SNL season 51 chat

Now that we're at the halfway point, how are we feeling about this year?

I think it got off to a rough start, and losing Bowen Yang is going to leave a pretty major vacancy over time. But if I were playing SNL fantasy football, I'd be placing wager sand investing in Ashley Padilla stock. She's got major Phil Hartman vibes, and it's rare for a featured player to become so frequent a leading presence in their second year.

Jane is VERY divisive because of her deadpan. I think I really like her in her own features, whether it's her Weekend Update songs or her hyperpop music videos, but she's almost never a highlight in scripted sketches unless they find a way to lean into her stiltedness. 

That isn't necessarily a dead end, though: it took Squirm a few years to learn to play collaboratively as an ensemblist and not default to her performance-art voice and delivery style too. Now, she plays straight man as much as she plays clown.

Sarah Sherman used to be a performance artist and stand-up under the name Sarah Squirm. She still goes by Squirm on her socials and in some of her life solo performances, if she’s leaning into her nightmare clown persona. 

SteveSanders said: "Ben Marshall is cute, talented, and has the best smile."

 

And he's a redhead, which I love!