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Hello, boils and ghouls! Welcome to SNL in Review: Halloween Edition, hosted by the hilarious stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze, with musical guest Foo Fighters. Tonight’s episode promises to tap into the macabre, a theme that SNL has dabbled in throughout its storied history with sketches like David S. Pumpkins and the infamous Fear performance. Horror comedy is a tricky genre, with both hits and misses, so it’ll be interesting to see how tonight’s sketches fare. Joining me tonight is former cast member Gary Kroeger, whose favorite horror comedy is Beetlejuice, fittingly coinciding with one of his early SNL episodes as Beetlejuice was hosted by Michael Keaton on October 30th, the Halloween show. Kroeger recalls feeling that they didn’t do justice to Keaton’s talent during that episode, despite his commitment and dedication.
I asked Gary about his expectations for a stand-up like Bargatze hosting tonight, and he shared that stand-ups tend to be the hosts that writers feel most free with. There’s a belief that they can push the boundaries because their delivery will always be funny. Stand-ups have a keen understanding of comedic timing, so they never lose sight of the humor in a sketch. Kroeger cites George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, and Don Rickles as examples who could transcend easy definitions and always knew how to save a sketch that was going off track. With Bargatze’s hosting tonight, we can hope for an equally hilarious show, maybe even with some scares thrown in.
Moving on to the cold open, Mikey Day impressively portrays President Joe Biden celebrating Halloween in the Oval Office. It’s unclear if Day has his own take on Biden or if he’s channeling James Austin Johnson, who has also played the role. This cold open offers a glimpse into the future, speculating on Donald Trump becoming the GOP nominee in 2023, and introduces a new Speaker of the House character, Mike Johnson, played by Michael Longfellow. Kroeger praises the show’s new political impressions and predicts SNL will have a field day satirizing this ultra-conservative House Speaker from Louisiana. And to everyone’s surprise, Christopher Walken makes an appearance as the Spirit of Halloween, his first since 2008. A fascinating cold open that sets the stage for what’s to come.
In the monologue, Bargatze shares solid bits from his stand-up act, discussing the future, picking up his daughter, and county fairs. He reminisces about his father being a magician in the 80s, a time when you could even pick a fight with an orangutan. Bargatze exudes a little nervousness but holds himself well, delivering a breakthrough moment for himself. Kroeger expresses his love for Bargatze’s unique comedic style, calling him the “non-comic, comic.” Bargatze’s relatability and self-deprecating humor make him the funniest guy at the barbecue, even without relying on classic set-up/punchline format jokes.
The sketches that follow include “Chef Show” where contestants visit a historic Black church to learn about soul food, and a spoof trailer for a Hallmark Horror movie, injecting humor into terrible tropes. Former cast member Victoria Jackson praises Bargatze’s monologue and the first two sketches, emphasizing their smart and funny nature. The “Washington’s Dream” sketch focuses on Revolutionary War soldiers questioning George Washington about various topics, reminiscent of Russell Brand’s portrayal of Washington in a previous episode. Jackson highlights the brilliant ending of this sketch, which she believes was influenced by Bargatze and handled racism in a funny way.
“Lake Beach,” a parody song, directly stems from James Austin Johnson’s stand-up act, satirizing post-9/11 country music. Grohl makes a guest appearance, adding to the humor. Fran Drescher, played by Sarah Sherman, warns kids about becoming scabs during the actors’ strike in the “Trick or Treating” sketch. This barbed sketch delivers sharp commentary, with Sherman nailing the quirky persona of the Nanny star-turned-labor leader.
Overall, tonight’s episode showcases the ensemble-driven talent of the cast, with emerging stars like James Austin Johnson, Michael Longfellow, Molly Kearney, Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, and Bowen Yang. SNL continues to provide fresh and diverse content, incorporating humor into various genres and social issues. The show doesn’t shy away from taking shots and exploring uncomfortable topics, often resulting in highly entertaining sketches.
The future looks bright for SNL with this new class of talented cast members, and Nate Bargatze’s successful hosting gig adds to the show’s impressive legacy.
