Although 2025 has already seen retrospective documentaries, a prime-time particularand a Lorne Michaels biography marking the fiftieth anniversary of Saturday Evening Residethe present itself really premiered on October 11, 1975—and final night time’s episode, in a neat coincidence, occurred precisely 50 years later. Such a special day known as for simply the correct host—an alumnus discovered on any checklist of biggest forged members, however one who’s additionally simply recognizable to the youthful audiences that the present is all the time chasing. It could additionally assist in the event that they’re nonetheless actually, actually humorous. Thankfully, Amy Poehler understood the task.
Whereas Poehler can snark with the very best of them, she all the time radiates a palpable compassion. A lot of her comedic persona comes from exploring and satirizing the ways in which idealistic folks react to a altering and generally unfair world—an concept she returned to in her opening monologue. After mentioning that she didn’t have something to advertise aside from her interview podcast, Good Clingshe joked, “That’s proper, I’m a podcaster now, and if that’s not a recession indicator, I don’t know what’s.” Later, she riffed on her fears that at some point she’ll get replaced by an AI actress who’s funnier than her and extra keen to do nudity. (“I’m keen to do full frontal, however no person’s requested me, okay?”)
When she joined SNL within the early 2000s, Poehler got here to signify an outspoken feminism that, for some time, gave the impression to be culturally ascendant. She was a part of the primary and solely all-female “Weekend Replace” duo, with Tina Fey, and sometimes participated in sketches that pushed sexist stereotypes previous the purpose of parody, reminiscent of “Annual,” a bit a few birth-control tablet that restricted durations to at least one havoc-filled day. Later, on the sitcom Parks and Recreationher signature character, Leslie Knope, possessed a deep nicely of empathy that generally let her down as she pursued a greater world. Accordingly, one among final night time’s finest sketches discovered Poehler taking part in a middle-aged mother coping with perimenopause by performing like a teenage emo fan. Though the jokes a few middle-aged lady getting her areolas pierced at Claire’s have been humorous, the sketch acknowledged the oft-ignored nervousness felt by moms in the sandwich technologyand kindly instructed that it could be wholesome for them to often vent their emotions by way of angsty rock.
However Poehler is shrewd sufficient to chop in opposition to her persona, and he or she got here in scorching through the chilly openportraying United States Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi because the type of fussy lady who actually desires to talk to the supervisor. As she sneered, squinted, and wagged her finger, Poehler’s Bondi rudely responded to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee: “Earlier than I don’t reply, I’d wish to insult you personally.” In a welcome shock, Fey cameoed as a glazed-over, machine-gun-toting Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noemand dismissed a senator’s query as one thing that “makes me snort greater than the top of Outdated Yeller.” SNL has by no means been above the crowd-pleasing nostalgia of returning forged members, however the punchy reunion of Fey and Poehler—and, later that night time, their look alongside Seth Meyers on “Weekend Replace”—recalled the present’s artistic excessive level within the late ’00s and the pair’s talent at turning impersonations into precise characters.
SNL is in a transitional secondbecause it has been previously. Key gamers reminiscent of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim made sudden departures over the summer time, and the brand new forged members are simply getting began (although the previous Please Don’t Destroy member Ben Marshall got here off as an previous professional, and the beginner Veronika Slowikowska has already gotten a powerful quantity of display screen time). Poehler’s efficiency final night time was a reminder that the present has all the time managed to reboot itself after a serious shake-up. However it was additionally a well timed showcase of sure, resonant values that recur in Poehler’s work—a disdain for corruptionan understanding of humanity’s unavoidable foibles, and an eye fixed towards the on a regular basis indignities that ladies face.
Or, as Poehler put it in her monologue: “I do know it could possibly really feel like instances are actually powerful proper now, and in some methods, they all the time have been, and so they all the time will likely be. So I’ll simply say this: If there’s a spot that appears like residence that you may return to and snort with your mates, think about your self fortunate. And I do.” SNL tends to keep away from this stage of bare sincerity, however coming from somebody like Poehler, it landed as knowledge from an previous good friend, a reminder of why she’s among the best hangs within the enterprise.
