‘SNL’ host Amy Poehler joined by Tina Fey in cold open and at the ‘Weekend Update’ desk

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Following a shaky start to Season 51 with Bad Bunny as host, many wondered if Amy Poehler, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, could improve things in the second episode. The question was whether her experience as a sketch performer would lead to funnier, more clever writing.

Amy Poehler, hosting the “Good Hang” podcast, was fantastic on Saturday Night Live, seemingly doing everything! She appeared in nearly every sketch, including the opening and a playful joke competition on “Weekend Update.” Poehler deserves a lot of praise for her incredible energy, which helped even the less successful sketches. For example, she made a funny sketch about a mom going through menopause and embracing a goth style work, and another where she and Bowen Yang wrote the opening theme for “Severance” – with the running joke being that all their initial drafts started with a rap similar to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Poehler had much better material to work with this week, including a hilarious sketch about a psychic, Miss Lycus, who’s always in a rush, and a perfect imitation of the Netflix series “The Hunting Wives,” which even featured a cameo by her former “Parks & Recreation” co-star, Aubrey Plaza. The writing gave her opportunities to play really funny, over-the-top characters – like a CEO who goes into labor during a work meeting, the mother of a particularly unpleasant family called The Rudemans, and an older lawyer who constantly interrupts commercials to boast about his experience.

Amy Poehler was joined by several friends and former cast members, like Tina Fey, who played Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the show’s opening sketch. Seth Meyers also made a comeback, reuniting with Poehler and Fey at the “Weekend Update” desk.

I’ve noticed Amy Poehler seems to bring a real spark to ‘SNL’ – I think podcasting actually helps her save up that amazing stage energy and really let it loose when she’s on the show. She was fantastic in a genuinely good episode, overall.

Role Model performed their songs “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” featuring a special guest appearance by Charli XCX as Sally, and “Some Protector.” The show also honored Diane Keaton, who recently passed away, with a tribute card. While she never hosted “Saturday Night Live,” she had been portrayed on the show in the past.

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This week’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ cold open poked fun at Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent, tense meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Amy Poehler played Bondi, responding to questions from Democratic senators with harsh insults she claimed were pre-written. She avoided addressing questions about the indictment of James Comey and the Jeffrey Epstein case. Tina Fey then returned as Kristi Noem, and the two comedians teamed up to mock the senators. At one point, Noem joked that something was funnier than the ending of ‘Old Yeller’ (where a dog is shot), and when reminded of this, she quipped, “Heroes shoot them.” The sketch started a little slow, with some jokes not quite hitting the mark, but Fey’s appearance boosted the energy and it finished strong with a playful exchange satirizing ICE recruitment ads. The duo playfully asked, “Do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station?” followed by, “Buckle up and slap on some Oakleys, big boy, and welcome to ICE!”

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Watching Amy Poehler host was such a treat! It was really sweet and funny, and she was so down-to-earth, making fun of herself throughout. She joked about how she first ‘fell in love’ with being famous when she started here, and then quipped that her current job as a podcaster is probably a sign of the economy! She reminded everyone that this episode was actually the 50th anniversary of SNL, which first aired way back in 1975. She even made a playful comparison to George Carlin, saying she was ‘extremely high’ on the experience. She also had a funny bit about the AI actors everyone’s been talking about, basically saying they could never write a good joke and, for the record, she’s willing to do anything the show asks – though no one’s asked her to go *that* far yet! She ended with a really confident, defiant energy, which was awesome.

Best sketch of the night: The thigh squeezes are bigger in Texas, too

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Though it’s a bit delayed, this fan-made trailer for Netflix’s “The Hunting Wives” perfectly captures the show’s vibe. Amy Poehler plays Margo, and Chloe Fineman plays Sophie (roles originally held by Malin Ackerman and Brittany Snow). The trailer suggests things get steamy as the women drink and flirt, with plenty of playful touching and a hint of danger. Aubrey Plaza joins the cast as a newcomer, and quickly finds herself enjoying the attention of the other women while they make brunch. Some standout lines include, “It’s like ‘Call Me By Your Name’ for women who shop at Bass Pro Shop,” and a warning to “Don’t watch it on a plane.”

Also good: Don’t settle for just 100 years of legal experience

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I thought Pohler was hilarious in the ‘Psychic Talk Show’ sketch, but honestly, the one where they kept one-upping lawyers was even funnier to me. It just spiraled into absolute absurdity for way too long, and they brought *everyone* in on it! It started as a pretty normal commercial for a personal injury firm – you know, boasting about 50 years of experience – but then it got completely insane. They had ancient turtles, Sarah Sherman playing this amazing vampire lawyer called Dracu-Law, and even this impossibly old tree, Yggdrasil, who apparently used to represent Zeus! It was just brilliantly ridiculous.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Someday, that 13-pound baby is going to watch this

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Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” was full of energy! New character Rhonda LaCenzo made her debut, passionately criticizing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Returning favorites Marcello Hernández and Jane Wickline also appeared as a couple planning for Halloween. The highlight, though, was a hilarious joke competition. Past “Update” hosts Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Colin Jost battled current hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che, all inspired by the birth of a very large baby – almost 13 pounds! – in Tennessee. Poehler kicked things off with, “It was so big that he slapped the doctor on his rear!” Other funny lines included, “She zipped around the room like a deflated balloon,” and “Did she give birth or did it drive out?” Someone even joked the baby’s name was “AHHHHH!” Poehler ended the competition with a self-deprecating joke about holding the record for “loosest vagina.”

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2025-10-12 10:31