Scarlett Johansson’s Record-Breaking Seventh Hosting Stint on SNL

Scarlett Johansson, celebrating her record-breaking seventh time hosting, opened her monologue with a captivating musical performance set to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Joining most of the current NBC sketch show’s cast, they reflected on a spectacular year marked by an election, a grand anniversary special, and a star-studded concert. “Sing us a song, it’s your monologue, the 50th season is through,” crooned Johansson alongside cast members like Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, Mikey Day, and Heidi Gardner. “It’s lasting forever, we did it together, and we got to spend it with you.”

In a playful twist, Johansson teased and then retracted a special guest introduction that would have aligned with the season’s influx of celebrities. She yelled, “Ladies and gentlemen, Billy Joel!” only to follow up with, “wrote this song.” No announcements regarding post-season cast changes were made, sparing the need for emotional goodbyes, but Johansson and the ensemble humorously insinuated that Sarah Sherman might depart. Johansson’s husband, Colin Jost, serves as a writer and leads the “Weekend Update” segment on the show.

Jost, alongside co-anchor Michael Che, upheld their tradition of crafting and delivering outrageously inappropriate jokes to each other for the season finale. Johansson often finds herself the target of Che’s jabs, and this time Jost insisted Che publicly apologize for an earlier quip about comparing part of her anatomy to “Costco roast beef.” With the 50th season stirring widespread speculation about future leadership if 80-year-old creator Lorne Michaels were to retire, media chatter ensued over who might fill his shoes.