him to pour his heart out to her. As he tries to talk to his ex-girlfriend Angie to get her back, something in his phone forces him to instead berate her. The hilarious Sarah Sherman, one of the season’s newest cast members who possesses an ability to steal every scene she’s in, bursts through the door at the last minute as Angie and beats John up. The lack of logic in the world, as always, is not explained, but it really doesn’t need to be.
7. Martin's Friend
Ben and John sit perplexed as Martin nonchalantly chats with his slightly arrogant new 10-year-old buddy Connor (Patrick Scott McDermott), like he's another 20-something, in this late January sketch. The newest member of the group quickly irritates Ben and John, who continue to question the purpose of his arrival. However, like all of their best sketches, this one has constant twists and turns. In a split second, Ben goes from being on John's side to suddenly laughing along with Martin and Connor. "No need to be such a Jacob," Ben quips, immediately getting in on their inside jokes. Nothing is predictable in this sketch. They go from laughing to fighting to nearly choking on a steak to John being saved by Connor in slow-motion like they're in a war film. It's delightful.
6. New Personalities
Not as absurdist or studded with cameos as some of the previous videos listed, “New Personalities” finds the group playing to an unexpected strength: impressions. No, these aren’t solely celebrity impressions, like when Martin suddenly becomes Severus Snape, these are character transformations as the trio all try to find ways to meld into other “types of guys” which quickly become clichéd tropes from cheesy films. It gets out of hand when Ben’s new personality becomes a little too embarrassing, and the boys abandon him in a dark office. The simple sketch relies on the group’s charm and wit alone, and they don’t disappoint.
5. Hard Seltzer
It was high time a sketch was written about the seemingly endless flavors of summery, alcoholic seltzer drinks that have gained popularity in recent years. The three established their comedic style perfectly in their very first sketch, by matching the surreal and illogical with an immediate, abrupt skepticism. “Am I awake?” John demands when Ben and Martin continue to show off their new “Belts & Ties” and “Jiffy Lube” flavored seltzers. In one of the best moments, Martin coughs up a belt buckle. John is eventually won over when he finally decides to try a “Desk” flavored seltzer, and the sketch immediately turns into an ad for Desk Hard Seltzer. For their first aired SNL video, it’s wildly impressive.
4. Future Selves
In another surreal, inexplicable day in the lives of the trio, the group finds themselves face to face with their future selves. The older versions of Martin, Ben, and John have traveled back in time to warn the boys about the catastrophic consequences of climate change. The urgency is played up, and just when the audience thinks they might do something about the issue at hand, the group quickly gets distracted and instead become preoccupied with how they'll end up aging. It’s funny, self-reflective, and it’s borderline satirical in its truth. It’s a wonder why this clever piece got cut for time.
3. Three Normal Goths
In their most recent release, the trio has developed one of their early Twitter videos into a full sketch, and the result is incredible. Taking inspiration from kitschy 80s sitcom intros, the boys are draped in dramatic, dark clothes, yet happen to be the furthest thing from alternative. Their cringe-inducing jokes about marrying pizza and Netflix, reminiscent of the type of humor you might find on a 2012 graphic t-shirt from Spencer’s, juxtaposes their occult look. There’s an unexpected twist when the charming Jerrod Carmichael pops his head in and the group ruthlessly makes fun of his hat, leaving the audience feeling queasy and unsure about a group of supposedly wholesome, friendly goths. It’s another moment of Please Don’t Destroy genius.
2. Three Sad Virgins (ft. Taylor Swift)
For their first music digital short, the trio proved their writing skills have incredible range in their style. When Pete Davidson propositions the group to be in his newest music video, their excitement quickly turns to dismay as they realize they’re the unfortunate subjects of the title. This sketch is packed with jokes, memorable one-liners, and visual comedy. All of it is interwoven in both the lyrics of the song and in the quick moments in between takes where the group looks at each other in confusion, still desperate to appease Davidson. The undeniably catchy musical sketch finds the trio in full command of their craft.
1. Rami Wants A Treat
Rami Malek is widely known for his unnerving characters, from the introverted Elliot in Mr. Robot to the more recent Bond villain in No Time to Die. In what may be their best sketch, Rami goes from friendly to slightly disturbing as he asks the group to give him a treat for being on good behavior during his time as the show’s host. Slightly confused, the boys quickly try to assuage the demanding actor before he throws a temper tantrum. If there’s one thing that the group has solidified, it’s their ability to play extremely well to the strengths of their celebrity cameos. While the absurdity of Rami’s request remains, the comedian's reactions feel truthful and real. The trio aren’t just strong writers, their acting chops are something that will be deeply exciting to see more of.