Adele breaking character and bursting into laughter during a Saturday Night Live sketch proves the show’s major problem: it’s not funny anymore. Having aired four episodes of season 46 so far, fans haven’t been responding positively to the long-running NBC series since its return to the airwaves
The largely lukewarm reaction by viewers coincides with plans by SNL to air a new episode on October 31, hosted by John Mulaney, and another on November 7. The program has aired fresh episodes, with a new host and musical guest, every week since it premiered season 46 in early October. This is an unprecedented move by SNL, which typically airs a rerun in between live editions. The decision is likely influenced by the desire for new content during an ongoing pandemic, with a number of scripted shows still experiencing delays, but it also speaks to the notion of SNL’s perceived cultural cache ahead of an important presidential election.
That perception may not neatly align with the online responses Saturday Night Live has recently garnered, though. This was made evident, once again, in the comedy’s October 24 outing. Hosted by Adele, with H.E.R. appearing as the musical guest, the episode featured a sketch where Adele parodied tourism commercials. Along with cast members Kate McKinnon and Heidi Gardner, Adele played a divorcee that sang the praises of Africa. Whether it was the innuendo-laden lines she had to read or the pompous accent used for her character, or some combination of both, the Grammy winner couldn’t hold it together. She burst into laughter at several different points during the short skit. Coming out of SNL, Adele’s fit of chuckles was the biggest takeaway viewers had. That’s a continuation of a trend and, overall, a big problem for the show.
Since its return, SNL hasn’t been garnering a lot of attention for its sketches. Fans have criticized Jim Carrey’s impersonation of Joe Biden or they’ve debated the merits of an abrasive stand-up routine by host Bill Burr, albeit the same focus hasn’t been given to the show’s humor. Still, at least the discussions over Carrey and Burr were related to the show; Adele’s breaking of character was spontaneous by all accounts. If she never started laughing, then there would be extraordinarily little worth discussing in the episode. It illustrates how the show’s sketches and immensely talented group of performers, ostensibly the bread and butter of SNL, barely warrant a mention.
The problem comes down to the fact that the skits aren’t that funny. While they might warrant a smile or a stray chuckle, they’re ultimately more interesting as concepts than in execution. The idea of a fortune teller telling customers, in 2019, how unusual the current year would be is a clever conceit. The way it ultimately plays out, however, in the SNL episode, isn’t all that exceptional. It hits all the expected notes, neither surprising viewers nor going the extra mile. This is a shortcoming which is glaringly evident with most of the show’s humor.
In fact, the smartest bit on Saturday Night Live's Adele episode hits close to home. In a pre-recorded segment, the cast lament the possibility that Trump might lose the election. “My entire personality is hating Donald Trump. If he’s gone, what am I supposed to do?” Melissa Villaseñor wonders. That’s true for SNL as a whole over the past few years. The show has been content to stay relevant through its half-hearted feud with the current President, relying on lazy jokes and familiar patterns to stay in the cultural conversation. Perhaps, in that bit of meta humor, SNL will realize that it has to reinvent itself. The comedy is at its best when it creates unforgettable characters like David S. Pumpkins, tapping into something delightful and inexplicable. Saturday Night Live needs to find that quality again.