Saturday Night Live’s penultimate episode of Season 50 featured Walton Goggins as host. Best known for his brooding role on The White Lotus, Goggins proved a natural emcee. Yet, the material often held him back.
The show opened with the usual Mother’s Day tribute. Bowen Yang, Marcello Hernández and Kenan Thompson stood with their moms. Before sentiment sank in, James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump stormed the stage. He mocked the tribute, launching into a ramble about Pope Leo XIV, trade deals, and Jeanine Pirro.
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Cecily Strong reprised her sloshed Jeanine Pirro. Her barbs at Trump’s “AA team” and Russian assets landed well. Colin Jost joined as Pete Hegseth, enduring a spray of wine. Strong’s energy set a high bar that Goggins would struggle to match.
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Goggins’ Monologue: From Heartthrob to Barn Dance
Goggins began by poking fun at his sudden sex symbol status at 53. He quoted a headline calling him a “greasy, depressing little man.” Then he shifted tone to honor his mother. He invited her onstage for a waltz that turned into barn dancing. This heartfelt turn demonstrated his warmth but also highlighted the monologue’s brevity.
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Sketch Highlights and Missed Opportunities
Goggins led several key sketches:
- Found Footwear at the Zoo: Jane Wickline (Chloe Fineman) finds a single baby shoe. It belongs to Goggins’s “tiny-footed weirdo.” A hopeful romance fizzles, then Sam Rockwell appears as a balloon-animal vendor. Rockwell’s cameo delighted fans but barely scratched the surface of their chemistry.
- Congressional Gun Rights Pitch: In colonial garb, Goggins’s shady Matt declares a fictitious First Amendment right to guns. His eccentric swagger recalled the sleazebag roles he excels at. Sadly, the bit ended before it could fully erupt.
- Mother’s Day Brunch Interruption: As two mothers and their sons dine, Goggins’s waiter Alvie flirts outrageously. His lines—“Just ’cause your momma baked you…”—had laugh-out-loud moments. Yet again, the sketch wrapped up too soon.
Each scenario showcased Goggins’s range. He slipped from sincerity to sleaze with ease. But uneven writing left characters underdeveloped.
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Weekend Update and Arcade Fire
Musical guest Arcade Fire kicked off with an energetic set. On Weekend Update, Jost quipped about the new pope being “too woke,” while Michael Che mocked Trump’s papal cosplay. Then:
- Movie Guy with Marcello Hernández: An usher who hasn’t seen any new films shares hot takes like “Carly So Handsome” (Scarlett Johansson).
- Spiderweb Panic with Mikey Day: A man freaks out over tariffs, undresses mid-segment, and performs cartoonish pratfalls. Day’s physical comedy landed well.
- Deathly Diner Horror: A family rider at a theme-park restaurant finds a dismal show. The sketch itself felt as sloppy as the fictional attraction.
Arcade Fire returned for a second number before the show closed with a Dan Bulla animated short. A young exec hallucinates over a Squatty Potty in his boss’s luxury bathroom. The visuals were sharp, but the segment lacked the biting heart of past TV Funhouse classics.
Final Thoughts on Walton Goggins’s SNL Debut
Walton Goggins brought charm and versatility. As a host, he proved adept at heartfelt moments and outlandish characters. Yet, SNL’s middling sketches kept him from shining fully. His monologue was memorable for its barn dance twist, and he delivered strong cameos alongside Sam Rockwell and Cecily Strong.
With a mixed bag of hits and misses, this episode underscored how crucial strong writing is, even for a talented host. Goggins’s return in the season finale could redeem these rough edges—and hopefully comes equipped with sharper material.
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