“Saturday Night Live” season 50 premiere recap: Jean Smart and Maya Rudolph joined by surprise guests galore

The "Hacks" actress was joined by Maya Rudolph, musical guest Jelly Roll, and a cavalcade of guest stars playing Biden, Walz, and more.

Less than six months before Saturday Night Live debuted, Saigon fell. The show’s first episode was only a year and change removed from Nixon’s resignation. As the legacy of 8H was in its infancy, the tumult of the 1960s, from assassination to war, were still fresh in the minds of TV viewers.

Given that there have been more than 900 episodes — comprised of thousands of live sketches, short films, musical performances, and more — since the NBC institution launched in 1975, it is difficult to tidily capture the impact SNL has had over the past six decades. There’s been spinoff movies, anniversary shows, countless essays written on its coverage of politics, and even a biopic that hit theaters this weekend.

And tonight's season premiere in business as usual, in some respect: One more frenetic week of prep, culminating in an episode of live comedy. But — of course — it's the 50th. Jean Smart will be there. The 2024 election is weeks away. With more attention than usual, will they establish the right tone for this season? Nothing beats when SNL is firing on all cylinders.

Related: Why Saturday Night's Lorne Michaels doesn't sound like any of those famous impressions you've heard

First, let’s check in with some of the show’s finest alumni, given everything going on. I recently spoke with Alex Moffat, who shared some of his expectation for this momentous season: "I'd love to see Eddie Murphy host again. I went through not only a year of watching Beverly Hills Cop every day, but there was a long period of time where my parents had to start limiting the number of times I could rent the Best of Eddie Murphy SNL when we would go to Blockbuster, so he's literally my all-time No. 1. I think it being the 50th season, all bets are off. Steve Martin and Tina Fey I hope both host. It's just going to be cool to see the cavalcade of stars in the 50th.”

Related: Every Saturday Night Live season 50 host and musical guest

Former cast member Taran Killam is about to appear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Kennedy Center in about two weeks. He recently told me he's "very excited for the 50th season! Some of my favorite hosts I worked with are in the first few. Ariana, Keaton. Mulaney is the best."

And finally, I am joined by season six cast member Denny Dillon, who reflects that "It's mind-blowing to think it’s 50 years! In the first year, 1975, I guest-starred with my comedy partner Mark Hampton on the third episode. We performed Talent Night in the Convent. I met all the original cast. It was crazy. Then being a cast member in Season 6. It's miraculous that Lorne Michaels has kept this revolutionary idea going for all these decades!"

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"I'm quite curious about SNL 50 and hope I'm invited to the anniversary. I imagine the world is coming," continues Dillon, who also worked with tonight's host back when Smart was starring in Designing Women! More on that later.

Jelly Roll is also here tonight, Conehead nation! His recent music video with Eminem was great. SNL in Review is a-go!

Cold Open

We have Andrew Dismukes as ABC news anchor David Muir(!), his striking good looks are not the only story here. He cuts to both campaigns' rallies. Maya Rudolph is back as Kamala Harris, she’s in Wisconspenslageorgia. Her campaign is like Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso"...vague but the vibes slap. It's a party atmosphere, for sure — they are playing TLC.

Harris announces her VP candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He is played by Jim Gaffigan... huh. I note the crowd does not greet him like the standard celebrity guest. He has BDE (big dad energy) and is wearing a Kirkland brand suit, which tracks. I get the casting here, but it leaves me cold.

Andy Samberg is received a little bit better as Harris' husband Doug Emhoff. Also "known as Charlie Brown if he were a grownup." Samberg obviously was always known for his Lonely Island short films but it is fun having his energy back.

We also visit James Austin Johnson's spot-on Trump and his increasingly despairing act at his rally. "They’re doing a Diddy," he says, before introducing his Radiohead-quoting VP pick, JD Vance (Bowen Yang). Look, love the cast member casting, but Yang gets very little to do before they cut back to Harris dancing.

More stunt casting! Dana Carvey is back, this time as Joe Biden. Sorry Mikey Day. Carvey’s Biden leans into the ageism stuff. It’s fine, a bit subpar, honestly. They are trying to channel Carvey’s mojo from the Bush years, but I don't think this Jimmy Stewart-flavored take is enough. It makes sense for SNL 50, but in a vacuum? Nah. He begins to sniff her — which is an inexplicable Bidenism to invoke, and it falls flat. This was a bad return to the show's political cold open, lame revolving door bits with no point of view. I guess it'll get clicks but woof. (Someone should count what percentage of this cold open featured an actual cast member.)

Monologue

Smart is fresh off her third Emmy win for Hacks. She really is a perfect choice to host the premiere episode of the anniversary season. She jokes watching the very first episode of SNL in 1975 and wanting to one day host, this is the first day that worked with her schedule. She breaks into a nice song that's an ode to New York. Very classy and well done. SNL paying homage to its home city is usually a nice move. She honors the city's diversity and notes her devote lesbian fan base, many of whom reside nearby. This was not a killer bit, but it is timeless and sets a nice tone for the season's reflective mood.

I asked our Denny Dillon about her time working with Smart on Designing Women and she recalls it as "completely fabulous! Top of the charts fun. I did an episode called 'The Wilderness Experience' in Season 3 (now on Hulu). I played a tough New York garment worker who was taking the gals out to the mountains and wood to toughen them up. The writing was hilarious, and they were all so funny. (I was too.) The shoot went very late into the a.m. and I remember we were all sitting around sharing memories. Jean and Delta [Burke] told stories that had me crying laughing. It was all so cozy and warm I felt like I was at a pajama party.”

Dillon calls herself a “major fan” of Hacks. “As an Emmy voter, I wanted Hacks to win Best Comedy. Happily it did. Jean is wildly funny as Deborah Vance. She also brings her deep acting chops to the role. She’s alternately hilarious and heart-breaking, tender and manipulative, loving then chillingly cold. There's never a dull moment, nor a false one. I only wish I could have seen her onstage in New York long ago in Last Summer at Bluefish Cove. I have friends who still talk about it. She can't win enough awards as far as I’m concerned.”

"$100,000 Pyramid"

Devon Walker is Michael Strahan hosting The $100,00 Pyramind, Steve Harvey was busy. Fun to see Walker in this role. Marcello Hernandez gets a nice reception playing Bad Bunny; his partner is the very controversial and strange Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson (Kenan Thompson). Lots of obvious jokes about his embarrassing campaign scandals. Still, better than the cold open.

Hawk Tuah girl, whose real name is Hailey Welsh, is played by Megalopis’ Chloe Fineman. Her partner is Chimp Crazy centerpiece Tonia Haddix (Smart). Smart's bit was fun, particularly because they used a puppet monkey. No need for a real life chimp a la Madge.

"Spirit Halloween" commercial

Main street is hurting, but help is on the way. Others leave, but Spirit Halloween shows up. They take up space in low-income communities for six weeks then bounce! (And avoid lawsuits with costumes juuuuust this side of copyright infringement.

"Textbook Writer"

Barbara Berkman (Smart) is a romance novelist coming out of retirement to write a kids textbook. That’s the setup here: Her style of romance literature has infiltrated this AP algebra book. A couple missed moments here: Smart holding up his book cover, and Ashley Padilla has an awkward on-air introduction.

Berkman gets increasingly frustrated with the critiques of her book. Kenan Thompson's obsession with a character named Clarissa is kind of funny.

Jelly Roll performs — "Liar"

Smart’s Hacks costar, and daughter of SNL alum Laraine Newman, Hannah Einbinder helps introduce Jelly Roll’s performance "Liar." This is the second single from his upcoming studio album, Beautifully Broken. It was produced by Zach Crowell and debuted at the Grand Ole Opry a few months back.

Weekend Update

The boys are back. They tackle so much: Eric Adams, Melania, Trump's comments from today’s rally. Michael Che is still expressing faux shock at cringing jokes on COVID and Chinese drivers. A bit of a flat return. I like Che questioning the audience member who applauded Colin Jost’s Minions/Mark Zuckerberg one-liner.

Devon Walker gets the call to play New York mayor Eric Adams. His smile is optimistic! He claims to have made NYC a "Swagopolis." "Two words Michael: Google Google," he jokes after Che asks him why he is embroiled in Turkish corruption. "Free Diddy!" he concludes.

This summer, Moo Deng — a pygmy hippopotamus living in Thailand — became a popular internet meme after images of her went viral online. Bowen Yang plays her as a kind of hippo Chappell Roan. Classic Yang Update bit, but it’s inspired, from the "Hungry Hungry Jada Pinkett" line and Yang demanding the hose. This is the best bit of the episode so far, easily. Watch!

"I Love Lucy"

Before Lucille Ball was cast in I Love Lucy, a dramatic actress named Edna (Smart) had the role. We saw how less funny, and more melodramatic the show would be without Ball’s comedic genius at the center. Meh. Marcello Hernandez makes a decent Ricky Ricardo, but this is late episode padding. (Chloe Fineman and James Austin Johnson also do commendable work as Ethel and Fred.)

"Talk Talk"

Charli XCX (Yang) is live from the boiler room. Lots of Bowen this episode! She answers whether something is brat or nat. What is brat? Baron Trump going to NYU. Amy Adams in Nightbitch.

Sarah Sherman is Troye Sivan, Charli’s tour partner and show DJ. The guests are Susanne Bartsch, a Swiss event producer (played by Smart) and Kaitlin Collin (Fineman) from CNN. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Ego Nwodim) — whose "bleach blonde bad built butch-body" takedown of Marjorie Taylor Greene went viral this summer — is the next guest to provide similarly alliterative insults about other issues. I like this! Pretty topical and funny. Watch!

Jelly Roll performs — "Winning Streak"

The country star recently spoke publicly for the first time about attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, an experience he poured into "Winning Streak" off his upcoming album (dropping Oct. 11).

"Real Housewives of Santa Fe Dinner"

Reality show cast members feud over dinner, hollering who is a business woman or not. Andrew Dismukes is the waiter, carrying in hot fajitas. We watch him struggling. Ashley Padilla conducts herself a bit better here. Where are the other two new cast members? Did I miss them?

Final Thoughts

—A historic season is officially underway? How did you feel? Don't boo - vote!

—Wow, the new opening credits look fantastic! Sarah Sherman driving the bus! Ego looking like a star.

—Alex Moffat is great in Bad Monkey FYI.

—Go check out Taran Killam in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in D.C. soon, folks. October 11 - 20!

—Thank you, as always, to Denny Dillon! Many of you may have noted her featured prominently, if briefly, in SNL's promo for tonight's episode.  This was her reaction to seeing herself included: "My wife saw it first and sent it to me. She didn't tell me what it was. When I watched and saw myself in it, I was stunned. Truly. I  was literally speechless. I stood there in silence in my living room. It was like a bolt of light. I felt elated and grateful. I'm so proud to be part of SNL history." Agreed, sometimes non-Lorne cast members get overlooked in show lore, in my humble opinion.

—Want more from Denny? She notes: "Last month I worked on an independent film starring Melissa Leo called Mother Wolf, and directed by Suzi Yoonessi. I am also thrilled that I've completed my book of memoirs, a collection of childhood and career stories — several from SNL. I will divulge the title and publication date in the near future!" Woo!

—RIP Tom McCarthy, the late senior vice president & global chief security officer for NBC.

—OK, I will admit it. I miss Chloe Troast. You?

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