“Saturday Night Live” has recently begun its 47th season, with Owen Wilson performing the monologue for the opening episode.
As a long-time “SNL” fan, I was more than excited to tune in for season 47. “SNL” proves that some things just remain timeless — humor is one of those things. The show still remains as funny as it was the first time you watched it, with the hosts constantly evolving to incorporate new cultural events into hilarious jokes.
To name just one of my favorite moments from the one hour and fifteen minute show would be difficult, as each of the “SNL” cast members brought something unique to the show. The best part of watching SNL in a longer format is seeing the different cast members switch roles. The show even had Pete Davidson come on as, drumroll please ... Pete Davidson — certainly a change from when he played Tom Steyer in the 2020 Democratic debate.
Host Owen Wilson, aka Lightning McQueen, gave quite the glimpse into “Cars 4,” the proposed movie where Lightning McQueen is almost villain-like. Wilson’s character in the sketch refuses to tarnish his fictional persona like that until Disney+ offers him quite the check, though the amount is left completely unknown.
Going along with the movie theme, “SNL” gave a glimpse into a quality film coming soon to a theater near you — a movie about Jeff Bezos on the moon. The film is titled “Billionaire Star Trek” and if it was coming to theaters, I would be the first to buy a ticket. The highlight of the preview is when an Amazon worker delivers a package and questions why Bezos mistreats his employees; Bezos responds by zapping him out of space. The rivalry between Elon and “Jeff” will be interesting to watch unfold.
The theme of rivalry was also prominent in the mail-in testing service sketch, between the director, the creative actors and the business owners. Meanwhile, the women in the women’s talk show sketch hilariously dealt with one misdiagnosis after another after they were vaccinated not once, not twice, but several times. But props to the Doctor in the “Doctor Who” sketch on his amazing subtlety in patting the person with COVID on the head instead of shaking his hand — it was totally not noticeable. The Doctor clearly deserves his own TV show with his impressive performance ... Oh wait. I propose making the Doctor next week’s guest on the Weekend Update segment.
Speaking of which, this Weekend Update included a story on “a Black woman who’s been missing for ten years.” The Weekend Update took on a somewhat more serious tone while discussing the idea of “missing white women syndrome,” but it still incorporated some laughs. Shedding light on the past, “SNL” also gave a tribute to Norm Macdonald and his contributions to Weekend Update. “Saturday Night Live” is truly a show that knows how to handle serious issues when necessary.
As “Saturday Night Live” wrapped up, I couldn’t help but appreciate a show like this. It knows how to discuss serious matters while also managing to lighten the viewer’s mood with humor. And this is what makes “Saturday Night Live” what it is today. The thoughtfulness of its writers and actors — and the iconic live audience — make it a sight to see.
Show: “Saturday Night Live”
Episode: Season 47, Episode 1
Host: Owen Wilson
If you liked: “Sonny with a Chance”
Shamrocks: 5 out of 5 shamrocks
