SNL Scorecard: Ariana Grande / Stevie Nicks

It's far too early declare "SNL is BACK!", and probably even too early to declare that the show is on some sort of a roll. But one thing's for certain: the skeptics were ready to write off the state of the program after the so-so Season 50 premiere have been soundly refuted in back-to-back weeks now.

Fresh off a very strong episode helmed by comedian Nate Bargatze, Saturday Night Live tapped for hosting duties another familiar face from last season. Pop star Ariana Grande didn't host in Season 49, but was a musical guest just 6 months ago, and even made an appearance in one of the best sketches of last season. She also hosted once before, all the way back in early 2016, but this was her first time ever playing host and only host, as she ceded the musical guest duties to the legendary Stevie Nicks.

However, that mattered little for those perhaps disappointed Grande would not be performing her music, as the episode still leaned heavily on her vocal talent. From the monologue throughout almost every sketch, it was the most musical episode the show has seen in a long time, and that can be a risky game to play, but boy did it pay off in this sense. The writing was at its most clever and creative we've seen in this young season, and the host herself was phenomenal; were it not for her undisguised musical talent, you could have told just about anyone she was a new addition to the cast, and they likely would have believed you. That's how seamlessly she slid into the team of players this week, even holding down entire sketches by herself. It's a small sample size with just 2 hosting stints total in the bag, but it may be time to start discussing Ariana Grande as this decade's Justin Timberlake: a mega-famous multitalented pop artist who low key always crushes it as an SNL host.

One more note in case you forgot- I know my rankings can seem a little arbitrary, and truthfully there have been times where even I will look back at scorecards and think "Now, why did I rate (x) an 8.5, if (x) from this other episode was only a 7...?". So, both to hopefully clear up my scoring system for any curious readers, but also really to help keep myself consistent, here is the rubric to reference:

10/10: Perfect, no notes

8-9.5/10: Very funny-to-hilarious, definite rewatch

6-7.5/10: Pretty funny-to-funny, but won't necessarily be a rewatch

4.5-5.5/10: Not BAD, but not particularly funny or memorable

1-4/10: Terrible/poor taste, to simply bad/unfunny

Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 1st episode of the season:

Sketch of the Night

"Charades with Mom": 9/10

This was just terrific writing and such a funny premise, and the acting from the host and Bowen Yang was off the charts. I loved Grande’s almost 50s transatlantic WASPy delivery in her brutal takedown of her son’s boyfriend, and her irl friend Bowen fed off that energy so well. This one didn’t overstay its welcome, just a total banger from start to finish.

The Good

“Monologue": 8/10

I feel like almost every musician that hosts does this sort of ”Don’t make me sing!” wink-nudge monologue at least once, but when it’s done well, it’s always delightful, and this was done very well. Ariana Grande is no stranger to SNL, making numerous musical appearances and sketch cameos, but it had been a good 8 years since her last hosting stint, and she showed no signs of being rusty. She was calm and composed, her comedic timing impeccable, and her singing voice outrageously good. I love a good musical monologue.

"My Best Friend's House": 8/10

I remember I used to annoy one of my close middle school friends by making a point to tell him, every single time I came over, “Dude, I love the smell of your house.” I can still hear him briefly sighing and going “Daniel, shut up.” So I felt seen by Ariana’s little ditty. Anyways, I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t watched this sketch yet, but this takes a serious turn in the final third that I did not see coming, and that took this from merely a “sweet and cute” sketch to a memorable one.

"Celine Dion Sports Promo": 8/10

This is a pretty simple sketch idea, especially considering Ariana’s had that Celine Dion impression up her sleeve for a while, but executed so well. The closing montage of her singing over jump cuts of people getting beaten up just had me rolling.

"Castrati": 7.5/10

I’m gonna be real with you, I think I was nodding off during this sketch the first time through, because I just rewatched it and it’s way funnier than I originally thought. This was juvenile, and almost risky, and had every reason not to work, yet, due to tremendous comedic acting all around, it did.

“The Hotel Detective": 7.5/10

This was such a perfect sketch to end the night on, a perfectly silly, quick-hitting funny bit with some terrific rapid fire acting from the host and all cast members involved. It feels like if the crowd went along with the “Twilight Zone” ending a little bit more, it really could have been a nailed-on winner.

“Maybelline": 7/10

This was glorious chaos. Chloe’s and Ariana’s impressions were so good, and the Dana Carvey reveal was just chef’s kiss.

"Weekend Update": 7/10

Colin Jost and Michael Che continue their strong start to this season, though the very high bar set in Weeks 1 and 2 made this week, filled with a few more obvious punchlines, feel like a bit of a step back. The guest appearances by Ego Nwodim, as an overworked Amazon employee, and Sarah Sherman and James Austin Johnson as Oasis, were both fun but failed to land too many memorable moments.

“Bridesmaid Speech": 6.5/10

I say this about a lot of sketches, but this had 10-to-1 energy, and I mean that both in a good and bad way. Good, because it was goofy and had me giggling the whole time (especially with how accurately the “bad song parody by bridesmaid” was executed). But bad, because it felt like it would have hit much harder late in the show with the crowd already pretty slaphappy— especially given how solid the rest of the episode was —as opposed to fresh off the monologue, particularly a monologue that was a music number.

“Family Feud Election 2024 Cold Open": 6/10

I at least appreciate the writers’ attempts to do something new with the contexts of the political sketches, perhaps as a way of sprucing up this often-depressing election cycle. And the various impressions (James Austin Johnson’s and Dana Carvey’s in particular) are all still delightful. But overall, this was again generally more fun than it was funny, in keeping in line with the election sketches thus far.

Musical Performances

Stevie Nicks: 7.5/10

There have been a number of memorable and terrific musical performances on the SNL soundstage over the years, but it’s been a while since we’ve had one in which the moment felt bigger than the performance itself. In that vein, it was pretty emotional watching the legendary Stevie Nicks make a rare appearance on the show to perform a riotous new song that was a rallying cry for women’s rights ahead of the upcoming election. 

Her vocal cords aren’t quite what they used to be, but her passion, and her band’s energy still comes through and hits a poignant point. And as for the second performance? Well, as soon as I heard the famous chords to “Edge of Seventeen” starting in, I was transported. A rockin’ set from the icon.

OVERALL SCORE: 7.46 ('Comedy Only' score: 7.45)