SNL101

Saturday Night Live in the Classroom

S51 E17: Colman Domingo

We unanimously declare this the best episode of the season and discuss Fashion District Robbery, a sharp, unapologetically queer sketch about fashion-world subculture and Prep School, an absurdist riff on inspirational teacher films that opens a philosophical discussion on the nature of knowledge.
S51 E16: Jack Black

We unpack Kathy, which features Ashly Padilla as an awkward coworker desperately inserting herself into office conversations, to explore themes of social exclusion, belonging, and the psychology of prying.
S51 E15: Harry Styles

Harry Styles’ second time as host and musical guest on March 14, 2026 was genuinely fun, and the final sketch of the night, “Harry For Him,” opened a broader conversation about masculinity, makeover culture, and style identity.
S51 E14: Ryan Gosling

We explore late-stage capitalism and labor exploitation in Monty McTreats & the Pastry Bakery, a Willy Wonka parody, as well as Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth in the Hegseth Iran Presser Cold Open as an example of sneering satire undermining authoritarian posturing.
S51 E13: Connor Storrie

We unpack Mr. Fronzi for its ethnic stereotyping and insider humor as well as debate the controversial cut-for-time sketch Tourette’s, and discuss disability representation, audience responsibility, and comedic framing.
S51 E12: Alex Skarsgård

We discuss cognitive dissonance, political reconciliation, and forgiveness, face-saving in “Mom’s Confession” and themes of belonging, friendship, power dynamics, and psychosocial needs in “Viking Raid.”
S51 E11: Teyana Taylor

We talk about the corporate synergy with NFL on ESPN, linguistics and cultural appropriation in Weekend Update: Marcello Hernández Translates Gen Z Terms, white guilt in turbulent times with Beyond the Headlines, and the strategic deployment of innocence in Toy Commercial.
S51 E10: Finn Wolfhard

We talk about the clever genre blending and figurative language, as well as slash fiction and fan creativity in “Heated Wizardry” and expand into how reboots, remakes, and fan-inspired storytelling function in corporate media with “Stranger Things Promo.”
S51 E09: Ariana Grande

We discuss “Black Santa” and race, sentimentality, white guilt, and humor’s role in social critique, as well as the linguistic power of impressions.
S51 E08 Josh O’Connor

We discuss how “Bachelorette Party Strippers” plays on the “soft boy” aesthetic as well as the complexity of masculinity and how desire, gender norms, and emotional authenticity are negotiated in popular culture. We also talk about how “Uber Eats Wrapped” can be used for a deep dive into memory, shame, data privacy, and self-perception.