In an otherwise dim, disappointing, and listless episode hosted by Melissa McCarthy, one sketch aired that has the potential to shake up the show and the season.
After Weekend Update and a second music number from Dijon, we got a pre-tape segment titled “Cousin Planet” tucked inside the 10-to-1 time slot.
The video was produced and written by cast members Veronika Slowikowska and Jane Wickline. The pair were featured along with McCarthy. But mostly, face time was reserved for the two cast members.
The video premise is: what do our cousins do in the months between the holidays when we see them only briefly at family gatherings? It’s s simple premise that it’s hard to believe no one has ever examined comedically like this before.
I loved Cousin Planet because it combined several great comedic elements in to one brief sketch: it was clever, with several funny lines commenting on a universally-recognizable topic; the performances of the three main stars was understated and ironic; the music was catchy; and the video itself satirized an era of low-fi, dial-up internet and pop culture references.
SNL has long been in need of an infusion of alternative comedy. Cousin Planet has a chance to signal a new trend in that direction. An SNL with a younger, edgier point of view would be welcome after several years of political and celebrity dominated comedy. Lorne Michaels’ 21st century SNL has become a safer, much more middle-of-the-road show. Satire is almost completely absent, having been replaced by dumbed down premises, fart jokes, and lazy writing.
In Slowikowska and Wickline the show may have found a younger, more alt version of Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney, the last duo to team up frequently on the NBC program. In her first season on the show, featured player Slowikowska has a chance to enter a vacuum created by the exits of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim before Season 51. Part of her appeal was the fact that Slowikowska was popular on social media channels, fitting perfectly into the narrow, smaller screens that platform uses. Her humor isn’t narrow, however: Slowikowska can be a leading lady, disappear into characters, or be quirky, silly, and confident.
Wickline seems to be fighting for her SNL career. As a second year featured player, she could be buried beneath the behemoth talent that is Ashley Padilla. Add in the fantastic rookie seasons so far for Jeremy Culhane and Tommy Brennan, and Jane could be a two-and-done, unless she finds a voice to set her apart in the bloated cast.
What Wickline has going for her is her awkwardness. It’s endearing, but also has the potential for big laughter. It could especially be appealing to Gen Z, who tend to be more anxious and more concerned with authenticity. They’re also tech-savvy. Which means “Slowline”, (or “Wickowska”) could be a huge hit with the audience SNL needs to cater to if it wants to march toward another 50 years.
Zoomers don’t even care if the funny comes during the 90-minute window of Saturday night. They also don’t care as much about SNL being a “show.” The bits and pieces can satisfy their unique appetities just fine, thank you very much. Which means Janonika (BINGO!) can create videos and find a huge audience outside the show, via TikTok, YouTube, YouTube shorts, and so on.
When Andy Samberg elevated the pre-taped video segments on SNL in the early 2000s, his target was the TV broadcast. Even Please Don’t Destroy was primarily hoping for eyes from the live show. But a new video series, perhaps from Jane and Veronika, doesn’t need to care about quality (their target audience binge-watches “Severance” on their smart phone).
If they maintain the quality of the writing, the video quality doesn’t matter at all. It also won’t matter if the video airs at 11:45 or 12:57. or if it doesn’t even make it out of dress or make it through a table read.
Instead of grasping for 66-68 minutes of comedy and musical content each episode, SNL should be building its brand so it can serve two shows, three shows, even more than that.
Where is the Standup SNL channel? Every week we could see 5 minutes from Kam Patterson, Brennan, Sarah Sherman, and Michael Che, etc. streamed on YouTube, or Peacock, or heck, an NBC-owned Patreon channel. Why isn’t there a cast member whose sole purpose is to create live-streaming content that can be published at any point of the week?
Why does a broadcast network and the “idiot box” have to constrain SNL? It many ways, SNL 2025 feels like it’s stuck many, many years in the past. The production values are fantastic for the elaborate pre-tapes and for some of the sketches, but increasingly, audiences care far less about that. It’s well past time to shake things up. The show feels very much like it’s being produced by an 81-year old who can remember when all TVs were black-and-white, and most programs were sponsored by tobacco companies.
There was a time when Saturday Night Live rested on writing, comedic innovation, and more writing. A time when Dan Aykroyd could play Jimmy Carter while wearing a mustache. Now, every cast member and guest star who portrays a celebrity of politician spends 12 hours in a makeup chair getting fitted with prosthetics. Accuracy and production value has trumped humor and edginess.
SNL can, for the first time in a long time, be for the young people who really want to change the world. Gilda and John would be so happy.
