Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | January 26, 2026
I was stuck inside with my kids yesterday and decided to dust off The Muppet Show. They had seen some episodes when they were a bit younger, but never really attached to it. Now seemed like a better time to try, and I was right. One of my sons was sick, so he was just happy to watch TV. The other one laughed and marveled at Ben Vereen as he sang and danced with the Muppets. He was clapping along with the audience by the end. It was great, and likely explains why I was so taken by this wedding sketch from the newest episode of Saturday Night Live.
Teyana Taylor hosted this week, and she came ready to play. That said, it helps that the show tried to play to her many strengths. Taylor is a multi-hyphenate. She’s a performer who can sing, dance, and act, and so much more. So, we got to see her do it all, albeit with a healthy dose of silliness. But that made the show even more fun to me. Give ‘em the ‘ol razzle dazzle. If your host can dance, don’t just let them dance; build a whole sketch around it.
That’s exactly what happened in Grandpa at the Wedding. Kam Patterson and Ashley Padilla are getting married, and Teyana Taylor plays Patterson’s elderly grandfather, complete with incredible hair and makeup. Despite being so old, Taylor’s character becomes invigorated by the smooth intonations of Earth, Wind, & Fire (can you blame him?). He gets up and busts all the moves, immediately messes up his makeup, and even gets freaky on his new granddaughter-in-law.
The whole thing is so freaking silly and works because Taylor is so game. Any good theater kid can get a boost from a well-placed bald cap and mustache, but you still need to bring that extra oomph. You still have to commit. Taylor commits so hard that her laugh changes. She loses her glasses at one point and calmly goes to retrieve them. She’s present in a way that takes a simple idea and turns it into a showcase of what she is capable of, and that can be hard for hosts to do.
It’s also incredible to see Kenan Thompson come so close to breaking several times. Kenan often comes clad in a smile, but he’s usually the one getting other stars to giggle. Here, he’s clearly having a hard time holding it together from the jump. He never quite breaks, because he’s Kenan, but he certainly comes close quite a few times. I was kind of waiting for it at one point, but he managed to battle through and hold strong, which deserves some props because, again, Taylor was acting a fool.
Something about the dance aspect also made me feel more forgiving toward some of the blemishes. A few lines are flubbed and/or come in a bit too late. At one point, Taylor is replaced by a break dancer who is … very clearly a different person. But, it matters not! The laughs still come. The ridiculousness makes the obvious double even funnier. Then, every time Taylor would start showing out, it would add a whole new layer to things that just felt magical.
Every SNL host can’t have years of experience in song and dance, but it certainly helps. Taylor brought an energy that was infectious. She came to play. She wasn’t worried about how she looked, nor was she like, “look at me! Isn’t this so silly?” Instead, it felt like she was made for this. Even if every sketch wasn’t a winner, she brought an energy that is worth its weight in gold.
