Best, Worst of Quinta Brunson's 'SNL'

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. 
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Photo: NBC

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.