It's hard to believe, as Matt Damon pointed out in his monologue on this week's “Saturday Night Live,” that the “The odyssey“has only guest hosted three times during his long career. (In case you were wondering, his frequent writing and acting partner, Ben Affleck, has hosted five times.)
It's a shame because Damon checks all the boxes of what a top-notch actor should do when hosting the show: be super present, take every opportunity to do the silliest sketches without looking awkward, and bring at least some of his acting chops to give the otherwise light sketches a little more gravitas or emotion.
Damon did all of that and helped kick off the show with an extra dose of energy by returning as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. in the cold openalong with Last week's representative, Aziz Ansari, like FBI Director Kash Patel.
Not all of the sketches worked, like one of the first. Godzilla parody set in a command center that was simply a series of increasingly expected spitballs on poor Mikey Day. Things got better when Damon played himself in a pre-recorded sketch about a movie made just for moms before Mother's Day; Mom's fantasy? No conflicts between the children and a happy marriage to Matt Damon.
Damon also played one of a trio of middle-aged men (including Marcello Hernandez and Kenan Thompson) who constantly received beaten by “tough guys” that sometimes they are just children. He also played a frustrated father in a bizarre cat litter commercial, a substitute teacher trying to make a classroom of students dance (unsuccessfully) and, memorably, an auctioneer in a fight with his auctioneer wife (Sarah Sherman). In these particular sketches, Damon's acting skills helped elevate the characters he played, encouraging them to feel sadness or frustration. It definitely helped.
The “Odyssey” could become the biggest movie hit of the summer. If that's the case, let's hope Matt Damon isn't prevented from hosting “SNL” for so long after this week's solid work.
Musical guest Noah Kahan performed “The great divide” and “Doors”.
At Martin's Tavern in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) returned once again to yell and bark at those around him, brag about the Iran war he claims to have started, and, of course, talk about alcohol consumption. But this time, he was joined by his apparent drinking buddy, Kavanaugh, who was holding a gavel and immediately ordered a “six-three decision” (six beers, three shots of Jameson whiskey). Resplendent with his victories, Hegseth shouted, “Can you believe I just started a war?” Kavanaugh responded: “Can you believe I'm done with abortion? Your body, my choice!” Kavanaugh continued showing what at first looked like a dinosaur-shaped map of the Tennessee district before revealing it was his field sobriety test, when he was asked to draw a circle. Kavanaugh lamented the crisis of male loneliness just before they were joined by Patel, who yelled, “Does this bar accept Kaaaaash?” Patel excelled the bourbon that bears his name. (“Somehow, this is a real thing that I, the director of the FBI, have done. This is real!”) Kavanaugh revealed a secret: that the court will allow Trump to serve a third term. “Trump found the original Constitution and at the end he wrote: 'Psych!' The three ended the sketch by singing “Tubthumbing” by Chumbawamba with their announcements of their drink orders.
Damon teased his next movie, although he had to mention several times that “The Odyssey” won't be out for another nine weeks. She also had to break the news that the charming “SNL” tradition of bringing in cast members' mothers wouldn't be happening this year due to the closure of Spirit Airlines. It turns out, after an audience member (“SNL” writer Jack Bensinger) asks, that only Hernandez's mother was able to attend. Damon then recorded a video message for the moms who didn't get a gift for them. “You deserve a night out…nine weekends from now,” he said, suggesting the movie would make a great date night.
Best sketch of the night: Do I hear the best sketch of the night? Sold!
A sketch as clever as this one, where the premise is that two auctioneers (Damon and Sherman) are having a marriage-ending fight, only works if the artists are up to the task, and thankfully both Damon and Sherman navigated the super-fast dialogue expertly without looking like they were looking at cue cards the entire time. The two went back and forth, auctioning off an argument about weight, infidelity, drinking, their sex life and, eventually, the terms of their divorce in front of their four young children (who, adorably, hold up little numbered signs. Yes, they were played by adult cast members). Even for “SNL” and for the last sketch of the night, it was a bold sketch for live television and Damon and Sherman expertly walked the tightrope in this one.
Also good: your mom will only survive 23 minutes of this.
“SNL” is no stranger to pointed comedy sketches about motherhood: Remember “mom jeans?” For this year’s Mother’s Day shoot, he presented “Mom: The Movie,” a film without conflict or dramatic tension because “moms have enough stress. Why not let them feel good for a day? Ashley Padilla plays the mother in the film, enjoying some argument-free time with her children (Jeremy Culhane, Tommy Brennan and Veronika Slowikowska), who only deliver good news. She is married to Matt Damon, making her Rhonda Damon, and they met when he noticed her giant turquoise necklace after a movie screening. The movie is streaming where moms are expected to find it: on HomeGoods Plus.
'Weekend Update' Winner: This 'Update' Segment Is Crazy, The Round Kind
This week’s “Update” featured three guest segments. Hernández and Day played kamikaze dolphins who work for the government, giving them a porpoise feel (your jokenot mine). Jane Wickline expressed her anger that people care that she is always late for a meeting. funny musical rant. But Culhane's return as Tucker Carlson continued an on-point impersonation that covered several topics, including wild Met Gala outfits, the new Michael Jackson biopic, and why eating round bananas is less gay than eating traditionally shaped bananas. Culhane's impression is beautiful, and this time he leaned more into Carlson's tendency to express things from a very white point of view. Describing ASAP Rocky's pink Met Gala gown, she said the performer was “wearing my least favorite color… African-American.”
