Saturday Night Live review: Nick Jonas presides over a terrific show

Nick Jonas kept the ball rolling from last week as he hosted a great episode of Saturday Night Live.

Jonas had some pressure on him going into the episode. He was following the best episode of season 46, hosted by Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, and had the added expectations of being both host and musical guest.

When I first heard that Nick Jonas was going to be the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, I was a little scared. Was this a sign that the Jonas Brothers were breaking up again? Luckily, Kevin Jonas showed up during Nick’s monologue to assure us that wasn’t the case.

While it would’ve been fun to have all three Jonas bros hosting the show (I always thought Kevin was the funniest), Nick still hosted a great show all on his own. Here were the best sketches of the night.

Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas review: Mirror Workout

This one was a little predictable, but that didn’t really matter because it was just solidly funny. The entire cast did a great job (it was Nick Jonas’ best performance of the night), and the writers gave every character some good lines instead of relying too heavily on Kate McKinnon. Chris Redd was particularly hilarious opposite Mickey Day. It made me wish that I got to see him play the “straight man” in this kind of sketch more often.

Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas review: Bachelor Party

The premise was utterly ridiculous, but honestly, it also made some pretty good points. And I might get made fun of for saying this, but I found the sketch to be a genuinely touching depiction of male friendship.

I also want to compliment the perfect deadpan humor of Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner. They made the most of their small roles in a sketch that was really all about the boys.

Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas review: Amusement Park

The humor in this sketch was actually quite subtle, despite the giant stuffed toy that Kyle Mooney was carrying throughout it. There weren’t any big laugh moments for me, but I was chuckling the whole time. In general, this one just feels very hard to describe, because while the premise wasn’t exactly weird, it was certainly unique. The structure of the sketch also felt a little untraditional, even though it wasn’t totally wacky either.

One more note: whoever wrote this sketch (I think it might have been Heidi Gardner) did a terrific job writing for Kyle Mooney. I love that he got to play a more realistic loner, instead of just a total weirdo.

Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas review: Post-COVID Dating

This was an extremely well-written sketch. In fact, it was the most quotable sketch of the entire season so far. The individual jokes were much stronger than the premise itself, and overall it reminded me of Tina Fey’s writing style. It was just joke after joke, and yet the jokes continually caught me by surprise.

This joke-heavy sketch was a great choice for Nick Jonas. Nick doesn’t bring much humor to any of his characters, but he is perfectly capable of delivering funny lines. This sketch worked for him because the writing was so good that it didn’t require a particularly funny performer. Saturday Night Live works best when the writers know how to write for a particular host.

Other highlights from Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas

• I was impressed by the cold open tonight. I like when the cold open tries to be a real sketch, instead of just a long parody of the past week’s political news.
• I was never sold on the premise of “Cinderella’s Slipper.” It felt like it could’ve benefitted from an actor more capable of playing the defensive Prince Charming (I think John Mulaney would have been a great choice). Still, it had plenty of great jokes, and Kenan Thompson was hilarious.
• ”The Dionne Warwick Talk Show” is a little all over the place (like the character of Ms. Warwick herself), but it’s definitely a fun one. Ego Nwodim’s impression is really fun, and the sketch is a good vehicle for jokes and celebrity impressions.
• The past two shows have been really great, despite having hosts who weren’t particularly strong comedic performers. The writing has just been absolutely on point.

What did you think of Saturday Night Live with Nick Jonas? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.