11/15/25: Glen Powell | Olivia Dean
White House Press Briefing
Nice to see Ashley right out the gate.
Ashley’s blunt response to Chloe’s questions about the Epstein emails was really funny “You know you suck right?”.
I got a good laugh from Kam playing “Unnamed Black Guy from Fox News”
JAJ’s Trump impression seems even more accurate this week, the voice was always uncanny but I feel like JAJ is really nailing the facial expressions this time around. Maybe it’s because JAJ actually has people to bounce off of this time around.
Trump’s responses to the reporters are pretty funny so far.
I got a good laugh from Trump revealing he’s pardoning a Turkey who just happens to be a convicted sex criminal.
Rating: ***
Monologue
The “your mom” joke Glen made was pretty dumb, but Glen made it work with his good delivery.
The clip of a music video Glen made when he was a teenager was really funny.
Wow, I didn’t know Glen was originally gonna host in 2021.
Funny photo with Glen and his family taking a photo with a UPS driver.
Solid Lorne impression from Glen, even though anyone could do a Lorne impression.
I love that Glen flew the UPS driver out to New York and that Glen and Mitch recreated the selfie.
A very good monologue, helped by Glen’s charisma. It also helps that he co-wrote this monologue.
Rating: ***½
AI Photos
I’m loving Ashley here as the Grandma so far.
A pretty unconventional, but fun sketch concept, and an interesting use of the host.
I got a good laugh from the AI video making Veronika smoke her hot dog. The hammy facial expressions also make it funnier.
I did get a great laugh from Marcello pointing out there are only a couple of free videos before they have to pay for more.
I LOVE the AI video of Glen and Mikey, and all of the absurd things that happen in it (Their bowling bowls flying in the air, Mikey taking off his pants and having no genitalia, etc.)
Ashley’s horrified delivery of “What was that?!?” was really funny.
The reveal of Veronika only having a body from the waist up was really funny, and we get a VERY audible audience member yelling “OH MY GOD!” in reaction.
Glen playing the baby like an accordion is really funny, and Mikey walking back on was a fun addition.
Rating: ***½
I Miss My Ex’s Dad
Interesting setup for this, with Tommy and Ben singing a country song.
Pretty funny concept, with Tommy and Ben missing their ex’s fathers.
I liked Glen’s little side smirk after Tommy defended him during Thanksgiving.
I LOVE Glen’s verse during the song about how he misses Tommy as well.
Glen having a teenager style rant was hilarious.
Rating: ***½
Bachelor Weekend
I like this concept of Glen bringing Sebestian Maniscalco to his Bachelor Weekend.
Marcello’s Maniscalco impression has massively improved since it last appeared in the *shudder* Charli XCX episode. He’s REALLY nailing the voice and mannerisms this time around.
I LOVE Marcello’s rant about Twister, and him physically demonstrating his gripes is a great utilization of Marcello’s natural physicality as a comedian.
Glen’s fawning over Sebestian Maniscalco is pretty funny.
I LOVED Marcello’s talk about the obstacle of a mother in law, while climbing and jumping over Jeremy. Probably the best example of Marcello’s physicality.
I LOVE the sequence with Glen and Sebestian talking about summer camp memories and Glen imitating Sebestian’s mannerisms.
Decent ending with Kam revealing he invited Jennifer Coolidge as a stripper.
Rating: ****
Scent of a Marriage
I got a good laugh from Jane’s goofy Norwegian accent as the marker.
The scene Glen and Chloe are performing with their goofy accents is pretty funny. It reminds me of the Norwegian Actors Playhouse sketch from the Ryan Reynolds episode in 2009.
Glen and Chloe’s gleeful excitement after performing the scene is really funny.
Chloe during the scene: You haven’t touched me since our son fell down the hill.
Jane saying she felt goosebumps during the scene, and getting a high five from Glen was a really funny, and quick moment.
The switching from excitement to stone cold faces during the filming is being executed wonderfully by Chloe and Glen.
Glen telling Jeremy it’s his fault for the divorce during the scene is hilarious.
Jeremy is great here getting excited with Chloe and Glen.
I absolutely LOVE JAJ’s delivery during his scene.
Rating: ****
MacGruber
We get a VERY random, but welcome return of MacGruber. It was revealed later that Glen wanted MacGruber to appear, so it’s nice knowing Glen is the reason we get Forte appearing on the show for the first time in a little while.
Hm, I guess Kristen Wiig couldn’t come to New York, since Chloe is playing MacGruber’s helper in these installments.
Glen revealing he has the Epstein Lists is very funny.
MacGruber shredding the Epstein List is pretty funny.
Eh, I didn’t really laugh at the explosion.
This was good, but not really great like MacGruber usually is.
Rating: ***
Slay Division
Blah, I’m NOT caring for Bowen, Glen, and Sarah’s opening lines. Campy sketches like this are SO hacky and dull, and it’s hard to enjoy something I don’t understand. That’s the main issue with Bowen over these past few seasons. He’s been doing these campy sketches that the average SNL viewer probably doesn’t even understand. It also SCREAMS “How do you do, fellow kids?”.
Eh, I’m not caring for the main concept of this so far, with the Slay Division trying to get Dismukes to grow his hair into a “freak ass bob”. By the way, if you don’t know what a “freak ass bob” is, that just further proves niche campy sketches like these shouldn’t make it to air.
I will say, Glen’s performance here is very fun so far.
Yeah, the direction this is taking, with the Slay Division’s rival division “Bang Battalion" is honestly just boring to me. It’s hard to care for the direction a sketch takes when I simply just DON’T KNOW what the sketch is talking about.
Yeah, this didn’t work for me AT ALL.
Rating: *½
Weekend Update
None of the jokes have been anything great so far, but I’m glad we didn’t get a tired beginning rant from Colin this week.
Colin: As a member of the Illuminati…
Colin’s rant about how Trump knew so many accused pedophiles was actually really funny. “Think about your friend group, how many pedophiles do you know?”
The edited clip of Trump saying “I went down on Bill Clinton.” was pretty funny.
Che: The US mint this week stopped producing new pennies, it doesn’t make cents.
Colin’s Ghislaine Maxwell House joke getting messed up was really funny.
And that’s it. The first Update with no commentaries since the Josh Brolin episode from Season 49.
Rating: ***
Taken
If my memory serves me right, this sketch was a ripoff of the Cast Away sketch from the Jason Momoa episode from 2023.
Another pairing tonight of Chloe and Glen.
I’m liking Glen’s performance here so far.
I got a laugh from Dismukes proudly saying he puts the clothes in the hamper whenever he and Chloe are physical.
Yeah, Andrew taking his shirt off just like in the Cast Away sketch.
Blah, the fart gag was way too dumb to work.
Dismukes trying to tackle Marcello, but getting pushed out of the way was pretty funny. Marcello also seemed taken aback by the way Dismukes fell, since he briefly breaks but impressively gets back into character for the rest of the sketch.
Yeah, this was just a rip off of the Cast Away sketch, and a rare misfire from Dismukes.
Rating: **
MacGruber 2
Great reveal that Glen had another copy of the Epstein List.
MacGruber making redactions to the list is pretty funny, and adding Chloe and Glen’s names was a pretty funny addition.
Interesting deviation from the norm, with the timer stopping, but the building not exploding.
MacGruber trying to activate the bomb is really funny.
Great reveal at the very end that the list tied to the bomb wasn’t the only copy.
Rating: ***½
Haircut
The reveal of Ashley’s awful haircut, and her mentally preparing herself before going to her friends’ table is a great way to start this. It’s nice to see Ashley get another showcase this season, continuing the FANTASTIC season she’s been having so far.
Ashley’s friends' reactions to her hair are pretty funny.
Ashley’s unnerving energy here is hilarious so far, her assurances that her hair is great, then starts crying right after is really funny.
Ashley’s friends trying to convince her they like her hair is pretty funny.
Ashley revealing that she asked for just a trim is very funny.
The reveal of the “skin square” on the back of Ashley’s head is HILARIOUS.
I’m loving all of the absurd things Ashley’s revealing about her haircut.
Ashley’s little shoulder shimmy being followed by crying is hilarious.
Ashley bluntly asking Glen what he likes about her haircut is a GREAT direction for this to take. Ashley is performing the HELL out of this, and I’m loving everything about it.
Ashley revealing her hair can’t touch water or she’ll die was a great dark turn.
Overall, I loved everything in this.
Rating: ****
MacGruber 3
MacGruber’s song about the Epstein List was pretty funny.
Eh, the ending of this didn’t work for me, it felt way too anticlimactic for everything that built up to this.
Rating: **½
Thoughts
An overall good episode, with a pretty fun vibe throughout. The pre-Update half was very consistent, and while things did get a bit shaky after Update, this episode was overall a success. Glen Powell absolutely brought it as host, and was game for anything. I really enjoyed him in pretty much every role he played, even the ones where he wasn’t the main focus. Overall, a good way to end a nice string of November shows. After a shaky start to the season, it seems like this season is really starting to take off. Let’s hope Melissa McCarthy can keep this streak of good episodes going.
Segments ranked Best to Worst
Haircut
Bachelor Weekend
Scent of a Marriage
AI Photos
I Miss My Ex’s Dad
Monologue
MacGruber 2
White House Press Briefing
MacGruber 1
Weekend Update
MacGruber 3
Taken
Slay Division
6.3/10
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