SNL Scorecard: Jon Hamm / Lizzo
- Daniel Woodiwiss
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 50 minutes ago
I talked last week about the host selection of Jack Black, and how it seemed to fall somewhere in between SNL's trend of either opting for a brand-new face or a common returner from recent years. Well, the exact same applied to their next choice of host, Jon Hamm. Hamm's absence from the show wasn't quite as pronounced as Black's 20-year gap, especially given that the actor-- as he pointed out in his monologue --has been back on many occasions to make cameo appearances. But still, while this was his 4th time hosting, it had been a good 15 years since his last stint.
As crazy as it feels that it's been that long (Hamm just feels like one of those 'classic' hosts in the show's 21st-century history), it also is a bit strange that he was selected at this point in time, as it's not immediately clear whether he's promoting anything upcoming? If he is, it was not referenced in this episode, even in the monologue. But I am an avid listener of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast-- in which I made my show debut this very week! Skip to 53:35 of this link --and the various SNL alums there have spoken numerous times about their belief that Hamm is a quintessential host, one of the show's best, and his episodes were consistently some of the best of that late aughts era of the show. Perhaps this decision was borne out of nothing other than Lorne Michaels wanting to inject some late-season energy into a season that has often lacked it?
If that was the vision, then mission accomplished. This was one of the finest episodes of Saturday Night Live in recent memory, and certainly one of the best outings by a host that I can remember. If Jack Black had a huge part in lifting a mediocre episode to a solid one last week, Hamm helped elevate a good one to a great one this week. The host slotted in to every role so perfectly throughout the night, and almost without exception, this show finally displayed a night full of the original and inspired writing we have seen in bits and pieces throughout this year, but hardly ever condensed into one episode. I'm almost sad this wasn't the finale, because the 1-2 punch of the Jack Black/Jon Hamm episodes would have ended SNL50 on a crazy high, but hopefully this hints at continued upward momentum.
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 17th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
"Please Don't Destroy - Missing Person": 9.5/10
As soon as I saw Please Don’t Destroy’s name card come up so early in the show, I figured we were in for a banger. I was so happy to be right. This was the PDD trio’s best in a loooong while— in the conversation for their best yet, in fact — and the host deserves an enormous amount of credit for it. The writing was hilarious but Jon Hamm played the clueless himbo officer perfectly to accelerate the comedy in this one. This felt like an I Think You Should Leave bit in the best way.
The Good
“Guess! The Correct! Answer!": 8.5/10
Man, this was great. I can’t think of the last time SNL did a sketch like this— at least early in the show —where it was just a quick hitter of an absolute meltdown, and then roll credits. This was “What’s That Name?” meets “ahhh man, I'm all outta cash!" Another terrific performance from the host, and by Michael Longfellow in the game show host role.
“Check to Check Business News": 8.5/10
Now this is how you write a clever, timely sketch about the political-economic times! A simple joke, perhaps, but buoyed by some great writing, and terrific acting from all involved, but particularly Hamm and Ego Nwodim. The scrolling ticker at the bottom was a nice touch, too.
“Trump Easter 2025 Cold Open": 8/10
Yes, this was a retread of a classic bit from a couple years ago. And no, the writing wasn’t nearly as clever this time around. However, the show has rarely gone wrong by letting James Austin Johnson get onstage and ramble aimlessly in his note-perfect Trump impression. The relentless trolling of the other cast members was so great, too. I love that this had the feel of being “written” at about 11:07 P.M. on Saturday night.
"Icebreaker": 8/10
God, I love a good 10-to-1. The fact that the episode ended on a sketch about inane company icebreakers gone horribly traumatic, which itself ends with everyone involved perfectly reciting the exact same dialogue and facial reactions brings me such joy. Another A+ comedic performance from the host, and man, while she has yet to really have her “own” sketch, Ashley Padilla is so good every time she gets some minutes. I’m excited to hopefully see more from her next year.
"The White Potus": 7.5/10
This kind of reminded me of the “Melanianade” sketch in 2016: a really clever, biting way to parody Trump and his people, and an inch-perfect parody of a cultural moment, but probably only actually funny if you know the source material. Otherwise you’re likely left going “WTF was that?” And I know that could go for most show parodies— of course it’s gonna hit harder if you actually know the show it’s parodying —but there are countless examples of SNL and other shows doing homages that are hilarious even to those that haven’t seen what’s being referenced. I watched (and enjoyed!) Season 3 of White Lotus so I was cackling at the various parallels here, but it feels like a good bit of the studio audience hadn’t and was lost, and their lack of energy hampered my overall enjoyment of the bit ever so slightly.
“Medication Ad": 7/10
A perfect little post-musical number quick beat: a mock ad not really about a particular product, but rather the characteristics of an ad for said product. The funniest part was mostly in the idea rather than the lines, but it was great observational humor, and didn’t overstay its welcome.
“New Parents": 7/10
This was another sketch that the audience just seemed weirdly not into, but, after an admittedly somewhat slow start, I was into it. This wasn’t quite as good as the original concept (or should I say conception) in the Adam Driver episode from last season, but it accelerated wonderfully due to full commitment from Bowen and Jon, and some truly great one-liners.
“Weekend Update": 6.5/10
This Weekend Update suffered from two trends from the jump: one, the fact that last week’s Update was one of the greatest in recent memory. And two, the fact that very frequently, Update has an inverse stands out as the best part of an otherwise forgettable show but will not hit quite the same in a great episode. True to form, this was a perfectly fine but not memorable edition of Update, which made it almost feel like a disappointment, coming so hot off such a phenomenal first half of the show. Che and Jost didn’t have any real clunkers, but their best moments came right at the top with their political digs, per usual. And each of the walk-on guests— the return of Bowen’s Chen Biao, a rare appearance from Emil Wakim, and Sarah Sherman as Colin’s accountant — were perfectly fine, but not so good that they’ll live long in the memory, not even as Sarah expertly returned to her bottomless well of ruthlessly trolling the head writer.
“Monologue": 6/10
This also felt like it was thrown together last-minute, as monologues often do, but was not as funny or fully realized as the cold open. Still, Jon Hamm is a comfortable and confident host at this point, and his presence + the fun cameo made it enjoyable at least. In other words, this was a case of "least memorable part of a memorable night," and not "par for the course tonight."
Musical Performances
Lizzo: 6.5/10
I haven’t listened to Lizzo’s new music yet, nor even really kept up with when her new album is coming. I really liked and have appreciated Lizzo in the 6 years or so that I’ve been aware of her. But despite being such a unique talent, her music has started to almost become a meme of herself, and between that and allegations have to say I’m not as excited about her these days as I once was. That being said, I am, again, an appreciator, and knowing how consistently good she’s been as musical guest in her 3 prior appearances, I was optimistic about this set.
Her first performance, a mashup of her two released songs “Love In Real Life" and “Still Bad," had good energy as usual, and the second track in particular had a good if not particularly new, sound. Lizzo’s intonation sounded more off than usual, though, even if she still has the strong pipes. I can’t imagine it was nerves, so perhaps it had to do with getting back into performance after a few years away from her last tour? Whatever it may be, the vocal prowess wasn’t totally there on the second performance, either, of unreleased track “Don't Make Me Love You.” It was a perfectly pleasant tune and performance, but given the heights she has hit as an artist and performer, all songs included in her mini-set felt just a touch underwhelming. Perhaps especially against the backdrop of a hilarious episode.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.55 ('Comedy Only' score: 7.65)
Heading into SNL's last break of the 50th season, here’s where the episodes stand-- keep in mind the episode's overall score factors in the musical performance, so what I considered the funniest isn't necessarily the top-rated overall, etc.:
Jon Hamm/Lizzo - 7.55
Ariana Grande/Stevie Nicks - 7.46
Lady Gaga - 7.41
Martin Short/Hozier - 7.39
Dave Chappelle/GloRilla - 7.38
Nate Bargatze/Coldplay - 7.27
Charli xcx - 7.21
Michael Keaton/Billie Eilish - 7.18
Jack Black/Elton John & Brandi Carlile - 7.17
John Mulaney/Chappell Roan - 7.11
Timothée Chalamet - 6.96
Shane Gillis/Tat McRae - 6.59
Bill Burr/Mk.gee - 6.58
Jean Smart/Jelly Roll - 6.55
Paul Mescal/Shaboozey - 6.38
Mikey Madison/Morgan Wallen - 6.27
Chris Rock/Gracie Abrams - 5.50
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