The quality of a Saturday Night Live monologue can often set the tone for an entire episode. It’s typically where the audience gets to see the host for the first time, and assess that host's ability to deliver a punch line. As the first SNL host of 2016, Adam Driver delivered a monologue that most certainly put audiences at ease, and made for an entertaining Star Wars-centric experience. Check it out below.
Like all monologues, Driver comes out, greets the audience and expresses his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to host the iconic NBC series. Being the relative unknown that he is, Driver explains a little about himself and shows the audience a photo of him during his time in the Marines. He then proceeds to talk about his experience in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, at which point comedian Taran Killam comes on stage wielding a lightsaber. With a face full of nerdy glee, Killam begs Driver to tell him what happens in the next Star Wars film, but the actor – who clearly gets this quite a bit – refuses to do so. The monologue then escalates as Bobby Moynihan comes on stage in full Kylo Ren garb, begging to know what happens to the brand new fan favorite character. With mounting frustration, Driver once again shuts down the SNL cast member. Finally Leslie Jones comes on stage, but rather than having any interest in The Force Awakens, she mistakes Adam Driver for actress Minnie Driver, complimenting him on his work in Good Will Hunting.
SNL generally endeavors to keep its finger on the pulse of modern pop culture. So, no one should be surprised that they went this route with the monologue. It speaks not only to the unrelenting force grip that Star Wars has on our society right now, but also – to a lesser degree – how amazing it is that the film is full of mostly unknown actors. Although he is the host, the sketch show wastes no time in remarking on the fact that audiences really don’t know who Adam Driver is yet. This is a somewhat bold tactic, as SNL has honestly felt somewhat neutered in recent years and unwilling to poke fun at the guest hosts.
Overall we have to say that we very much enjoyed Adam Driver’s first time hosting Saturday Night Live. Despite his talents in the world of drama, he also can pull off dumbfounded looks and impeccable comedic timing that allowed him to mesh with the Saturday Night Live cast quite well. Here’s hoping that as his star begins to shine even brighter and that we will see him many more times on the legendary sketch comedy series.
