SNL After Party 3/07/26 - S51 E14 “Like Reba McEntire at the Grammys”
Host Ryan Gosling
Musical Guest: Gorillaz
Well, well, well. It seems like someone had a case of the sillies this week, and by someone, I mean every single soul involved with this week's SNL. That being said, did returning host Ryan Gosling throw a Hail Mary or was he off in La La Land, unable to bring home the comedy? Let's find out in this week's after party.
Cold Open:
Colin Jost took center stage in the cold open this week as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He came out to do a briefing on the military action in Iran. He came out guns blazing after doing a keg stand, which he claimed was just Sprite.
He then did - of all things - a Papa Roach parody followed by a bad Jamaican accent. He capped that off by proclaiming, "Yeah, we can do Jamaican again!"
Jost then took questions from the media. One reporter asked if we were going to go boots on the ground, to which he said, "Yeah, my mom's next to my bed after I bang her.”
Hegseth was followed by Ashley Padilla as outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noam told the media that, "Like I told my plastic surgeon, the work is never done." She then added that she will keep trying because, "You miss all the dogs you don't take a shot at."
Jost's manic Hegseth remains funny, and there was nary a Trump sighting to be found in either the cold open or the show in general this week. The show is off to a refreshing start.
Monologue
Ryan Gosling's monologue was immediately interrupted by the fact that he noticed that next week's host, Harry Styles, was in the audience. This completely threw him off his game. As he pitched his upcoming film, Project Hail Mary, and attempted to make a poignant commentary about life on Earth, the camera kept cutting to Styles. It was very funny.
As the monologue continued, Sarah Sherman came out with some dancers and got a look at Styles and went out to him in the audience stating, "Get me to God's country," This was a riff on Morgan Wallen's odd exit from a show earlier this season.
Gosling pretended to be very much-off balance by Styles' presence, particularly when he started singing a song from Project Hail Mary, which was Harry Styles' own "Sign of the Times." As he mangled the song, he declared, "Nobody wants this." Then decided to start singing "I'm Just Ken from The Barbie Movie." Ultimately, Gosling collapsed to the stage despondent when the rest of the cast comes out and Mikey Day gives him a kiss on the cheek to comfort him. The cast then joins him to sing, and Gosling is excited that they are there to support him but is informed that they are just there to get a closer look at Harry Styles. This was a great use of the monologue and really highlighted Gosling's ability to play funny.
Wedding Tradition
As two newlyweds (Mikey Day and Sarah Sherman) make their toasts, someone clinks their champagne glass, which leads the couple to kiss, because they “have to” when anyone does so.
One of their guests - Gosling dressed in a spangly suit - proceeds to repeated clink his glass while being absolutely creepy. He even taps the glass when Day’s brother and sister are speaking, demanding that they then kiss. When it is pointed out that they are siblings, Gosling states, “And yet the rules are the rules.”
There are a number of instances of Gosling cracking up in the sketch, and it sets the tone for the rest of the show.
The sketch itself is fun based mainly on Gosling’s goofball creepiness that is also somehow likable. An interesting ability.
Otezla
In a pre-taped commercial parody, a plaque psoriasis drug is a mystery that could somehow unravel the very fabric of space and time. It’s not as funny as it is odd, and it certainly tried. It was no Happy Funny Ball, but still worthwhile.
Cyclops
Okay. The set up is a fantasy tale in which three cyclopses (Gosling, Day, and Kenan Thompson) have battled their way to a magic door guarded by Ashley Padilla and Veronika Slowikowska. The cyclopses (is that the plural, it doesn’t look right) are not bright, yet the guardians require them to answer a riddle to pass through the door.
The whole sketch consists of Padilla telling the cyclopses to “Stop!” as they advance on the door after failing to answer the riddles. (They always think the answer is hat).
The situation causes Padilla to repeatedly crack-up. The trend is cementing.
Monty McTreats and The Pastry Bakery
In a second taped piece, Gosling is Monty McTreats, a Willy Wonka-esque character about to give a tour of his whimsical bakery, staffed by the delightful Dodie-Dees. Problem is, it’s Dodie-Dee mating season, and the male of the species offs themselves after mating to free up resources for the women and kids.
Honestly, it’s about as funny as it sounds. It’s overproduced and under delivers on its thin premise.
Weekend Update
Jokes this week include Kristi Noem’s firing (“Imagine being singled out as the worst Trump cabinet member. It’s like being approached at a party and being told to leave because ‘You’re making Diddy upset.’”)
They commented on Trump’s rash on his neck because someone “washed his collar in holy water.”
They also joked about Timothee Chalamet’s recent comments that no one cares about ballet and opera, adding he made the remarks while promoting a movie about ping pong.
Che was looser than usual, making barbs after jokes bombed. “This is our Emmy show,” he said at one point.
There’s only one desk bit this week, as Pastor Update and Band Leader Teddy (Kenan and James Austin Johnson) sing songs about snacks in the green room and what might be on Che’s laptop. The bit doesn’t really play, but does have some funny moments (including JAJ’s comment that “You can have all the meat you want, but you haven’t got a sandwich if you ain’t got bread.”)
I didn’t time it, but it felt like Update was short this week.
Passing Notes
Well, you know how SNL used to supposedly have a general rule against intentional crack-ups. That got fully thrown out the window in this sketch. Apparently based on how well the annual joke exchange goes, they decided to build a sketch around the concept.
In this sketch, a principal (Gosling) and teacher (Padilla) are chastising students for passing notes, taking up the notes and reading them aloud. But, as we are told via superimposed graphics, the notes were changed between rehearsal and the live show.
So, you know what happens. Padilla and Gosling just repeatedly crack up for the entirety of the sketch.
Lorne Michaels would be rolling over in his….well his office, I guess…if he saw this.
There’s no denying that the was funny, however, up to and including a giant bag of spaghetti.
The Goo Goo Man
Gosling and Sherman are checking out of a hotel when they have to argue with Day at the front desk regarding charges related to visits from “The Goo Goo Man”. It’s just a fun, stupid, silly sketch that relies on how funny it is to say “Goo Goo Man” repeatedly. But the goofiness works.
Lies
Please Do Not Destroy member Martin Herlihy presents a video about Lies. To explore lying, he wears a “flawless” Colin Jost suit and walks in his shoes for a day. It’s a strange and silly sketch that has some funny moments, but it doesn’t quite hit a home run.
The Goodbye Wave:
Best Sketch: Passing Notes. It’s low hanging fruit for a sketch concept, but it was genuinely funny and the cast seemed to be having just so much fun.
Worst Sketch: Monty McTreats. This one was - dare I say - half-baked
Random Notes:
- Gorillaz had two fun performances, with one featuring three- count ‘em - three guests (Asha Puthli, Black Thought from the Roots, Anoushka Shankar on Sitar
- Chloe Fineman was back this week, but in an incredibly limited capacity
- Sandy Wernick, Adam Sandler’s longtime manager (and manager for a then young Lorne Michaels) received an in memoriam bumper card
This episode seriously felt like Lorne was out of town and the cast and writers just decided to see how much everyone could make each other giggle. Maybe Tim Conway and the spirit of Harvey Korman stopped by to run the show this week?
This sounds like a complaint. It’s not. The silliness was funny. BUT, it only works as a once every few decades treat. If the show devolves into this on a regular basis, it will become tiresome with the quickness.
Gosling is the right choice to have led such an episode. While nothing stands out like his last hosting appearance - indeed, can any sketch ever top the Beavis and Butthead sketch - this was a light, funny episode. That made for a good change of pace.
Grade: B
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