SNL Review: Harry Styles Helps Get Season 51 Back on Track in Style
· BCPosted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL Review: Harry Styles Helps Get Season 51 Back on Track in Style
Saturday Night Live host/musical guest Harry Styles helped SNL head into its break in a fun, freaky, and stylish way. Here's why it worked...
Published Sun, 15 Mar 2026 11:28:08 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- Harry Styles shines as both SNL host and musical guest, injecting fresh energy into Season 51.
- Sketches like "MAHAspital" and "Irish Dancer" blend absurd comedy with standout musical moments.
- Marcello Hernandez’s Sebastian Maniscalco impression and a hilarious "Weekend Update" steal the show.
- New cast members deliver big laughs while Styles pokes fun at his unique fashion and persona.
NBC's Saturday Night Live might be back until April 4th (with Jack Black and Jack White), but it went into its break on a strong note. Pulling double duty as host and musical guest, Harry Styles was big in helping the SNL cast and writers course-correct things from last week and get them back to Connor Storrie-hosting levels. Styles is a natural performer and entertainer who knows his strengths and how to play them up, while also knowing when to let the cast and writers work their magic. Since they were all varying levels of bangers this weekend, we've upped our criteria when it comes to the sketches that deserve to be highlighted: ones that had us literally laughing out loud. But there was something to love about all of them.
The SNL Cold Open had a killer duo in Colin Jost (Pete Hegseth) and James Austin Johnson (Donald Trump), and we respected how Styles handled the "queerbaiting" accusations during his monologue (with Ben Marshall being the luckiest cast member that night). "MAHAspital" scored because it actually found a way to take the absurdity of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr's "health plan," make it look serious, and then make it look even more absurd. "Sparkle of the Sea" and "She's an Irish Dancer" gave Styles a chance to show off his skills at blending music and comedy, and reminded us that SNL still offers big-time music sketches and videos. I know this is going to sound weird, but I found "Best Buy: Mr. Pooty" twistedly sweet, with Styles and Kenan Thompson having a cute chemistry together. As for "White Castle Drive-Thru," we're just putting it out there for anyone listening who can make these kinds of decisions. Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska need to be paired together in one sketch every week, either filmed or live.
"Sebastian Maniscalco: New Lawyer" – Marcello Hernandez's first run at his impression of actor/comedian Sebastian Maniscalco was already strong. The fact that he's perfected it to the level that we got on Saturday night was insane. Hitting the perfect mix of verbal and physical comedy, Hernandez has created a "Sebastian Maniscalco" in his own right. Which is a weird thing to write, but he really has elevated his game beyond doing an impression (like Darrell Hammond's Sean Connery). Also, serious props to Styles for (barely) holding it together during the "My Cousin Vinny"-themed sketch, and dropping his own "Sebastian Maniscalco" near the end.
"Weekend Update," "Weekend Update: Red Heart and Aerial Tramway Emojis on Apple's New Emojis Release," and "Weekend Update: Tucker Carlson on Liberal Politics and the 2026 Oscars" – This weekend's entire "Weekend Update" run might be the best of the season, with Colin Jost and Michael Che dusting off last week's weird vibes from the SNL audience and doubling-down on some hard-hitting headlines (with bonus points to the Taco Bell fan in the audience).
I don't know how much of Tucker Carlson that Jeremy Culhane had to watch to perfect his impression, but (A) he should be given free therapy for having to endure that; (B) he should get a bonus; and (C) he should definitely make a return, sooner rather than later. From the creepy laugh to the beaten-to-death "catchphrases," Culhane was so on-point it was scary.
And then there was Mikey Day's Aerial Tramway emoji and Hernandez's Heart emoji, a perfect example (unlike last week) of how comedy and breaking can make for a perfect combination. Between Day continually taking things to the next level and Hernandez's struggles to keep it together, you couldn't look away even if you wanted to (with serious bonus points going to whoever came up with Aerial Tramway's crew).
"Harry for Him" – Marshall is me. Johnson is me. Andrew Dismukes is me. Day is me. Kam Patterson is me. Hernandez is me. Thompson is me. I feel seen. I loved this sketch because it's something I was talking about earlier this week. I love Styles' style and how he expresses himself through his fashion. That said, there is no way I could ever pull off any of those looks (maybe Day's), so I was seeing a whole lot of myself in this sketch. Also, serious props to Styles for playing an asshole alt-reality version of himself, in full-on bitch mode.
Saturday Night Live Season 51: Harry Styles
Review by Ray Flook
9/10
NBC's Saturday Night Live might be back until April 4th (with Jack Black and Jack White), but it went into its break on a strong note. Pulling double duty as host and musical guest, Harry Styles was big in helping the SNL cast and writers course-correct things from last week and get them back to Connor Storrie-hosting levels. Styles is a natural performer and entertainer who knows his strengths and how to play them up, while also knowing when to let the cast and writers work their magic. Since they were all varying levels of bangers this weekend, we've upped our criteria when it comes to the sketches that deserve to be highlighted: ones that had us literally laughing out loud. But there was something to love about all of them.
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