New Cast Members Aren’t Just Window Dressing So Far This ‘SNL’ Season

You can feel the difference in an episode of Saturday Night Live with Amy Poehler, versus the many recent episodes without her. Poehler, who is now “a podcast host,” brought an undeniable energy to the show; not only did we get way more sketches that weren’t set at dinner tables (thank Christ), but the premises of the sketches were jokes that were actually funny.

Plus, it was a lot of the humor that made her run on the show so strong: absurd but also often rooted in the experience of being a woman. Work Birth, Emo Mom, The Hunting Wives Season Two, these sketches felt like Poehler specials. A little commentary and a lot of silliness. But the 2008 vein of “women are funny too,” wasn’t the only noticeable difference between this episode and others. 

For the second time in a row, we got to really see the new cast in action. For the Season 51 premiere, this wasn’t as obvious, short of Kam Patterson’s segment on Weekend Update. But now that we’re two episodes in, it’s feeling more apparent that Lorne Michaels plans to fully utilize his new additions. 

All five new cast members — Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan and Veronika Slowikowska — got screentime tonight. But, unlike in previous seasons, they each got to deliver lines and be pivotal parts of sketches. Marshall was heavily featured throughout the show, and punched up every scene he was in. Patterson, likewise, telegraphed his undeniable charisma. Slowikowska was featured the least, but still managed a few opportunities to deliver lines. Both Culhane and Brennan got to ham it up too. None of them were just standing in the background. 

While the show still heavily relies on its key stars — Kenan Thompson will make his way into nearly every sketch, as will Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernandez — there’s been a better utilization of the newbies in Season 51. Especially in Poehler’s episode, where even from the teasers and her monologue, it felt like there was a concerted effort to get all five of them out in front of the cameras. 

This is only a good thing for SNL, which automatically feels fresher and more dynamic with more of the cast in play. While none of the new cast has already cemented themselves as the next anchor of the show, it’s clear that the talent roster runs deep and someone is finally learning how to take full advantage of that. 

Can we credit Poehler or someone else more permanent at Studio 8H? It’s too soon to say. But the show is better off when it’s backing the whole cast.