Olivia Rodrigo hosts ‘SNL’ and debuts new song, while Aziz Ansari takes on Kash Patel

by

Looking at just the hosts who’ve done well on “Saturday Night Live,” it seems like a female pop star—especially one who started acting as a child—is a good recipe for a funny and memorable show.

While Harry Styles is a talented performer, it’s artists like Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, and Olivia Rodrigo who have really excelled at transitioning their concert skills to the unique setting of the ‘Saturday Night Live’ stage.

Though her performance wasn’t quite as strong as Ariana Grande’s – they seemed perfectly matched during Grande’s time on the show – Olivia Rodrigo was a solid host. She may not be a natural comedian, but she excelled as the musical guest, debuting a new song called “begged” and appearing in several sketches, including a particularly funny one about a girl at a zoo filled with bug people. We’ll be discussing that sketch later.

Rodrigo delivered a delightful performance, starting with a song and then playing a manipulative character in a throwback 1980s soap opera, “Edge of Destiny,” known for its slapstick falls down the stairs. Balancing the physical comedy, reading cues, and staying in character while cast members tumbled down fake stairs proved challenging for the host. However, she quickly rebounded with a wonderfully funny and slightly shocking “Shop TV” sketch where she played a baker creating lava cakes that resembled something else entirely.

She took on several funny roles, including a woman playfully competing with her ex-boyfriend at a party, pretending they both have new dates. She also played a character caught cheating in a musical sketch, a rideshare passenger who surprises her driver with a hidden talent for Jamaican dancehall rap, and a TikTok influencer hired to film viral videos of burglaries for a home security company.

Rodrigo’s musical performances were a highlight, particularly “begged,” but the biggest laughs and audience reaction actually came from Aziz Ansari’s hilarious portrayal of FBI Director Kash Patel in the show’s opening sketch.

Olivia Rodrigo performed two songs on the show: her new single “drop dead,” with an introduction by Debbie Harry, and another new song, “begged,” introduced by Connor Storrie, who recently hosted and appeared in “Heated Rivalry.”

×

This week’s “Saturday Night Live” cold open skipped the usual lengthy impression of Donald Trump. Instead, it began with a funny title card playing on C-SPAN. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, played by Marcello Hernandez, announced her maternity leave and then introduced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, portrayed by Colin Jost. Hegseth discussed the war in Iran, comparing it to the endless cycle of the movie “The Neverending Story.” He then answered questions from reporters with dismissive remarks, and when asked about the war’s end date, he responded with a crude analogy. Next, the show featured a fast-talking defense of a character played by Aziz Ansari, who was accused of excessive drinking and spending. Ansari brought a similar energy to the role as his character Tom Haverford from “Parks and Recreation,” delivering lines like, “We dotted every T and bulged every I,” and humorously describing a nightclub scene where he jokingly offered the nuclear codes.

×

Rodrigo started her performance by pointing out how young she is – she joked that people’s favorite “SNL” cast is usually the one they watched as teens, and hers is the current one. She then hinted at her new album coming out next month and showed a commercial she filmed for Old Navy, reminiscing about working with Jake Paul on the Disney show “Bizaardvark.” She shared that Paul once jokingly said he wanted to fight older men on Netflix, and both of them have since achieved their goals. Rodrigo then performed an altered version of her hit song “drivers license” on the piano, changing the lyrics to focus on the frustrating process of getting a Real ID at the DMV, listing all the documents required and playfully suggesting she’d rather just use a fake ID.

Best sketch of the night: They even have Olivia-shaped popsicles!

×

Look, let’s be real – the highlight of the night was easily Olivia Rodrigo’s performance, though it wasn’t a traditional one. She premiered a pre-taped music video, and it was… something else. The song itself is gorgeous and dreamy, about a girl and her perfect bedroom – think purple phones, lava lamps, the whole vibe. But here’s the twist: the room is actually an exhibit at a zoo… on a planet inhabited by bug people! Seriously. These praying mantis-like aliens are obsessed with this human girl, watching her every move – applauding her bathroom breaks, snapping photos. And it’s not just observation; there’s actual world-building happening in this short, incredibly catchy tune. We get glimpses of alien protests, a VHS copy of ‘A League of Their Own’ with aliens in disguise, and even a rejected alien suitor. It’s delightfully weird, and honestly? I need this song on repeat. Someone get it on Spotify and Apple Music, please!

Also good: Cute — cake frosting on the nose. Sexy — mashed potatoes all over the face.

×

Kristen Wiig, when she was on “SNL,” was known for creating memorable characters with one strange habit that she’d perfectly play for laughs. Ashley Padilla is doing something similar now – even though she’s still introduced as a “Featured Player,” she consistently makes potentially irritating characters funny with quirky mannerisms and a knack for being totally inappropriate. Recently, in a sketch about an ex-couple trying to make each other jealous with fake dates, Padilla’s character laughed hysterically, smeared mashed potatoes on one of the dates, and launched into a bizarre, rambling speech about getting married at midnight. Lately, almost every episode has featured a sketch designed to showcase Padilla’s talent for playing these oblivious, over-the-top characters, and this one was no exception.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Podcasters are at war and it’s hard to understand why

×

Lots of people are confused about the feud between Alex Cooper, host of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, and Alix Earle, a TikTok star and host of “Hot Mess.” The disagreement has become a hot topic online and even caught the attention of business news outlets. It was even mentioned on “Weekend Update,” where the women compared their fight to a major disaster. Michael Che, however, seemed completely lost as to who they are and what the problem is. Meanwhile, Kam Patterson continued to struggle with his “Update” segments, this time trying to date Megan Thee Stallion after her breakup with Klay Thompson. He joked that he’s “finding his voice,” but with only two episodes left this season, he might be running out of time.

Read More

2026-05-03 10:31