SNL with Kim Kardashian West: 3 things to watch for

Saturday Night Live continues season 47 tonight with a brand new episode. Host Kim Kardashian West will have her work cut out for her in her SNL debut.

Prior to the new season’s start back on Oct. 3, rumors circulated that Lorne Michaels met with Kardashian West about hosting SNL. Some reports suggested it was for the season premiere, but we know that honor eventually went to Owen Wilson.

Now, Kardashian West will follow in Wilson’s footsteps and make her SNL hosting debut. The reality star gets support from musical guest Halsey.

Kardashian West comes to Studio 8H with an impressive fanbase already behind her. However, she also has more than her fair share of critics. Here’s what to watch for on tonight’s brand new Saturday Night Live.

Kim Kardashian West will try to keep up with SNL

SNL inviting a non-actor to host is nothing new. Athletes, politicians, and musicians have all taken center stage without any experience acting in front of a live audience. Just last season, Elon Musk made his SNL debut and was met with mixed reviews.

Kim Kardashian West comes to SNL with two acting credits in which she didn’t play herself: 2008’s Disaster Movie and 2009’s Deep in the Valley. Not exactly comedy classics. But then again, few people have been in the spotlight more, or more intensely, than Kardashian West. She shouldn’t be afraid of the attention or having so many eyes on her.

Keeping up with the Kardashian critics who claim the show is fake and staged could be proven right if Kim demonstrates a talent for hitting her mark and delivering lines perfectly. SNL will also do its part to make the celebrity look good, whether that’s by not asking her to do too much, having her play herself multiple times, or surrounding her with veteran performers like Cecily Strong, Ego Nwodim, and Aidy Bryant.

Whether people tune in to cheer on Kim or watch her fall flat, SNL could benefit. The season premiere pulled in disappointing ratings. The “controversial” decision to pick Kim Kardashian West as a host may be just what the show needs for a rebound.

How many Kardashians will we get on SNL?

The Kardashian-Jenner family is often a packaged deal. The sisters appear together at events, star in shows together, and do just about anything else together.

So with that in mind, Kim Kardashian West may bring in mom Kris Jenner or one of her sisters to help out with Saturday Night Live. Owen Wilson set the precedent last week when his brothers Andrew and Luke Wilson were in the audience. They got a shoutout during the monologue and Luke even appeared in a sketch.

The Kardashian sisters have already appeared on Saturday Night Live in the form of impersonations. They’ve been a consistent punchline since Keeping up with the Kardashians became a phenomenon. We’ve already seen SNL’s version of the Kardashians, so maybe tonight we’ll get the real deal.

Halsey could make Kim Kardashian West’s SNL debut a little easier

Nobody is expecting Kim Kardashian West to join the ranks of Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, or other performers who blended seamlessly with the cast. Those expectations could work in Kardashian West’s favor if SNL fans set the bar very low.

Halsey could be a (not so) secret weapon in tonight’s episode and give Kardashian West a boost. The singer is very familiar with SNL at this point. She’s made multiple appearances as a musical guest and recently pulled double duty as a host and music act.

The singer is a little more experienced when it comes to acting than Kardashian West. Halsey recently released an hour-long film to accompany her new album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. She did well in her turn as host, so SNL would be wise to call on her again to go alongside the host.

What will you be watching for in tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.