In her near two seasons on Saturday Night Live, Jane Wickline has been called out for her awkwardness on screen. She had one of the most sluggish starts as a featured player on SNL.
But in Season 51, Wickline has made an incredible transformation. Or maybe she’s gotten used to the grind at SNL. Or perhaps she’s just used to the camera. Some SNL cast members take time to germinate.
In last week’s episode hosted by Colman Domingo, Wickline debuted a new character on Weekend Update, a sex educator named Lindt Greer. In that performance, she showed the comfort level of a star. The segment wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, and it seems she and the writers can hone the character into something even funnier, but Wickline was indistinguishable from any veteran member of the cast.
There’s now no doubt that Wickline will be back in Season 52, almost certainly as a repertory player. Of the featured players in the current cast, she and Ashley Padilla have had the strongest season.
Season 52 will mark a turning point in the makeup of the cast. Padilla, Sarah Sherman, Marcello Hernandez, Andrew Dismukes, Wickline, and other featured players Jeremy Culhane, Veronika Slowikowska, and Ben Marshall seem to form the core of the cast going forward. The show needs a woman of color, and may see a new pair of Weekend Update anchors, if longtimers Michael Che and Colin Jost finally move on. Veterans Kenan Thompson and Mikey Day may return, but even if they do, the show has passed them by. A new cast for the next generation is coalescing.
One thing for sure: Jane Wickline has proven she deserves a spot in the cast next year and beyond.
