SNL Scorecard: Jack Black / Jack White
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
We're entering the final stretch of SNL's Season 51, the show having returned this weekend from their last extended break of the season. It's been an inconsistent (at best) year from the program; much like my beloved football club Liverpool, they were attempting to follow up on a big year by breaking in a big influx of new talent. And much like Liverpool, despite several periods in which it seemed the new-look group were starting to gel and building towards real progress, the show's never really gotten fully off the ground this season.
That said, their most recent stretch-- the shows hosted by Connor Storrie, Ryan Gosling and Harry Styles --was their strongest three-episode run yet, and the announced hosts and musical guests to close out the season are some heavy hitters. So, reason for optimism abounds! And when you want a heavy hitter and want to keep the good mojo going, what better host to call in than Jack Black?
The legendary comedian and musician is one of those people that seems like he was made in a lab to be a perfect addition to Saturday Night Live; so natural and versatile is his comedic style, evidenced by the episode he hosted last year, one of the strongest of Season 50. Yet, that gig somewhat shockingly marked a 20-year gap between his previous hosting stint. It's almost as if Lorne Michaels and co. forgot all about him, and then once they saw how well his last episode at the helm went, had a moment of realization: "Ohhhh right!! This guy should host EVERY year!" Well, Jack was back, this time in tandem with musical guest Jack White... I love when the very booking of the host-musical guest pairing is a joke. In keeping with the limitations that have plagued this season, it was a night short on writing brilliance and truly memorable sketches. But in keeping with the form of late, and what we've come to expect from this host, it was still one of the most enjoyable outings of the year, with plenty of silliness abounding, and some truly high-energy performances from host, musical features, guest cameos, and cast alike.
One 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
4-5.5/10: Not BAD, but not particularly funny or memorable
1-3.5/10: Terrible/poor taste, to simply bad/unfunny
Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 16th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
"Kathy": 8/10
I’m so glad my favorite current cast member (Ashley Padilla) has her own version of a sentimental favorite sketch by a favorite recent cast member. This was great, and as many commenters point out, would not have worked if everyone started breaking, so kudos to Ashley and Jack Black in particular for their full commitment.
The Good
“Words to Live By": 7.5/10
SNL has parodied country music numerous times, of course, and in fact, James Austin Johnson and Andrew Dismukes did so extremely effectively just a couple seasons ago. But I don’t know that I’ve seen or heard a parody of this lyrical theme, the genre of song that’s “recounting wise words passed on by elders”! This was unsurprisingly great— I think I could have done without the final beat of wise words from the kid, but the Jack White solo brought me all the way back. Hilarious.
“Husbands": 7.5/10
One of those that just feels like it was made for me, I fear. Yes, the timing could have been better, and this was more fun than funny. But I loved it. Ladies, if you’re wondering… yes, this is an accurate depiction of guy-hangs.
“Airbnb Superhost": 7.5/10
What a perfect 10-to-1 sketch. I was already enjoying Jack’s performance immensely, but the issue is, he’s so naturally affable that even when his character is being weird, I still didn’t really understand why the other characters were so short with him. Enter: Melissa McCarthy, who unsurprisingly transformed this into pure, unadulterated chaos. Nobody— and I mean NOBODY —commits harder to a physical bit than she does. The way she just bent Jeremy over and went to town on his back… unreal.
"Monologue": 7/10
I honestly had no idea this was Jack’s 5th time hosting, and also had no clue Jonah Hill had hosted 5 times. I could have done without the latter’s appearance, but hey, it didn’t ruin what was a typically high-octane “Five Timers Monologue.” Lots of fun faces! Great comedic timing from musical guest Jack White! Not the funniest monologue, but any monologue that includes so many cameos, and Jack Black singing a song to the tune of “Seven Nation Army” with Jack White shredding in the background will be among the most memorable.
"Self-Defense": 7/10
This, too, didn’t really have much of a joke, apart from the host and Marcello Hernández being bad at the self-defense they’re teaching, and having a ridiculous accent while doing so. But, it was extremely high-energy, and both JAJ and Ben Marshall made me laugh with every dumb thing that came out of their mouths. Plus, the way Jack Black pronounced the word “penis” will live in my brain for a while. We love a fun silly dumb sketch!
"Weekend Update": 6.5/10
A decent, but not memorable outing from the co-anchors this week, which has become more of the norm this season unfortunately. Same goes for Sarah Sherman’s appearance: love her, and will always find her chaotic prop usage funny. But this one, as Kristi Noem’s husband, didn’t boil down to much more than her trying to get both Che and Jost to laugh with her ridiculous balloobies. That said, the segment ended on a high with the little-used Kam Patterson killing it as “Black Snape.”
The... Less-Good
“The 301 Spartans": 5.5/10
Pretty dumb, honestly, but Jack Black sold his part and salvaged this sketch’s enjoyment in a way only he could. A half-point boost for the kid absolutely crushing his line, too.
“NCAA Post Game Show Cold Open": 6/10
I always appreciate when they try something new rather than trotting out the same old tired political cold opens, even if this one did eventually incorporate some political figures. That said, this mostly felt tedious, and short on good impressions (apart from James' unsurprisingly perfect take on Ernie Johnson) and didn’t really have anything insightful or clever to say.
Musical Performances
Jack White: 8/10
I’ve said “I’m more an appreciator than a fan” about many musical guests over the years, but Jack White might be the most extreme example of that yet. He’s one of the greatest 21st-century rockers— perhaps THE best, when you account for his career as both band frontman and solo artist —and so many other artists and bands I love cite him as an inspiration and a legend. Yet, save for some early White Stripes cuts, his music has just never stuck with me that much, or at least enough to turn me into a full-blown Jack-ass. (Is that what his fans are called? It should be. Can’t exactly call yourself the “Proud Whites,” after all.)
That said, not only do I have deep respect for him, I also have seen him do this very show numerous times and consistently turn in an absolutely electric set, so I will never complain about having him on as musical guest. Sure enough, this set stayed pretty true to form. White performed two songs I didn't recognize, which wasn’t a surprise, but what was a surprise was learning these were not tracks off his 2025 E.P. No Name (which I still haven’t listened to), but in fact the first performance of brand new tracks, “Derecho Demonico and “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs”! That’s a cool little TV moment! Both performances were absolutely rockin’, per usual. The next bad Jack White set will be his first.
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