Jack Black joins ‘SNL’ Five-Timers Club with help from Jonah Hill and Melissa McCarthy

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Just under a year ago, Jack Black was a fantastic host on “Saturday Night Live,” following the success of “A Minecraft Movie.” Now, after another hit movie based on a video game – “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” – he’s back to host again, promising another lively show like his last one.

After hosting five times – a milestone celebrated with a traditional sketch featuring Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Candice Bergen, and others – Kenan Thompson was welcomed back as a celebrated host. Many on the show consider him a favorite. Though this year’s episode didn’t quite reach the energetic peak of last year’s musical show, it still had some great moments.

One standout sketch featured a music video for a country song about learning and then immediately forgetting life lessons. Jack White, the musical guest, appeared in the video with Black. Black also played a stressed-out office worker who was trying to avoid a chatty coworker, Ashley Padilla, much to the annoyance of everyone else.

I remember Jack Black teaming up with Marcello Hernández to play these martial arts instructors – they taught self-defense in a really weird, funny way, which was perfect for his comedic timing. But honestly, it didn’t quite land because the dialogue was hard to follow. Then there was that 300 bit, where he played one of the last Spartans considered for the group, but he didn’t make the cut! And who could forget his role as the overbearing Airbnb host alongside Melissa McCarthy? They even worked together on that hilarious Five-Timers sketch – it was great seeing them play off each other!

Lastly, he portrayed one of a group of uncomfortable husbands who unexpectedly burst into a rendition of “Carry On Wayward Son.”

Okay, so that monologue? Amazing! Seeing Black riff with White was pure energy – it felt wonderfully chaotic. But honestly, the rest of the show didn’t quite live up to that moment. It felt like they played it safe, sticking to the same old sketch routines. Still, I gotta give it to Black, he was fully committed the whole time and his singing was surprisingly good whenever he got a chance.

Jack White was the musical guest on the show, appearing in some sketches and performing his songs “Derecho Demonico” and “G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs.”

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After weeks of cold opens focusing on Donald Trump and his administration, this week’s Saturday Night Live began with a parody of a March Madness post-game show. The sketch featured James Austin Johnson as Ernie Johnson, Kam Patterson as Kenny Smith, Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley, and Jeremy Culhane as coach Bruce Pearl. The humor centered around Barkley, who recently received praise for publicly supporting immigrants. He joked that this was the first time he’d “gone viral” without needing medication. This version of Barkley repeatedly stated he’d be careful with his words, then proceeded to offer opinions on the Iran war, the Artemis II space mission (calling it a waste of money), and the firing of former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi, played by Padilla, responded with a jab about “the final four… years of this country.” Barkley then announced, “Live from New York… It’s Saturday Night!” after promising to choose his words carefully one last time.

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During Kenan Thompson’s induction into the exclusive Five-Timers Club, Kristen Wiig, wearing a jacket, shared that the club’s lounge is in rough shape. It looked spooky and deserted, complete with cobwebs. Tina Fey even showed up in a robe made from a Paddington Bear costume, a souvenir from hosting “SNL UK” last month. She explained the lounge had literally fallen apart from years of use by so many Five-Timers sketches. A quick appearance by Beck’s Domingo character ended with a playful hit from White, who also became a Five-Timer – but as a musical guest. Domingo had to rush off to move his hearse, as musical Five-Timers only get 15 minutes of parking. To liven things up, Thompson performed a rock version of White’s “Seven Nation Army,” with White himself joining in on guitar. Thompson then announced, “Stay tuned, we’ll be White Black!”

Best sketch of the night: If only we could remember why this song was so good

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Johnson is known for his accurate Trump impression, but he’s also good at imitating singers. In this sketch, he starts a country song about a man who forgets the important advice his dying father gave him. Then, Black plays a man who spent hours with a guru in Tibet, only to forget everything he learned on his way down the mountain after receiving a text message. The sketch doesn’t stop there – Andrew Dismukes appears as a frustrated father who dismisses his six-year-old son’s words, even singing about how the boy still needs help with basic tasks and only knows a lot of Pokémon names. Luckily, the performers all remember one thing: the name of the memory-erasing device from “Men in Black” – the Neuralyzer.

Also good: There’ll be peace when you are done (watching this sketch)

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The sketch started like a familiar scene of women gossiping over wine, but quickly shifted to focus on a group of men awkwardly hanging out in a den, struggling to find something to talk about. Instead of exploring male friendship, it unexpectedly turned into a spirited sing-along of the song “Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas. The scene reached a high point with the men enthusiastically playing with ribbon sticks and changing into bright jumpsuits. Given that the guest star, Black, is a strong singer, the sketch smartly showcased his talent.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: A scandal that keeps ballooning

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Kenan Thompson had some amusing moments playing a Black version of Professor Snape in a sketch about the new “Harry Potter” series, but Sarah Sherman really stood out as Bryon Noem, the husband of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who is currently facing controversy over online conversations. As Bryon, Sherman wore large balloons under her shirt and challenged Michael Che and others to make jokes about his unusual preference. Bryon dared them to find anything humorous about the situation. The sketch became increasingly strange as Bryon challenged the cue card operator, Wally Ferensten, Lorne Michaels (who was shown leaving, with only his spinning chair remaining), Kristi Noem herself (played by Heidi Gardner), and even the dog she shot, depicted in heaven with a halo. The segment was as uncomfortable as you’d expect from “Weekend Update,” but it also managed to find some genuine humor within the scandal.

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2026-04-05 10:31