Saturday Night Live Season 49 got off to a great start last week with host Pete Davidson, who parodied Barbie’s “I’m Just Ken." The momentum carried into this week, as the NBC sketch comedy series welcomed actor and rapper Bad Bunny. It was a star-studded episode, as the installment also featured appearances from Mick Jagger, Pedro Pascal and Lady Gaga. The portions in which the various guest stars popped into the show were definitely memorable, yet those aren’t actually what’s weighing on this viewer’s mind. I actually can’t get over the Weekend Update moment centered around Jada Pinkett Smith.
How Did Saturday Night Live Handle The Jada Pinkett Smith Situation?
For those who are unaware, the former Red Table Talk host has been making the rounds within the press circuit, promoting her new memoir, Worthy. In the process, she’s been divulging a lot of personal information about herself, particularly her relationship with husband Will Smith. What’s arguably been the biggest reveal is the couple’s seven-year separation (which PR experts have even weighed in on). She’s even discussed how their marriage has “benefited” from the reveals. Unsurprisingly, SNL found an opportunity to lampoon the matter, during Weekend Update. Cast member Ego Nwodim played the role and didn’t hold back while channeling the Matrix alum’s candid nature:
There are plenty of lines that stand out here, like the assertion that the Smiths “never go to bed happy” in order to maintain their marriage, and there's also the “brunhealthy” descriptor of the relationship. A moment that really sticks out, though, is when Ego Nwodim’s Jada Pinkett is asked why she won’t just divorce Will, leading her to say because he “could mess around and end up happy.” This is definitely a wild (and admittedly funny) take on the continuing conversations surrounding the A-list couple and, like others, I won’t soon forget it.
Pedro Pascal And Mick Jagger Had Some Memorable SNL Moments As Well
Pedro Pascal wasn’t wearing his Mandalorian armor when he took to the stage at Studio 8H. He first appeared during Bad Bunny’s monologue, helping to advise his fellow Spanish-speaker on how to proceed. Later in the broadcast, he joined forces with the music man – whose real name is Benito Ocasio – for a follow-up to Pascal’s famous “Protective Mom” sketch. Both moments in the show were very well-executed and of course, too funny. Lady Gaga also dropped in quickly to introduce Bunny’s first musical performance of the night. Her cameo was definitely a sweet surprise and is similar to those of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s last week. (The couple also introduced the musical guest’s performances.)
But it was Mick Jagger’s appearance that may have surprised viewers the most, as his sketches were simply outrageous. The 80-year-old Rolling Stones icon first appeared in a Telenovela-esque sketch, playing the father of characters played by BB and series cast member Marcello Hernández. He then popped up as a faux nun during a convent-set skit, which was later revealed to be a parody promo for Sister Act 3. You can check that out below:
This latest SNL episode was certainly one for the books and follows up on last week’s premiere in a nice way. Bad Bunny turned out to be a solid Season 49 host and musical guest. What I’m most curious about now, though, is whether or not either of the Smiths might comment on the Weekend Update segment. Will’s been keeping his “notifications off” amid his spouse’s press tour, so it’s likely he’d tune out the show as well. But as Jada continues her tour, it’s definitely possible she could be asked about it and issue a response. Regardless, that moment is going to live rent-free in my mind for a little while.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and past episodes can be streamed using a Peacock subscription.
