Saturday Night Live’s 51st season ended with the show pulling out the big guns last night. Beloved former cast member and major movie star Will Ferrell hosted. Former Beatle and arguably most accomplished musician alive Paul McCartney was the musical guest, and of course Weekend Update ended with one more joke swap, which has arguably become the entire show’s most popular recurring segment. Last night’s bit was a good reminder why it works so well too, as the madness got so out of control Michael Che had to stop his co-anchor Colin Jost from going too far.
Stopping each other from going too far isn’t typically an act of mercy you see on the joke swaps. Inflicting maximum humiliation is normally the point and is also why both Che and Jost can get away with reading ridiculous jokes they’d normally get cancelled for. We all get the joke is on them for having to say whatever they’re saying out loud. In this case, however, this specific bit had the potential to do more long-term damage, at least to Jost’s glorious hair.
