SNL After Party 4/4/26 - S51 E16 “We Talking TV?”
Host: Jack Black
Musical Guest: Jack White
How has it taken this long to get a Jacks Black and White episode of SNL?
Does this combo pay off or is this not a guest pick of destiny? Let’s find out on this installment of The SNL After Party
Cold Open:
In an NCAA March Madness show, Charles Barkley (Kenan Thompson), Ernie Johnson (James Austin Johnson), Kenny Smith (Kam Patterson) and Coach Bruce Pearl (Jeremy Culhane) attempt to talk about the college tourney, but Barkley keeps interjecting earnest and controversial statements. This is in response to the real life Barkley’s recent criticism of America’s immigration policy on-air in which he said “The way some of these immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace.”
In this version, Barkley takes on the Artemis II mission and Pam Bondi (“We should all be glad that freckle-chested dragon lady is gone”).
Bondi then shows up (Ashley Padilla) and indicates “It’s so great to be hear for the final four….years of this country” and complains that the DOJ threw away her portrait like “it was the Epstein files.”
This was a middling cold open that focused on Charles Barkley but wedged in Pam Bondi. It was kind of weird.
Monologue:
Jack Black hits the stage running in a flaming shirt and with matching energy. He points out that he is now hosting for the fifth time, which of course entitles him to membership in the Fifth Timer Club. Jonah Hill shows up to inform him that something's gone awry with the Five Timers Club. So he and Jack go to investigate. Upon entering the club, it is in disarray and covered in cobwebs. Shortly thereafter, the two are spooked by "a scary goblin." It turns out this is just Tina Fey officially welcoming Black to the club. She points out when asked why the club is in disarray, she points out that it has become kind of a tiresome trope, and that this is in fact the fifth time she has appeared in a Five Timers sketch. Fey says she is not wearing a five-timers club jacket, rather she is wearing a first-timers robe from her stint hosting the inaugural episode of SNL UK. When it is pointed out that that must explain why her robe is lined in fur and fancy, she points out that it is in fact lined with Paddington Bear.
At this point, Candice Bergen arrives on the scene and discusses her sexual adventures with Paddington in the past, noting that "there's something he likes more than marmalade."
The cameos keep on coming. Melissa McCarthy pops up from behind the bar and does her Melissa McCarthy thing by shotgunning a beer. Then Marcelo Hernandez arrives in his recurring character Domingo. However, musical guest Jack White shows up and promptly hits him in the head with a pan, to which Jack Black exclaims “Wow, it's my favorite, Professor Snape!”
The two Jacks then perform a powerhouse parody of Seven Nation Army to use the power of rock to bring the club back to its glory. It's a perfect Jack Black opening full of energy, fun, and cameos. Yes, the five-timers club thing is perhaps a bit worn by time, but when they pull it off right, it is still a lot of fun. This was such an example.
Kathy:
A group of office workers, (Mikey Day, Kenan Thompson, Sarah Sherman, and Black, who explains his being winded from the monlogue by claiming he went to the gym before lunch), are enjoying their lunch in the office break room,. when their co-worker, Kathy (Padilla) butts into their conversations.
The group does not like Kathy and tries to avoid engaging with her during lunch. She starts by telling them that she brought nachos from home, but that she can't share them because she hid her pills in them because she has to trick herself like a dog.
When the conversation turns to tech, Cathy pipes up that she got a new Grasshopper phone that has a great game on it called Numbers, in which you attempt to find all the numbers. She then goes through and lists all the numbers on her keypad in an excruciatingly slow manner.
The group switches the conversation to Survivor and Padilla and Cathy tries to engage but the group attempts to ignore her repeatedly asking,“We talking TV?" She repeats it so many times that it goes from funny to annoying and right back to funny (the perfect joke format). This sketch works solely due to Padilla's character work and everyone's ability to not break during the awkward silences.
Words To Live By:
In this pre-recorded music video come several singers have difficulty remembering important words of wisdom given to them. J.A.J. can't remember his grandpa's last words, but he is sure they were important and profound. Black can't remember what a sage in a mountain cave told him because he was interrupted on his way back down from the mountain by a text from his wife about an event with his sister. Dismukes' child was going to tell him something profound, but Dismukes told him to shut up because kids have nothing of value to say. It's a good song that pays off at the end when everyone remembers what that memory erase thing from Men in Black was called. (The neuralyzer).
Self-Defense:
Black and Hernandez teach a self-defense class in the “Ultimate Dojo." The two are just ridiculous, using techniques to deflect blows such as "Stop It," which involves them slapping their assailants' hands while saying "Stop it!” over and over again.
Kudos to Ben Marshall, one of the students, for producing what is possibly the best fake punch in SNL history as he decks Hernandez. (Poor Hernandez! He gets beat up a lot this episode.) Ultimately, Jane Woking comes out as the Bone Crusher, the star pupil of the dojo
Jane is Bone Crusher. The sketch ends abruptly and nonsensically. (Something about a caterpillar that Culhane proceeds to eat). This one had good energy but just didn’t gel.
Husbands:
A group of wives hang out in the kitchen while their husbands dash who have never met dash sit in the living room while awkwardly trying to converse with each other. Finally, the group of men bond over singing, Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son."
Their performance escalates to include ribbon dancing and rock-and-roll jumpsuits. The whole thing ends when the wives come in, and Wickline rips off her tearaway clothes to reveal a rock jumpsuit herself. This was a bit of a mess, but it had its funny moments.
Weekend Update:
Che and Colin address the war in Iran. Notes that President Trump has declared that the war is a "little journey." As an image of gas stations appears, states that a "little journey" is all anyone can afford these days. They discuss Pam Bondi's termination and state they understand why Trump fired her because "if someone took a sharpie and drew over all my favorite memories, I’d be mad too.” Colin presents a story about Canadian Pizza Huts, introducing a hot-dog stuffed crust pizza. “Hey Canada, our culture is not your costume, “he says.
Sherman is the first guest at the desk this week, portraying former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's husband, who was recently exposed as engaging in cross-dressing with models on a so-called "bimbofication" site. Sherman presents with enormous, misshapen breasts and dares everyone to make a funny comment about the situation. The joke is that no one is comfortable stating that the situation is in any way amusing. People avoid addressing it. She or Sherman asks a cue card guy if he has anything to say to which he says no. She asks Lorne Michaels if he has any comments, and the camera cuts to a chair that is spinning with no sign of Michaels in sight. She even asks if the dog that Noem shot had anything to say to which we are shown a dog in heaven covering his mouth with his paws. This bit is absurd, but it raises an interesting point about how to address a private situation without being hypocritical. And the whole bit is worthwhile just to watch Che squirm.
The second desk guest is Kam Patterson as Professor Snape from the new Harry Potter show. Snape says that Harry Potter is racist because he spent the entire semester trying to accuse Snape - the only black faculty member - of evildoing. He goes on to point out that the only other black character in the Harry Potter universe is Kingsley Shacklebolt, “whose name they got from a Wu-Tang name generator. “ He also points out that the word Shackle is literally in his name. All this leads Colin to announce that he’s finally beginning to think J.K. Rowling may be problematic.
The 301 Spartans:
Due to an Oracle's prophecy, the Spartans must whittle down their force to 300. Unfortunately, there are 301 Spartans, and so a decision must be made as to who to let sit out the fight. One of the Spartans in question is Black, dressed in armor that is comically small. Eventually the choice comes down to Black and one other soldier, a child. The leadership selects the child. Black asks the commander (Dismukes) why he wasn't chosen. Dismukes gives a lengthy list (aided by a time lapse of a sundial) for his reasons. But fear not, Kamau Black is cool with the situation as he gets to stay home with the Spartan women.
This is another middling sketch that still works due to the charisma of one of the lead players, in this case Jack Black. And kudos to the child actor in the scene who really commits to the part.
Airbnb Superhost:
A group rents an Airbnb for spring break. Super host Bob (Black) arrives with some fresh baked goods. He then obviously hides in a closet. When the group asks him to leave, he claims he was confused because of a remodel that was done some 20 years ago. He then hides in another closet. They ask him to leave again, and this time he asks another person to leave with him. Turns out it is Melissa McCarthy who was hiding behind the drapes the whole time. The two claim they just want to hang out with the youth, but they are asked to leave. McCarthy then applies Juergen's lotion to her hands and, using her great physicality, covers the doorknob in the lotion, making it impossible for the two to leave. Bedlam ensues as the group lets them stay, and McCarthy does more of her McCarthy thing that she does so well.
This sketch almost felt like the cameras were turned on, and Black and McCarthy were just told to do stuff. That's not to say it doesn't have some humorous moments, but it certainly doesn't feel like there was a cohesive, thought-out sketch here. Meh, what do you want? It's the ten-til sketch. And you've got the manic energy of McCarthy and Black going full blast.
The Goodbye Wave:
Best Sketch: Kathy. Everyone played this well, and the timing and silences made it work. Padilla once again demonstrates she is the show’s current MVP.
Worst Sketch: AirBNB Superhost takes this one. There just wasn’t much to it.
Random Notes:
- Jack White used the same set for both his songs, which included a statue with a giant skull. What or who was this? Beats me.
- The sketch count seemed low this week, and there was only one pre-taped piece. I wonder if something got cut?
- No Trump sightings!
- During the farewell, Tina Fey had on a Live From New York t-shirt (with New York crossed out and London added).
As with most Jack Black appearances this one was music heavy, and musical guest Jack White contributed music and humor to a few sketches. The Black and White combo was a solid one.
This cameo-heavy episode was comfortable, light and fun. It was certainly not the funniest ever - or even Jack Black’s best foray into SNL - but it was fine and loose.
And it was powered by rock, so there is that.
Grade: B
As always, we grade SNL episodes in comparison to other SNL episodes. Not TV in general. If you want to support our content, consider subscribing on Substack
