Pedro Pascal Is a Better Host than 'SNL' Deserves

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 5, 2023 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 5, 2023 |

Cold Open — Chloe Fineman does Katy Tur, and the entire cold open is devoted to a very lame news report on the Chinese spy balloon, including a conversation with the balloon itself (played by Bowen Yang, who is too frequently called upon to make something out of completely nothing by humiliating himself, and even Yang is not that talented). (Watch Here) (Score: 3 out of 10)

Pedro Pascal Monologue — Pedro is Chilean, and according to Alberto, this is like the Super Bowl in Chile. Pedro is genuinely the nicest, sweetest dude, and while his monologue is not exceptional, it certainly reinforces why he’s in the Pajiba 10 Hall of Fame. (Score: 6 out of 10)

Alberto and the “Chilean Mafia” has also requested that we play this in honor of Pascal’s hosting stint.

The Big Hollywood Quiz — The contestants are asked pop culture questions, and the joke is, they know everything about Hollywood history, but they do not know a damn thing about the 2020s. Guys: There’s one question that even I didn’t get (the Sam Jackson TV show). (Watch Here) (Score: 6 out of 10)

HBO Mario Kart Trailer — A dark and gritty Mario Kart horror movie in the vein of The Last of Us starring Pascal as Mario? This is already 100x better than Chris Pratt’s movie. Amazing. Even the special effects were decent. (Score: 8 out of 10)

Amnesia Patient — Pascal wakes up from an accident with amnesia and a bizarre Los Angeles accent and no interest in being with his wife. The whole thing is dumb as hell, but also so funny that even Pedro can’t help but break. (Score: 7 out of 10)

Student Technology Use — Pascal plays the school technology advisor who has to advise the students to stop making fancam videos of him. There are Daddy jokes in it, and Pascal’s best friend Sarah Paulson also shows up. I love that Pascal knows who he is, and can make light of it. He is exceptional, people. (Score: 7 out of 10)

Wing Pits Commercial — Do you like wings? Be careful what you wish for. A classic SNL food ad. (Score: 7.5 out of 10)

Weekend Update — I’m tempted to give “Update” a zero this week because of Che’s joke and picture of Trump’s “dump truck.” Michael Longfellow does an existentially depressed Punxatawney Phil — it’s OK, but Longfellow is gonna be on this show for a long time. Devon Walker and James Austin Johnson play some British guys commenting/rapping on the Royals using indecipherable lingo. I didn’t care for it, but my kid loved it, so it must have something redeeming about it. (Score: 6.5 out of 10)

Visit Home — Marcello Hernandez plays a character who brings his girlfriend (Chloe Fineman) home to meet his mother, played by Pedro Pascal. She is very opinionated and not a big fan of the girlfriend. It’s not a great sketch, but Pedro Pascal makes it work. (Watch Here) (Score: 5.5 out of 10)

Italian Restaurant — Pascal plays a waiter at an Italian restaurant, where the waitstaff compliments the beauty of all the women except Sarah Sherman’s character, who “is the funny one,” etc. (Watch Here) (Score: 4 out of 10)

Lisa from Temeculah — Ego plays a customer at a restaurant who orders her steak extra, extra well done, and has to put so much force into it to cut it that the table shakes and everyone in the skit breaks at least five times. It’s not a great sketch, but for the fact that no one can keep a straight face, which makes it absolutely hysterical. (Score: 7.5 out of 10)