Jack Ryan star John Krasinski stopped by Saturday Night Live last night to host the first show of 2021. In classic SNL fashion, he took questions from the audience during his monologue, and of course, all of the questions were for his character from The Office. They included things like recommendations to stop working out because Jim is supposed to be soft, and of course, pleas for him to kiss Pam. The real Pam wasn’t on hand, but SNL vet Pete Davidson was and stood as a stand-in during a kiss that quickly trended as a topic on Twitter.
John Krasinksi and Pete Davidson really went for it too. The kiss was a lot more than a peck on the lips, and it played very well with audiences, both the ones in person and the ones at home. You can check out the moment people were talking about below…
The monologue is typically the last thing written by the SNL staff. The sketches are considered far more important, and they take a lot more work to block, rehearse and tweak to the host’s strengths. The monologue is usually not worked on until the morning or even afternoon of the show. Earlier this season, stand-ups like Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr just filled their intro with jokes, but for those who are less familiar with talking on stage, the writing staff often has them take questions from the audience.
It’s an easy way to bring up funny references to whatever the host is known for or to talk out and comment on a recurring theme of what they deal with from the general public. John Krasinski’s recurring theme, of course, is people obsessing over The Office, even almost eight years after it ended. Judging by Twitter’s reaction, fans could not get enough. Here’s a sample tweet…
The person above wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get enough either. There were some who appreciated the surprise element. There were some who appreciated the hotness of it all, and there were some who appreciated the sheer randomness of seeing the two kiss. The lady below incorporates the classic picture of Charlie from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia trying to tie it all together, and it works perfectly. Check out her tweet that blew up with more than 6,000 likes…
If anything, The Office has gotten more popular since it ended with its streaming numbers being better than nearly any other cancelled shows. In fact, NBC recently turned down hundreds of millions of dollars in rights fees to take the show to its own streaming service, Peacock. It’s unclear how that decision will work out in the longrun, but it’s a testament to how incredibly popular The Office is that Peacock would make it the primary focal point of marketing campaigns.
As for John Krasinski himself, I’m sure it gets annoying in real life to constantly get asked questions about The Office, but between directing A Quiet Place and starring as the lead on Jack Ryan, he’s had a really successful run after the hit show ended. He certainly has not been typecast, and if the occasional question about Jim and Pam is what it takes to host Saturday Night Live, I’m sure he would make that tradeoff every time.
You can check out Krasinski's entire SNL monologue below...
Saturday Night Live is new the next several weeks. Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy will take Studio 8H by storm next week, and he'll be followed by Oscar winner and One Night In Miami director Regina King. Both episodes should be an absolute delight.
