Michael Keaton’s fourth time hosting SNL had its moments, but overall felt like a missed opportunity. The Halloween spirit was present, thanks largely to Keaton’s Beetlejuice legacy and the newly released sequel, which the show leaned on perhaps a little too heavily.
The monologue, featuring surprise appearances from Mikey Day and Andy Samberg as competing Beetlejuices, was a retread of a similar bit from Keaton’s last hosting stint some 20 years ago. Amusing, yes, but also a sign of creative fatigue. Sarah Sherman’s Beetlejuice-esque attire got a chuckle, but felt more like a random aside than a fully formed joke.
The cold open, a parody of Kamala Harris’ recent Fox News interview, fared better. Alec Baldwin’s return as Brett Baier was… a choice. While Rudolph’s Harris landed some solid zingers, Baldwin’s presence felt unnecessary and a bit distracting. The constant cutaways to James Austin Johnson’s Trump, while amusing, disrupted the flow. Dana Carvey’s Joe Biden cameo was a welcome surprise, though his material felt a bit undercooked.
The rest of the show was a mixed bag. The “Shop TV” sketch, with Keaton as a purveyor of suggestive cookies, was predictable but delivered a few decent laughs. Please Don’t Destroy’s “Skydiving” bit took a dark turn, which didn’t quite land with the audience. “Forbidden Romance,” featuring a Train-inspired ukulele serenade, was admirably weird but ultimately fell flat. The “TikTok” sketch, while attempting to stay relevant, felt more like a frantic scramble to keep up with internet trends than a cohesive comedic piece.
Weekend Update offered some bright spots. Newcomer Emil Wakim’s stand-up set was sharp and insightful, and Sarah Sherman’s rant about the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was delightfully unhinged. The remaining sketches, “Uber Game Show,” “Horror Choreographer,” and “Tableside,” were largely forgettable. Even Billie Eilish’s musical performances, while technically proficient, lacked the spark of her previous SNL appearances.
Keaton seemed game, but the material often let him down. The show’s reliance on recurring characters and familiar tropes suggests a lack of fresh ideas. While there were a few scattered laughs, this episode felt more like a placeholder than a true Halloween treat. Perhaps next week’s episode, with John Mulaney and Chappell Roan, will inject some much-needed life into Studio 8H.