First-time Teyana Taylor host Saturday Night Live with the kind of résumé most performers only dream of—and the confidence of someone who knows it. Model, Grammy-nominated singer, and now a serious Oscar contender for her role in One Battle After Another, Taylor walked into Studio 8H fully aware she’s lived multiple lives—and joked about all of them in her opening monologue.
From My Super Sweet 16 to winning The Masked Singer, Taylor framed herself as a “Glade plug-in,” quipping that she doesn’t belong in just one room when she can make the whole building smell good. The line landed. The episode, however, didn’t always match her energy.
A Strong Host, Mixed Material
Despite Taylor’s clear comedic instincts, the night opened on a shaky note. An airport musical sketch with Kenan Thompson saw the duo crooning apologies for endless flight delays. The premise was serviceable, but the jokes never quite took off—even when James Austin Johnson entered as a drunk pilot delivering bad news through pop-song parodies.
That pattern—Taylor elevating middling material—would repeat throughout the night.
When the Episode Clicked
One of the biggest laughs came when Taylor transformed into an 80-something grandpa at a wedding reception. Decked out in a bald cap and fake belly, she absolutely committed, busting moves to Earth, Wind & Fire despite using a walker. The sketch escalated beautifully, culminating in a doctor declaring her bones had turned to “powder,” only for music to revive her hips. Taylor’s refusal to break—even as crew members tried to usher her offstage—was classic SNL magic.
Another highlight was “Backstab Island,” a reality-show parody where Taylor played the lone contestant genuinely hoping to make friends, surrounded by gleefully unhinged competitors. The cast delivered sharp one-liners, and the sketch leaned into modern reality TV absurdity without overstaying its welcome.
Meta Jokes and Movie Nerd Energy
A pre-taped toy commercial parody skewered the idea of kids’ action figures based on One Battle After Another. Tiny plastic revolutionaries came loaded with adult baggage—burnout, beer cans, and even a nod to Daniel Day-Lewis’ iconic There Will Be Blood monologue. It was absurd, nerdy, and one of the smarter written pieces of the night.
Meanwhile, “Confidence Class” gave Ashley Padilla another standout moment, continuing Season 51’s trend of letting newer cast members shine with tightly written character work.
Where It Fell Short
Not everything landed. The recurring “Quefs” joke during an NFL on ESPN parody leaned too heavily on a single punchline. And “Beyond the Headlines,” a sketch attempting sharp political satire, started strong but softened its edge too quickly—especially frustrating given the weight of its themes.
Notably, the episode also highlighted an ongoing issue: Season 51 marks the first time in a decade with no Black women in the SNL cast, a reality that felt especially noticeable with Taylor carrying so much of the episode’s momentum herself.
Weekend Update and Musical Guest
On Weekend Update, Colin Jost and Michael Che took aim at Donald Trump, ICE, and political absurdities. Marcello Hernandez delivered one of the night’s best bits as a “Gen Z translator,” earning big laughs for his breakdown of how slang travels—and dies—once it reaches Elon Musk.
Musical guest Geese brought high-octane energy, performing “Au pays du cocaine” and “Trinidad,” injecting raw momentum into the episode’s final stretch.
Final Verdict
Teyana Taylor proved she’s more than capable of carrying Saturday Night Live. Even when the writing faltered, her commitment, timing, and sheer presence elevated the episode. While the material didn’t always rise to her level, the night made one thing clear: Taylor isn’t just a great host—she’s someone SNL could (and probably should) tap again, this time with sharper sketches worthy of her range.
