by Julian Spivey
​The penultimate episode of the milestone 50th season of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” proved to be a standout moment for first-time host Walton Goggins, fresh off recent seasons of HBO’s “The White Lotus” and “The Righteous Gemstones.” The nearly perfect episode showcased Goggins’ willingness to do anything and was one of the best overall episodes of the season.

Here are the best and worst moments from the episode…

by Julian Spivey
Quinta Brunson, star of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” made her sophomore hosting appearance on “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, May 3. She made her ‘SNL’ debut just two seasons ago.

​Brunson hosting ‘SNL’ is sort of a throwback to when the show had actual TV stars hosting it—the show has shied away from TV stars, especially those on network shows, hosting over the last couple of decades.

Here are the best and worst moments of Saturday’s episode. 
​

Best
I realize this sketch is probably highly offensive to addicts who attend addicts anonymous meetings. Still, I couldn’t help but find Kenan Thompson playing a cocaine addict, new to town, trying to find out the best places to score cocaine at such a meeting to be hilarious. It’s the kind of sketch that wouldn’t have been out of place in the first few years of the show – the only difference being some of those cast members were unfortunately addicts. It’s one of those one-note sketches that probably only works in the hands of the cheery Thompson. 

Worst
One of the biggest stories online this week was, “Could 100 men defeat a gorilla in a fight?” – you know, because we’re a country not struggling to survive. It was prime ground for ‘SNL’ to mock and they did so with a sketch that should’ve worked for me: Two Bitches vs. a Gorilla, in which Brunson and Ego Nwodim played said bitches. The sketch shows the two women who have entered a gorilla enclosure in a zoo, insulting the gorilla. Despite my admiration for these two performers and the good idea, it didn’t work. 

Best
The fact that the Jerry “Jackrabbit” Tulane sketch that ended the episode worked so much for me might prove that the show’s comedy has aged out of my demographic, even though I’m still younger than some of the show’s cast members. In the sketch, Brunson played Jerry “Jackrabbit” Tulane, a brash, fast-talking, wise-cracking boxer in the mold of Muhammad Ali – there’s only one problem, Tulane is WAY smaller than his opponent Bo Shannon (Devon Walker). Despite Tulane’s confidence and never give up attitude he keeps getting the ever-loving crap beat out of him. It’s an old-school sketch idea and performance by Brunson, but I enjoyed it. 

Best
Michael Longfellow’s Weekend Update bit about refusing to get a Real ID was funny, but I want to focus on one specific line from the segment. I like when the show focuses on the “inside stuff,” and this following bit from Longfellow got me:

Longfellow: I’m not going to the DMV on my day off. You’re out of your mind. I work way too hard, like 12 hours a week.

Colin Jost: You’re at ‘SNL’ and you only work 12 hours a week?

Longfellow: When you love your job, it never feels like work. No, I’m just not in that much stuff this season.

​It’s funny because it’s true. Longfellow’s dry wit makes him a good showcase for face-to-camera Weekend Update bits, but his style doesn’t really suit him well for sketch comedy. As a result, he might not be around the show much longer, but I enjoyed the funny because of its honest approach.

Four Seasons (Netflix) – Thursday, May 1
Tina Fey’s latest foray into television is “Four Seasons,” an eight-episode limited series based on Alan Alda’s 1981 film that saw three middle-class married couples who vacationed with each other through the different seasons of the year. Despite being well reviewed, I didn’t care too much for the film, even though I’m an Alda stan. But I’m willing to give Fey the benefit of the doubt, especially with a supporting cast that includes Steve Carell, Will Forte, and Colman Domingo. The entire limited series drops on Netflix on Thursday, May 1. 

A Double Dose of Conan O’Brien: 2025 Mark Twain Prize (Netflix) – Sunday, May 4 & Conan O’Brien Must Go (Max) – Thursday, May 8
May will be a big month for fans of the supremely hilarious Conan O’Brien. In late March, O’Brien was honored with the 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. That evening, which featured some of O’Brien’s biggest friends and fans in comedy paying homage to Irish funny man, was recorded and will debut on Netflix on Sunday, May 4. O’Brien’s humorous travel series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which debuted last year, returns for its second season on Max on Thursday, May 8. Unfortunately, that season only includes three episodes, with O’Brien visiting and making a mockery of himself in New Zealand (May 8), Spain (May 15) and Austria (May 22).

Poker Face: Season 2 (Peacock) – Thursday, May 8
When it debuted on Peacock in early 2023, “Poker Face,” which sees the wonderful Natasha Lyonne getting her best Columbo on with a new mystery each episode, was one of the year’s best shows. After a more than two-year wait, the show, which was created by Rian Johnson, the genius behind the “Knives Out” films, returns on Thursday, May 8, with 12 new episodes, debuting once a week through mid-July. Between Lyonne’s quirky performance, Johnson’s steady hand as a leader (though it appears he didn’t write any of the season two episodes), and the show's excellent guest of the week aspect, it should continue as one of TV’s best outings. Season two guest stars include Cynthia Erivo, Carol Kane, John Mulaney, and Kumail Nanjiani.  

Sirens (Netflix) – Thursday, May 22
Before writing this piece, I only knew about Netflix’s limited series “Sirens” was that it featured Julianne Moore as a lead and could draw some Emmy love when nominations are announced this summer. That was enough to pique my interest. Looking further into it, it’s a black comedy about an explosive weekend at a lavish beach estate and is described as an “incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class,” which immediately draws comparisons to HBO’s “The White Lotus.” The limited series, created by Molly Smith Metzler based on her own 2011 play “Elemeno Pea,” features a supporting cast of Meghann Fahy, Kevin Bacon, Milly Alcock and Glenn Howerton. The series drops on Netflix on Thursday, May 22.   

Adults (FX) – Wednesday, May 28
One of the breaths of fresh air TV comedies of 2024 was FX’s “English Teacher,” created and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (though some of that fresh air turned sour by reports of his past behavior). FX is probably hoping for some of the hype from that series, without the controversy, of course, with its latest comedy, “Adults.” The show, created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, is about a group of friends doing their best to survive young adulthood with its many challenges and stars a cast of potential up-and-coming actors, none of whom I’ve ever heard of. The show premieres on FX on Wednesday, May 28, and episodes will be streaming on Hulu the next day.

​Mountainhead (HBO/Max) – Saturday, May 31
Fans of the much-lauded and award-winning HBO series “Succession” have been waiting with bated breath to see what creator Jesse Armstrong’s next project will be. That project, an original HBO movie called “Mountainhead,” premieres on HBO and Max on Saturday, May 31, which happens to be the final day of Emmy Award eligibility. Being an Armstrong project, it will likely be the instant front-runner for Outstanding TV Movie. “Mountainhead” is a satirical comedy about a group of friends who meet up amid an ongoing financial crisis. That group of friends is portrayed by the incredible cast of Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef.