Saturday Night Live: Phoebe Waller-Bridge steals the spotlight

Phoebe-Waller Bridge had a standout performance in her first turn as host of Saturday Night Live.

It shouldn’t have surprised anyone but Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the star of Saturday Night Live over the weekend. The Fleabag writer and creator hosted for the first time and was the highlight of another solid episode.

The second episode of season 45 shifted the focus away from President Donald Trump and impeachment that dominated the season premiere. Outside of a cold open that largely fell flat, sketches instead relied on original characters and updates to familiar frameworks.

Front and center in all of it was Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Her domination at the Emmy Awards brought extra attention to her name outside of her fans from Fleabag and Killing Eve. The actress delivered just as Last Night On predicted in our episode preview.

Waller-Bridge looked right at home next to Saturday Night Live veterans like Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong. The first-time host ensured fans haven’t seen the last of her on SNL. Here are Last Night On’s picks for the top three sketches of the night.

Kaylee, Crystal & Janetta

This sketch has all the ingredients for a recurring bit with future hosts filling in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s role. It came towards the end of the show which is typically reserved for the more absurd ideas that can be hit or miss.

But this one was a hit thanks to the performances of Waller-Bridge, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Cecily Strong. The four came close to a full on breakdown during the sketch but managed to get through it and getting a strong reaction from the audience.

The sketch is also worth highlighting because we don’t know how many more times we will see McKinnon, Bryant, and Strong on stage together. There is enough cause for concern to think that all three could bow out after season 45.

Love Island

We have to imagine that Waller-Bridge had some input on this sketch that mocked British reality shows. The participants on SNL’s “Love Island” are very reminiscent of the cast from “Floribama Shore.”

Cecily Strong standouts here and gets another chance to show off her British accent usually reserved for her character Gemma. Newcomer Chloe Fineman is also worth singling out as another “Love Island” resident.

Waller-Bridge proves that she is a comedy talent worthy of being in the Saturday Night Live cast here. She nails her character and fits in seamlessly with the other performers like few hosts have been able to do.

Mid-Day News

Saturday Night Live‘s political and social commentary wasn’t completely ignored this week. “Mid-Day News” may be the first perfect sketch of season 45.

The premise, performances, and escalation of the characters all played well and had the audience building up its reaction just the same. Michael Che had a hand in writing this one and it found a tone that made everyone the butt of the joke.

Again, Waller-Bridge is flawless and hits her marks. It’s also great to see featured play Ego Nwodim get a chance to be front and center in a sketch. Her time on screen was limited last year but this sketch could the a step towards getting more of Nwodim.

Honorable mention

Just like Chloe Fineman stood out in “Love Island,” fellow SNL rookie also had a chance in the spotlight. Bowen Yang was the best part of “Weekend Update,” playing a Chinese trade representative in a completely unexpected way.

What did you think of Saturday Night Live with host Phoebe Waller-Bridge? Which sketch was your favorite? Let us know in the comment section and keep checking in with Last Night On for more late night news and highlights.