Charli xcx Hosts 'SNL' with a Digital Short, Kyle Mooney, and a Bumped Please Don't Destroy

Cold Open — The last thing I wanted to see was Thing and Biden. I was queued up to hate this, but then they viciously made fun of Elon (and you know he’s going to hear about it), and then Sarah Sherman came out as Matt Gaetz, and it’s the creepiest f**king thing I’ve seen since … the real Matt Gaetz. Alec Baldwin’s RFK, Jr. was fine, but mostly, I appreciate, again, that SNL is not taking it easy on Thing, even if Thing threatens to take NBC’s license again. (Score: 6 out of 10)

Charli xcx Monologue — I am very familiar with the music of Charli xcx because I am the father of teenagers, but I know little of her personality. The monologue is not what I was expecting but in a good way. She’s charming and funny, and unfortunately, she allowed Kyle Mooney to appear and completely ruin her monologue. Kyle Mooney?! SNL has, like, 876 cast members, and they had to bring in Kyle Mooney. Boo. Seriously, boo. (Score: 6 until Mooney shows up, then 1.2)

Babymoon — A few weeks ago, Ariana Grande hosted, and one of the lesser skits was one where she and several bridesmaids badly sang a Sabrina Carpenter song about the bride cheating on the groom. I didn’t think much of it until yesterday when one of my daughters told me that it blew up on middle school phones and went viral. That explains why they brought an otherwise forgettable sketch back, here with Charli and the bridesmaids repurposing Chappel Roan into a song about the bride’s baby belonging to the same Domingo from the bachelorette party. It is still mid. (Watch Here) (Score: 4 out of 10)

Wicked Auditions — This is one of those they crack out every few months to give the cast members — but mostly Chloe Fineman — an opportunity to show off their celebrity impressions. It’s fun. (Score: 6 out of 10)

Thanksgiving Baking Championship — The joke is that one of the cakes looks like a turkey with her legs spread, and the other one — from Kyle Mooney(!) — looks like a giant penis. The only good part of this skit is Marcello Hernandez, who is legit hysterical. (Watch Here) (Score: 3.5 out of 10)

Here I Go — It’s a Digital Short (on the same episode with the Please Don’t Destroy guys). I guess Andy Samberg and Lonely Island are sticking around beyond the election for the 50th. Good one here, a song about Karens calling the cops, but on other white people. (Score 7 out of 10)

Banger Boyz — It’s a dude podcast — I’m guessing it’s based on a real one — where three dumb guys celebrate Thing’s victory, two of them are appointed to his Administration, and Charli reads off some ads (she really should be more front-and-center in these skits. She’s fantastic). (Watch Here) (Score 4 out of 10)

Weekend Update — Listen, if Thing keeps nominating clowns to own the libs, he’s going to have to get used to being treated like an absolute clown show, and Che and Jost do not hold back on Gaetz, Elon, and RFK, Jr. I could’ve done without Bowen Yang’s Joe Exotic asking Thing for a pardon (watch here), but Sarah Sherman playing the widow of that dead squirrel (but mostly making fun of Jost) makes up for it. (Score: 7 out of 10)

Acting Class — There’s not much to the skit itself — an acting class for commercial actors — but Marcello and Charli’s manic energy is outstanding. These two should get their own show. (Score: 7 out of 10)

It Girl Thanksgiving — This one is just chaos, and most of it is not great (although Heidi Gardner’s Cher is amusing). (Watch Here) (Score: 3 out of 10)

Shrek the Musical — A group of friends went to Shrek, and the joke is that several of them made out with him, which you can tell because they’re covered in green. Not great! (Watch Here) (Score: 2.5 out of 10)

Please Don’t Destroy — I lied earlier when I said there was a Please Don’t Destroy on this episode. It actually got bumped. That hurts — bumped in the same episode with a Digital Short. It’s too bad, too, because the “Mean Cute” — where the guys bump into Charli xcx and they exchange vicious insults — is better than half the show. It’s so good, in fact, that I’m making it the Mat sketch of the week! (Score: 7 out of 10)

Average Score: 5.25. Honestly, it’s a better episode than the score suggests. There were some clunkers, but overall, Charli xcx was a surprisingly nimble host and great musical guest, although the show really could’ve done without Kyle Mooney.