Quinta Brunson Is Dependable Yet Versatile on a Fantastic Saturday Night Live
The Abbott Elementary showrunner’s sophomore episode seemed allergic to listlessness, packing smart humor into a lot of material without ever feeling bloated or off-balance.
Quinta Brunson is an ideal Saturday Night Live host, because her arc is quite “not-ready-for-primetime.” What I’m saying is: She’s earned her place on modern comedy’s Mount Rushmore after building herself from the ground up and toiled in menial (and oft-unsuccessful) gigs along the way. She’s not a movie star, nor is she a big name in a tangential profession. After working as a producer at BuzzFeed, Brunson co-starred in a CW pilot, The End of the World As We Know It, that didn’t get picked up. The same thing happened with a CBS multi-cam comedy, Quinta & Jermaine.
Finally, Robin Thede’s HBO series A Black Lady Sketch Show plucked Brunson out of the online sphere for good and made her a star, opening the door for her greatest triumph (so far), Abbott Elementary, in 2021. Now, she’s the strongest creative voice in television, racking up quite a few Golden Globes and Emmys in the last three years alone. She’s dominant on cable, and that’s exactly what SNL has needed.
Brunson hosted the show in 2023, and it was a great debut for a buzzy name in comedy, with “Traffic Altercation” and “Drug Dealer” proving to be strong inclusions in Season 48’s lore. And, as we head into the final stretch of Season 50, Brunson’s presence again proved fortunate. Last night’s episode was fantastic, and I say that as an SNL fan who is, more often than not, ambivalent to 80% of the sketches. Most of this season has fallen between a 6.0 and a 7.5 for me, with only three episodes eclipsing the 8.5 mark. I’ve been waiting for something to truly wow me, and Gaga’s episode got really close.
So you’re probably looking at that 9.2 score and assuming that last night’s episode of SNL was near-perfect—and it was, but in a context that only exists around SNL. Speaking in broader terms: No, last night was not a near-perfect episode of television. But, in the vacuum of sketch comedy, it’s been a long time since the show felt this allergic to listlessness. And, when the worst part of an SNL program is a three-minute character bit on Update, or a sketch they’ve done with a host before (and previously this season), they must be doing something right, yeah?
Brunson’s strengths flourish in adaptability. She’s more than capable of commanding a sketch, yet she can also effortlessly fade into the ensemble when the material demands other voices take the lead. “Leadership Summit” was a prime example of that balance last night, as a majority of the cast had an opportunity to step up—yet Brunson remained the silent anchor of a sketch that could have flopped just as easily as it clicked. We saw Chris Rock sort of paw at that late last year, but Brunson’s ability to gel with the cast without having to go all-gas-no-brakes to achieve it will set a new standard. Her charm alone pulls the camera onto her, but its her subtlety that allows other players to borrow the focus without hurting the flow. And last night was such a front-loaded episode of sketches, too. It’s rare that SNL can put forth just two post-Update skits and avoid an imbalance, but they packed so much comedy into the first 60 minutes that the last 30 minutes petered out comfortably. So how did last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live fare? As a wise cue card says…
“Live from New York…”
While SNL was on a three-week break, Trump’s second term eclipsed the 100-day mark. But, as President Trump (James Austin Johnson)—perhaps the next Pope?—would have you believe, it felt like 100 years. I have been a vocal critic of this season’s run of cold opens, and I still think this team of writers has yet to really figure out how to make them good on a consistent basis, but I would be remiss to ignore how easy last night’s sketch went down. To be honest, any cold open that is five minutes long and isn’t a slog is a winner in my book. JAJ felt particularly sharp last night, riffing on Trump’s bans on paper straws and defunding PBS. Elmo got apprehended by ICE and there’s a good Count von Count joke in there, while he goes through a bunch of executive orders that need signed—including protecting Columbus Day for “our great Italian-American friends” like Childish Gambino, reducing the number of interracial couples in TV commercials (“It’s just too many, right? You see them in the kitchen together making meals from Hello Fresh!”), and making it socially acceptable for men in their 70s to date young women. Here’s looking at you, Coach Belichick.
Trump pardons JK Rowling, who he calls “Jackie,” and congratulates her on creating a Wizard World for “overweight millennials to stake their entire identity well past the point of it being cute.” Then comes the kicker from JAJ: “I’m a Hufflepuff! No, bitch! You work at Staples.” Mikey Day does Stephen Miller Kylo Ren-style, playing up the creep role so much that even Trump has to acknowledge it. Marcello Hernandez stops by as a broken down, submissive Marco Rubio to oversee an executive order preventing Hispanic babies from getting their ears pierced. “We got grown, white, American tweens trying to get into Claire’s and they gotta wait behind a thousand tiny Latina babies to get their ears pierced. It’s no bueno, right Marco?” I thought this was a fun cold open that blew by.
A timely sketch, “Two Bitches vs. a Gorilla” puts the age-old (week-old) question to the test: Who would win in a fight, 100 men or one gorilla? Except, it’s two bitches (Brunson, Ego Nwodim) versus one gorilla. And the answer is: two bitches. This was one of the best sketches of the season, period—driven entirely by Brunson and Nwodim’s ability to use each other as launch pads for escalating drama. It took the live audience a minute to really rally behind them, but everyone was hollering by the sketch’s end. It’s Brunson’s birthday weekend, which means she and Nwodim are allowed to break into the gorilla enclosure, talk shit to the animal’s face, and sing Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” at it. Brunson hits the gorilla with her purse, shouting, “Yeah, I bet that hurt. We goin’ to CoinStar after this, I got hella nickels in here.” In fact, the whole sketch is beefed up by its one-liners. Here are a few that stood out to me:
“You think this the first time I’ve fought a 400-pound bitch? I used to work at Lane Bryant.”
“Square up, Donkey Kong. You about to meet Harambe today.”
“I guess this ain’t Planet of the Apes. You ain’t no Caesar.”
“Are you an original human or no?” “Yeah, why you ain’t changed? Why you ain’t evolute?”
“You just out here stank, fat, no job.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ego Nwodim is a star. She and Brunson put on a three-minute comedy clinic that I would have gladly watched for hours on loop.
I’ll also use this space to give a shoutout to the incredible “Addicts Anonymous” sketch, which let Kenan Thompson spread out hilariously—and for the first time since his Little Richard bit earlier this season. Despite the amount of service time he’s logged, it’s rare that we get material where Kenan is the anchor these days. He and Brunson were lights-out together last night, and it was fun watching his character try new ways to sniff a coke plug out of a few recovering addicts. Anything for a fix, even if it includes dressing up like a cop and confiscating drugs at college parties. The writers were as whip-smart as ever here.
“Yipee! Jerry Rubin died last week.”
With those yearly rumors that Colin Jost may be departing the show after this season beginning to spread, all eyes were on Update last night—and Jost and Che delivered another great mid-show segment, earning some wonderful groans from the audience. Jost brings out an “Oh Hell No!” segment to rant about Trump’s tariffs meaning that kids in the States might have to settle for two dolls at Christmas instead of 30; the guys joke about AI, Matt Gaetz, fentanyl seizures, Diddy’s upcoming trial, Trump doing an impression of a trans athlete during his Alabama commencement speech, and killing a dog with a lawn mower. But my two favorite moments were met with disapproval from the live crowd: Osama Bin Laden making good use of a US military plane that disappeared into the ocean, and the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War ending also meaning that a lot of half-Vietnamese children are turning 50 this year, too.
We got a fantastic bit from Michael Longfellow about the implementation of Real ID. I’m still hoping that Longfellow will be Jost’s replacement on Update, and his deadpan winner last night only gives me more hope that the underused cast member will get a chance to shine behind the desk for good come next fall. “Guess what?” he asks upon arrival. “I’m not getting the Real ID. I’ve got a message for the government. Can I get a close-up on this… Hey Government: No. You already gave me an ID. If it’s fake, you fix it. And you’re doing this now? The Pope is dead. Let me mourn.” Every part of Longfellow’s delivery is picture-perfect and charmingly bratty. It’s like a three-minute-long wink that could, at any moment, turn into a brush fire. Longfellow wagers that he’d prefer a bullet in his penis than having to go to the DMV on his day off. Jost pushes back, telling Longfellow that, if he doesn’t get a real ID, he won’t be allowed to fly. “Honey, it’s 2025,” Longfellow retorts. “Planes are barely allowed to fly.” This might be my favorite Update segment of the season, along with Sarah Sherman’s NYC squirrel bit.
Speaking of Sherman, she and Bowen Yang came by the desk as Darlene and Duke, two Applebee’s barflies who are mighty sad about chain restaurants facing retail issues and closing down franchises. There’s a great gag about “Asian glaze” you’ll wanna sit down for, and Yang and Sherman struggling to keep it together after making out is a delight to witness. They even laud how places like Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s, and Chili’s have invented important English words, like “bloomin’ onion,” and go to bat for the only place you can get “barbecue sauce on the rim of a plastic cocktail glass.” A bit like this runs on chemistry and timing, and Yang and Sherman have it together in spades.
“In a word? Chaos.”
“Leadership Summit” is, like I said in my intro, one of the best ensemble sketches of the season—if not the absolute best. The idea is for employees to learn new communication skills, like the sandwich method (aka, putting negative feedback in-between two compliments), and the workers have a hard time not making it personal. Brunson admits to sleeping with Sarah Sherman’s husband, while Dismukes tells Ashley Padilla that she’s “bad at the computer” but balances it out with “I’d like you to wear shorter things.” This sketch reminded me of “HR Meeting” from Season 49, since the template (employees abusing motivational incentives) is effortlessly drawn from again. When Kenan stands up and starts talking about actual sandwiches, the bit starts clicking into place. Then, Bowen Yang comes in unannounced, asks if masturbating as a self-employed worker would be categorized as sexual harassment, and then vanishes. Fun stuff—never underestimate the power of a sketch without a weak link player.
“You are weak like H.R. Pickens!”
Speaking of weak, SNL already ran “Traffic Altercation” back a second time when Martin Short hosted the holiday episode in December, but the first iteration of that sketch was made great by Brunson during her first hosting gig. So why not do it again? This time, it’s on the Staten Island Ferry—Colin Jost’s ferry, to be exact. Two drivers (Brunson, Mikey Day) are arguing in their cars, just like last time, talking at each other through rolled up windows and resorting to outlandish, choreographed expressions. And, as the formula demands, Chloe Fineman is also present and making sexual gestures. I’d argue this was the worst sketch of the night, if only because doing it three times in two years is exhausting, even by SNL’s standards. What can be said, however, is that I’m sure it’s not easy incorporating sort-of ASL movements into a live comedy bit. There’s a reason charades fell out of vogue, so kudos to Brunson and Day for always being able to sell the physicality of this sketch.
“If you have a $50 bill, we can give you 50 singles.”
The pre-recorded bits were good last night, especially “OnlySeniors” and “Forever 31.” Looking at my wardrobe of baggy clothing as I write this, I can’t help but feel somewhat called out by the “Forever 31” riffs on women being able to “carry a baby to term” without changing into maternity wear. Ashley Padilla rocks a David Byrne-sized big suit, while Heidi Gardner puts on a pantsuit that would “make Diane Keaton look like a prostitute.” Nods to the bummer rainbow—aka earth tones and, if you’re slutty, navy blue—sensible flats, and Carmen Sandiego are nice kickers, too.
“OnlySeniors” was fantastic, too. The premise is great—an elderly Brunson and Kenan getting life insurance despite having pre-existing conditions, by monetizing their sex life on an OnlyFans platform for old folks. There’s a great moment where, as Brunson begins lashing out at her skeptical children, Kenan pulls out a small remote and presses a button. You can let your imagination fill in the gaps of where exactly the vibrator is on Brunson’s character. The execution of such a quick gag got the biggest LOL out of me this season.
“It’s always something.”
If there’s one thing that can be said about Season 50, it’s that there have been some very… questionable first sketch choices. But I wouldn’t put last night into that category. The “Will and Todd’s Radical Experience” bit, a Bill & Ted knockoff featuring Dismukes and Marcello, worked well because Kenan and Brunson were totally in-sync with each other. Some historical figures, like Julius Caesar, Queen Elizabeth, and Leonardo Da Vinci, are about to be sent back to their own eras in a phone booth time machine. Frederick Douglass (Thompson) and Harriet Tubman (Brunson), however, would rather stay in the ‘80s, because there is no slavery and Black people are paid for their labor. “Without both of you, who would help end slavery?” Dismukes asks. “The bench is deep on that one,” Douglass responds. They’d rather ride roller coasters, skateboard, and face “discrimination and inequality” than return to the “1-800s.” As the sketch builds up to a “you have to go back, your time needs you” resolution, it gets flipped on its head when Douglass and Tubman trap William and Todd in the time machine. This sketch was sharp, with Kenan and Dismukes leading the charge while Marcello nearly broke more than once.
“Your very precious lunch hour…”
Last night’s 10-to-1 sketch, “Jerry ‘Jackrabbit’ Tulane,” was a JAJ-hosted show about the greatest sports personalities of all time, including Muhammad Ali’s inspiration, Jerry “Jackrabbit” Tulane (Brunson). Tulane is all talk, no game—dropping big smack on his opponent (Devon Walker) during a press conference only to get destroyed quickly in the ring. There’s nothing outrageously inventive about this bit, but the beats are so well done that I couldn’t help but laugh every time the camera cut to JAJ’s amused deadpan. Tulane struggling to stay coherent after the second beatdown was one of Brunson’s best moments last night.
Not Ready For Primetime Power Rankings
1. Kenan Thompson Kenan was all over the TV last night, and he earned every second of it. His turns in “Will and Todd’s Radical Experience,” “OnlySeniors,” “Addicts Anonymous,” and “Jerry ‘Jackrabbit’ Tulane” were all memorable.
2. Andrew Dismukes Like Kenan, Dismukes had a great night, especially as one of SNL’s current leading men. He anchored “Will and Todd’s Radical Experience” and “Jerry ‘Jackrabbit’ Tulane,” and his quick moment in “Leadership Summit” was good, too.
3. Ego Nwodim Had Ego been the focal point in more than just “Two Bitches vs. a Gorilla,” she’d be #1 in the power rankings. Every time she was on screen last night, she commanded my attention.
Goodnights
We got two flips from musical guest Benson Boone last night, which is one less than I was expecting.
SNL is back next week with first-time host Walton Goggins and musical guest Arcade Fire, so we’ll catch you then. And that’s the way it is! Goodnight.
Matt Mitchell is Paste’s music editor, reporting from their home in Northeast Ohio.
