Saturday Night Live has its first breakout character of season 50, and it's Domingo. Thankfully, the show learned its lesson from another hit character before returning character Marcello Hernandez's character for a second time..
Domingo burst onto the scene on October 12. Ariana Grande led the sketch as a group of bridesmaids sang a parody of Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" which revealed some bad behavior on the bachelorette party.
Grande's intentionally bad singing tickled audiences, as did her supporting cast of Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, and Sarah Sherman. Hernandez brought the house down as the titular Domingo and an SNL star character was born.
The sketch has 11 million views on YouTube and another 102 million views on TikTok. The song especially took off on TikTok, inspiring parodies, lip-syncs, and more. For a show that is "dying" according to some, SNL proved that it can reach any audience with the right sketch.
So it wasn't all that surprising to see Saturday Night Live wasn't done with Domingo. Charli XCX subbed in for Grande for a new version on Nov. 16, set at a baby shower and reworking the lyrics to Chappell Roan's "Hot to Go."
The sequel is rarely as good as the original. However, Marcello Hernandez, Chloe Fineman, and Andrew Dismukes helped sell the new version. It also helped that the lyrics were well done and Charli XCX was more than up to the task of replacing Ariana Grande.
But most impressive was the fact that Saturday Night Live didn't repeat the same mistake it made with another recent breakout character: Lisa from Temecula. The lesson here is that just because a character is a smash hit and popular doesn't mean it should automatically come back.
Lisa from Temecula was a surprise hit two seasons ago. Ego Nwodim's physical comedy broke her castmates and had the entire studio screaming in laughter. It was an instant classic and the most memorable character from season 48.
But SNL watered down Lisa from Temecula by bringing the character back two more times in the span of about nine months. The physical comedy just didn't have the same legs as a character with a more verbal hook. Plus, the sketch worked best with a surprise factor as Lisa completely cleared the table trying to cut her meat. Once that cat is out of the bag, it's hard to expect a similar response when the audience knows what's coming.
And when Lisa's second appearance made it clear the character didn't land the same way, SNL still tried a third time. Nwodim deserves a recurring character, but Lisa from Temecula didn't evolve nor did she get the chance to shine in a new situation.
Domingo caught lightning in a bottle in a similar way. But Saturday Night Live learned its lesson and brought back the character because of the comedy hinges on more than just one note. The song lyrics, Andrew Dismukes' reaction, and a talented vocalist singing poorly add more layers.
The sketch will likely find an audience on TikTok just like its predecessor. However, chances are slim that it will be as big as Ariana Grande's original. But SNL knows its audience for Domingo and actually figured out a smart way to capitalize on its popularity.
Lisa from Temecula's third appearance all but retired the character. SNL would be smart to avoid the same mistake and keep Domingo on the shelf unless a special occasion calls for a third installment.