Jon Hamm returned to Saturday Night Live to host for the fourth time with musical guest Lizzo. It was his fourth time hosting. The Mad Men star previously hosted once in 2008 and twice in 2010. While he hadn’t hosted in years, Hamm frequently cameos on the show (a fact he brought up in his monologue).
It was also Lizzo’s fourth time on the show. She first appeared as a musical guest in 2019 and returned for two episodes in 2022 (she was both the host and musical guest on the April episode and was a musical guest again that December.)
For both Hamm and Lizzo, this episode felt like a return. Hamm hadn’t hosted in 15 years, and Lizzo backed away from the public eye in 2023 after her backup dancers accused the singer of racial/sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. However, a lawsuit was dismissed in 2024.
Hamm especially beamed though out the show and seemed to be in an almost constant smile (suggesting it was good to be back.)
Cold Open
In this Easter-themed Cold Open, Jesus is preparing to cleanse the temple when he is interrupted by James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump. Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb. This setup is similar to the Founding Fathers’ Cold Open from January.
The best moments of this sketch are when Johnson turns to the cast and starts talking about them. There have been so many Trump Cold Opens that having him talk about something not current event-related feels novel, even if it is a little inside baseball. The best moment of the sketch comes when ‘Trump’ talks about how Emil Wakim wanted to play Jesus because he looks like the real Jesus, prompting Trump to say, “But we don’t like to think about that, so we have Mikey Day there with his big, beautiful blue eyes.”
Overall, this sketch feels a bit long and almost less scripted than some other Trump Cold Opens, but it will be fun, especially for super fans of the show.
Monologue
Hamm had an uphill battle. Back in 2010, it felt like a surprise that the man who played the stoic and haunted Don Draper could be funny and silly. His being handsome, funny and not known for comedy was a real asset. However, in the last 15 years, Hamm’s comedy skills have been well-established. This monologue is cute and mainly about how he has cameoed on the show 14 times.
He shows some clips and brings out Kieran Culkin because cameos ‘are great when monologues go flat.’ This monologue does feel a little flat at moments, but it is propelled by Hamm, who seems very excited to be there.
Check to Check Business News
This financial news show for people living paycheck to paycheck isn’t worried about the stock market because who has stocks!? Ego Nwodim and Hamm are joined by Kenan Thompson for grocery tips and Andrew Dismukes for side hustles. The sketch delivers just enough social commentary to get away with some very silly premises.
Missing Person
This pre-taped Please Don’t Destroy sketch follows cops who get derailed by questions about dinner while trying to find a missing girl. The strength of this sketch is the energy shift halfway through. It changes the game of the sketch in a very satisfying way.
Guess! The Correct! Answer!
Michael Longfellow hosts a game show where contestants must answer correctly; however, when a nervous dentist (Hamm) comes on, he tries his best not to say anything that would make him go viral. SNL does a lot of game shows, but this one feels fresh because it isn’t really about the game show: It’s about trying not to embarrass oneself on TV.
There are about 45 seconds of this sketch that are amazing. Hamm gives a great performance that really works. However, this is a blessing and a curse. This sketch takes its time to establish the joke of the sketch and to end after its peak.
The White Potus
If you aren’t familiar with HBO’s The White Lotus (and specifically its third season), this sketch probably won’t be for you. However, for fans, this is pretty spot on (well, at least the allusions to the show are; it’s pretty light on political satire.) The sketch imagines Trump’s inner circle as guests at the infamous hotel.
This is the second Trump sketch of the night. It might have worked slightly better with a less Trump-heavy Cold Open, but outside of the context of the episode, this will likely be a crowd-pleaser. While a TV show parody is nothing new for SNL, it feels like it has been a while since they have done one, which also helps this sketch.
Lizzo Preforms
Lizzo performed two songs ‘Love in Real Life/Still Bad Medley’ and ‘Don’t Make Me Love You.’ If you are going to watch one, make the former. Lizzo feels like she is trying to reinvent herself. She looks very different from the pre-controversy version of herself and starts this performance with a different sound as well. As the performance continues, it becomes more like the ‘old Lizzo.’ She really gives it her all.
Weekend Update
Notably, Weekend Update featured three guests this week. Bowen Yang stopped by as Chinese Trade Minister Chen Biao. The character is a returning favorite, and Yang always does a great job with the performance. Sarah Sherman also stopped by as Colin Jost’s Accountant, Dawn Altman. It is the typical Sherman Update performance; she heckles and harasses Colin before ratcheting up the genre with a risky joke. However, the second guest (Wakim) is maybe the most interesting.
Wakim delivers a standup-esque monologue about how young people don’t feel patriotic. Wakim talks about Uber Eats, slavery, hypocrisy and capitalism. While he takes on heavy topics, he does it with tack and never lets it get too heavy. Wakim is really good at walking the line between pushing boundaries and being largely palatable on a broadcast sketch show. Hoping to see more of him!
New Parents
Yang and Hamm are new gay parents. The issue: they didn’t have that baby yesterday, and you can’t ask gay people where their baby came from. This is technically a sequel to a sketch from last year with Yang and Adam Driver, who play a gay couple “trying” for a baby. The newer version of the sketch works a little better since it raises the stakes. However, it still feels a little one-note.
This sketch has some hilarious moments, but overall, it feels a little messy and the Lizzo cameo at the end doesn’t feel like it works.
Medication Ad
This is a super fun commercial parody. Without giving too much away, if you find yourself doing certain things in slow motion, like rock climbing with a smile, you might need to talk to your doctor. SNL knows how to do a pre-taped commercial parody, and this one is no exception. It feels classically SNL in a good way.
Ice Breaker
A corporate icebreaker activity gets derailed by an inappropriate family secret. This sketch feels like a high point of the night. It has a lot of layers and great performances by Hamm and Ashley Padilla. There is also a great pace to this sketch and so many jokes that it doesn’t feel one-note. It has a very goofy ending, but it works here.
SNL returns on May 3, 2025, with Quinta Brunson and Benson Boone.
Read the full article here
