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Snippets from Jenna Ortega’s hosting gig on SNL last night
The “Wednesday” actress was joined by musical guest The 1975 and her “Wednesday” costar Fred Armisen.
Twenty-year-old Jenna Ortega made her hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live” last night, joined by musical guest The 1975.
Ortega became a household name last year when she starred as Wednesday Adams in the new Netflix series titled “Wednesday.”
Ortega already has quite a resume — she played young Jane in the dramedy “Jane the Virgin,” won an Imagen Award for her role on Disney’s “Stuck in the Middle,” and more recently has had roles in thrillers like “Scream” and “X.”
English pop rock band The 1975 joined as musical guest — they’re currently in the middle of a world tour for their fifth and most recent studio album, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language.”
Cold Open
Mario Lopez (Marcello Hernandez) and either Maria Menounos or Kit Hoover, “they haven’t told me which yet,” (Heidi Gardner) are hosting the red carpet pre-show at the Oscars. They chat with passing celebrities to get their thoughts on the 95th Academy Awards. Mike Tyson (Kenan Thompson) is the new head of security, and to avoid another slapping incident like last year every nominee has been given a taser, all the seat fillers have been given guns, and Jimmy Kimmel has a flamethrower.
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Chloe Fineman played a down-to-earth Jamie Lee Curtis wearing a dress from Kirkland by Costco, and Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (Mikey Day and Molly Kearney) answer questions in unintelligible Irish accents. George Santos (Bowen Yang) even shows up claiming he’s Tom Cruise.
Monologue
Jenna Ortega notes that while she’s the youngest host of the season, she’s been acting since she was 9 — she shows a Colgate commercial she starred in while the audience “awws.” Her “Wednesday” costar and 11-season SNL veteran Fred Armisen joined her on stage briefly, and she says that she came on SNL to face one of her biggest fears: “happy, extroverted people who are always trying to perform.”
School vs. School
Kenan Thompson hosts a game show between schools — like “High School Game Show.” Students from West Grove High in New Jersey face off against students from Professor Zander’s Academy for Extraordinary Children, where students learn to “harness their incredible gifts,” in a 100-room Victorian mansion on 10,000 private acres. Ortega plays Zena, who hasn’t learned to use her powers properly yet, Molly Kearney is a hulk-like Knockout, and Mikey Day is their European headmaster.
Please Don’t Destroy – Road Trip
The “Please Don’t Destroy” guys take Jenna Ortega on a great American road trip, with a cutesy soundtrack to match. But the group dynamic breaks down with standard inconveniences—missing exits, petty Venmo requests — and Ortega gets carsick and vomits after reading the new Michelle Obama book.
The Parent Trap
Fred Armisen is back for “The Parent Trap.” Ortega is starring in a remake, but since her body double is out for the day, Armisen plays crew guy Ray who’s filling in. Ray ad libs his way through the script, cursing instead of pretending to play an 11-year-old girl.
Waffle House
Ortega and Marcello Hernandez play high school seniors in a teen drama. Ortega shows up outside the Waffle House to talk to Hernandez about her acceptance to a college in New York City. They talk about the future set to melodramatic piano music while Waffle House antics ensue inside the building.
The 1975
The 1975 perform “I’m in Love with You” and “Oh Caroline,” both off of their most recent album release, “Being Funny in a Foreign Language.”
Weekend Update
Colin Jost and Michael Che joked about this weekend’s Oscars, Biden’s new billionaire tax, Tucker Carlson’s texts about Trump, and a TikTok-banning bill. Molly Kearney came on as Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally to discuss gay thirst traps on Instagram.
Exorcism
Ortega takes on her usual genre, horror, as her parents and a priest try to perform an exorcism. But it’s keeping up Mrs. Shaw (Ego Nwodim) from upstairs, and she needs to get her eight hours — so she performs the exorcism herself.
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