Timothée Chalamet delivered a standout performance during his third hosting stint on Saturday Night Live on January 25, doubling as both host and musical guest for the night.
The 12th episode of SNL‘s 50th season was a tribute to the legendary Bob Dylan, with Timothée Chalamet leaning into his Oscar-nominated role as the iconic musician in the upcoming film A Complete Unknown.
Founding Fathers Cold Open
The night began with a historical twist as Lin-Manuel Miranda reprised his role as Alexander Hamilton in a reenactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, the sketch quickly shifted to a comedic take on modern politics when James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump froze time to deliver a monologue mocking Hamilton and speculating on contemporary events. Lin Manuel Miranda’s return was a welcome surprise, and the clever juxtaposition of eras gave the sketch a fresh edge.
Monologue
In his opening monologue, Timothée Chalamet embraced his role as both host and musical guest, joking about his Oscars streak and his reputation as a heartthrob. The highlight was his mock acceptance speech, hilariously interrupted by Kenan Thompson. Timothée Chalamet’s playful self-awareness and charm set the tone for the evening.
Bungee Workout
This high-energy sketch featured Timothée Chalamet as an overly enthusiastic fitness instructor leading a group through a chaotic bungee workout. With exaggerated moves like “The Jimmy Carter,” the class burned almost no calories but delivered big laughs. The sight of cast members flailing on bungee cords while snacking on Cinnabon was as absurd as it was hilarious.
New Barista Training
At the Bungalow Café, Timothée Chalamet shone as Benny, an aspiring comedian tasked with writing chalkboard coffee puns. His over-the-top Def Comedy Jam-style delivery of jokes about Homer Simpson left the trainees—and the audience—in stitches.
Oedipal Arrangements
This darkly humorous sketch saw Michael Longfellow playing a man with an uncomfortable attachment to his mother, portrayed by Heidi Gardner. Timothée Chalamet added to the awkwardness as Longfellow’s therapist. With its taboo subject matter and sharp writing, the sketch pushed boundaries while staying hilariously grounded.
AI Software
In a satire of podcast culture and artificial intelligence, Timothée Chalamet and Bowen Yang played AI personalities teaching a classroom of students. The absurdity of their “human” behaviors—like having six fingers and sharing nonsensical anecdotes about a fake person named Trish—created a brilliantly surreal vibe that parodied the quirks of AI design.
Dog Run
This sketch, featuring Timothée Chalamet and Mikey Day as anthropomorphic dogs chatting in a dog park, was a light-hearted bit of slapstick humor. While not as standout as other sketches, Kenan Thompson’s recurring food-related jokes brought it back to life, earning some solid laughs.
Grandma’s Birthday
One of the more absurd sketches of the night saw Sarah Sherman as a 96-year-old grandmother who collapses mid-birthday celebration. Timothée Chalamet’s character, a cardiologist, revives her using an unconventional—and gross—method involving a fart.
An SNL Animated Short
The episode also included a creative animated short in which God brainstormed the origins of Earth. The visual humor and offbeat writing added a clever, whimsical touch to the night’s lineup.
Musical Performance
Timothée Chalamet brought lesser-known gems to the SNL stage, starting with “Outlaw Blues” from Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home. For his second performance, he offered a spoken-word rendition of “Three Angels,” a track from New Morning. Timothée Chalamet closed the night with a moving cover of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” a song Bob Dylan first recorded in 1963 but didn’t release on an album until his 1971 greatest hits compilation.
Timothée Chalamet wasn’t alone in the spotlight. Adam Sandler made a cameo to introduce Timothée Chalamet’s first performance, tying it back to the Bob Dylan-inspired humor from this year’s Golden Globes.
