It didn’t take a lot to realize that Teyana Taylor’s episode of Saturday Night Live would hit differently. Days before she made her hosting debut on the long-running late-night comedy sketch series, we were gifted a promo featuring the triple threat in an Waiting to Exhale homage.
Riding hard for Ashley Padilla, who mentioned her food had been eaten by another cast member, Taylor channeled Angela Bassett’s Bernadine as she tore up Andrew Dismukes’ dressing room and set his things on fire. The skit prompted a comment of praise from Bassett herself. But the significance wasn’t just Taylor’s spot-on delivery; it was the fact that only a Black woman could bring that moment to the screen.
In her opening monolgue on the live January 24 episode, Taylor set the stage of what we in for for the next 90 minutes, dressed in a fur-trimmed I “Love” NY tee that radiated urban royalty realness. She reveled with Oscar nomination glee, delivered nostaglia vibes with a glimpse into her 2007 “My Sweet 16” birthday episode and shared her mommy devotion with her kids seated in the front-row, all with her signature Harlem-bred energy.
By the time Taylor finished, we knew we were about to once again experience comedy shaped by a Black woman’s perspective, something that’s been clearly lacking on SNL since Ego Nwodim’s departure last season. And we were ready for it.
Taylor’s range was on full display: singing dismal airline updates in one sketch; breaking out major dance moves to play a grandfather who feels the beat when the DJ spins Earth, Wind & Fire hits; giving that well-known “hmmmm” Black people give as others in America finally understand federally-funded oppression and law enforcement violence. Across the night, she captured a full spectrum of Black critique, rage and joy.
In “Toy Commercial” — one of the night’s best skits — SNL poked fun at her Oscar-nominated film One Battle After Another, offering action dolls of its main characters. Watching young white children play out what Black power looks like and bringing light to “resistance in the face of racial tyranny” were themes that couldn’t have been examined on the show without Taylor being up front and center. Taylor’s pride was even reflected in her outfit choices, from another promo video styled by Wayman + Micah to her curated pieces worn to introduce the night’s musical guest.
Already being hailed as one of the best host of the season, Taylor’s first SNL guest gig was truly pitch perfect. It also made one thing abundantly clear: having Black comedic females inside this legacy comedy space makes SNL feel richer.
Finally, it felt like Saturday Night Live was back to being a true cultural mirror, even if only for one weekend.