Saturday Night Live can usually be counted upon to fill episodes with silly sketches from start to finish, and there are sometimes sketches that simply don't fit into the finished product and end up cut before the episode even airs live. The good news is that skits that were cut for time often end up online for viewers' pleasure. SNL alum Bill Hader hosted the St. Patrick's Day episode, and a certain festive sketch didn't make it to air. Check out Bill Hader channeling his inner Liam Neeson (sort of) in five minutes of pure Saturday Night Live weirdness:
In the "St. Patrick's Day" skit, we have Bill Hader sitting in an armchair and sharing his thoughts on the holiday as Liam Neeson. Beck Bennett is on hand as Steven the leprechaun that Hader/Neeson mysteriously won somehow. Unfortunately, Steven isn't the type of leprechaun that leads to pots of gold and good fortune. No, he's the type of leprechaun that eats sticks of butter and "gold" mustard, then has his mustard stolen by a lamb that just turns up. Yes, there is also a lamb.
On the one hand, "St. Patrick's Day" doesn't really work all that well if the point is to sell Bill Hader as Liam Neeson. If this was meant to be an actual impression of Neeson, it was clear almost immediately that Hader was off. He didn't even try to imitate Neeson's Irish accent, which would have made sense in a skit about St. Patrick's Day. If Hader really was supposed to come across as Liam Neeson, Saturday Night Live may have made the right choice in cutting this sketch.
On the other hand, you wouldn't know that Bill Hader was playing Liam Neeson until the very end of the sketch unless you read the description. If you watched the sketch without knowing that Hader was supposed to be Neeson, the reveal at the end via the "Happy St. Paddy's Day" card from "Liam Neeson, Leprechaun, and The Lamb" would have been worth a laugh. This wasn't a Celebrity Jeopardy sketch where half the joke is seeing celebrities out-of-character and frustrating Alex Trebek; this was basically Hader hilariously commenting on St. Patrick's Day traditions like the eating of corned beef (in this case, corn on top of a hamburger) and drinking Guinness.
Personally, I have to say that this sketch almost lost me right away at the glimpse of Steven the leprechaun eating a stick of butter. I can stomach many things in life, but the sight of somebody literally eating a whole stick of butter is something I never needed to see. Still, I'm glad I held on long enough to see Bill Hader show off his collage of Colin Farrell and assert that "Saint Cat Trick" isn't sacrilegious if it makes you smile. Also, there's a lamb. Who doesn't love a good lamb?
The next new episode of Saturday Night Live will hit the airwaves on Saturday, April 7 on NBC. For your other viewing options, be sure to swing by our midseason TV premiere guide and 2018 Netflix premiere guide. To catch up on the network shows that have gotten the axe, don't forget to take a look at our rundown of TV renewals and cancellations. SNL probably won't be in any danger of cancellation any time soon, but the same can't be said for plenty of other series. You can see Bill Hader back on the small screen when his new HBO series Barry premieres on March 25.
