This week, John Mulaney returned as host Saturday Night Live with Chappell Roan. Mulaney was one of the most popular hosts at Studio 8H. He worked on the show as a writer, writing supervisor and producer from 2008 to 2012 and has hosted six times since then.

This episode created a lot of hype online, not only for fan favorite Mulaney, but also for Roan's SNL debut as a musical guest. It was also the final episode before the election, and presidential candidate Kamala Harris also made a cameo appearance that was leaked online several hours before the taping.

The show felt surprisingly light, with only four live sketches (including the cold opening). Two of these skits were also throwbacks to early Mulaney skits, which might be great for super fans, but gave the episode a bit of a “baseball” feel to it in places. Both Mulaney and Roan are known for their somewhat parasocial internet bases, so an episode might not be a bad plan for fans; However, Mulaney can do better. The problem with hosting six times in six years is that fans know what he's capable of, and this episode didn't meet the high icon bar he had already set for himself.

Opened cold

This week's cold open featured a cameo from Kamala Harris, which is the biggest takeaway. Were there any funny jokes at the beginning? Yes. Were the political impressions good as always? Also yes. But that's not discussed in this sketch either. Harris' actual lines are a little silly, but that doesn't seem to be the point either: she was invited to appear alongside Maya Rudolph, but Donald Trump was not.

Trump is often parodied in the series, most recently by an apt portrayal by James Austin Johnson; However, he also hosted twice in 2004 and 2015. In 2015, he was a presidential candidate, and the episode came under scrutiny as some asked, “Did it help him get elected?” Whether it did or not, nine years later they are clearly supporting a different candidate, and that's what this sketch will be remembered for.

monologue

The monologue started slowly. Mulaney's jokes about his Asian family getting the short end of the stick felt somehow beneath the veteran stand-up. However, he quickly showed the audience why he is one of the best stand-ups working today with well-informed jokes about it Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryHip replacement and his grandfather. One of Mulaney's strengths is his stage presence. Although he is a phenomenal writer, he is also great at being on stage and he really showcased that ability in the monologue. It may not have been his best monologue for the show, but it was the kind of solidity you'd expect from him.

What is it called: election edition

This sketch felt the most like a “Mulaney sketch.” His best sketches usually feel a little high-concept and risky, which is hard to achieve with a sketch premise that's been done several times (including with Mulaney in 2019). In the skit, Mulaney appears on a game show where he has to remember a name; This time it's the name of Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate (who also appears in the sketch). In the past, this sketch was hosted by Mulaney's good friend Bill Hader, and Michael Longfellow took over hosting and did a great job.

Beppo

This pre-made sketch about a monkey getting lost in space on an early space mission is fun. Although the twist at the end may turn off some viewers, the 1960s style and patriotic reference work well.

Port Authority Duane Reade

It's time to abandon this sketchy premise. While hosting in 2018, Mulaney did an iconic skit with Pete Davidson about ordering lobster at a diner to the music of Les Miserables.

The sketch is iconic and was accompanied by similar sketches on Bodega Bathrooms (2019), Airport Sushi (2020), Gift Shop Underwear (2020), and Subway Churros (2022). This one is probably the worst and no longer feels inventive. However, it doesn't really feel nostalgic either. It was nice to see Davidson again (who made a cameo in the sketch), but it lost the specificity of previous iterations. This time the sketch used songs from many different musicals, which doesn't work so well either. The sketch also focuses on purchasing milk from a Duane Reade, which doesn't feel as “dangerous” as previously questionable foods.

Chappell Roan

Roan then performed two songs. The first was their megahit “Pink Pony Club.” Although it is an excellent performance, it was overshadowed by the second song. Their second performance was a new queer pop-country song, “The Giver.” The song is one of the completed but unreleased songs on their highly anticipated second album. The performance stole the show. Debuting a new song in the program just feels right and iconic for the Midwest Princess.

Roan also came out to bow to hold Bowen Yang’s hand. Yang also played a baby hippo version of Roan during the Season 50 premiere on Weekend Update.

Weekend update

This week's Weekend Update is completely stolen by Heidi Gardner's Reba McEntire impression. While she's supposed to be supporting a presidential candidate, she instead rambles in a folksy manner and makes a few gross jokes, which somehow all really works. Marcello Hernandez and Jane Wickline also come along as a couple who are still confusingly together, which also brings some funny moments.

Little Richard

This sketch features a great Little Richard impression by Keenan Thompson. But that is also the case. It's not a bad sketch by any means, but in a week with so few sketches, fans may be looking for the iconic Mulaney humor and it's not really there. The skit boils down to this: “Hey, remember when Little Richard cameoed Full house? That was weird, wasn’t it?”, which, to be fair, sounds like the start of a Mulaney stand-up joke.

New York City Council Campaign

Viewers outside of New York (and even some in the five boroughs) may not know local political candidate Harvey Epstein. However, this skit is silly enough to attract viewers who know nothing about New York City Council elections. The skit pokes fun at his unfortunate name and the sex criminals who bear it.

Bonus: The Promo

Overall, the episode had some highlights, but wasn't up to the usual standards of a Mulaney-hosted show. Oddly enough, the funniest part of the week didn't even happen on the show. It was one of two promos released earlier in the week.

In the promo, James Austin Johnson plays Bob Dylan. It's a masterclass in impressions and just so funny. He has a great relationship with Mulaney, but unfortunately wasn't introduced in the actual episode. It feels strange to recommend a promotion, but this one is well worth a look.

The following two episodes have been announced. Next week Bill Burr will host with musical guest Mk.gee, and on November 9th and 16th Charlie XCX will be both host and musical guest.