Colin Jost Made Another SNL Appearance In A Non Weekend Update Sketch, And We’re All Coming To The Same Conclusion

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While Colin Jost is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update and as a writer, his recent impression of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is gaining him attention for his on-screen performances. After another strong appearance as the official on this week’s show, many viewers agree he should be featured in more sketches.

The show opened with a sketch designed like a press conference. Jost played a character who gave a brief introduction before taking questions, and he delivered his lines quickly and aggressively, embodying the boisterous, college-like persona viewers expected. He then handed things over to James Austin Johnson, who delivered a fantastic impression of Trump. You can see the whole thing below…

The way the sketch was structured shows how much faith Lorne Michaels and the team have in Jost. When Saturday Night Live isn’t confident in an impression or the performer, they usually limit the impression to just a few funny lines, spreading more dialogue among other cast members. This allows them to offer a current impersonation of a well-known figure without risking it falling flat. The strategy is to quickly showcase the impression, get a laugh, and move on before the audience realizes it isn’t a strong performance.

Jost’s Hegseth really shines in this sketch. It’s obvious the piece was created to highlight his impressive portrayal of the Secretary, and it succeeds. Throughout the bit, he’s completely convincing, delivering quick, intense lines without ever appearing awkward or struggling with the role. There’s only a brief moment where it looks like he might slip out of character, but he quickly recovers.

It makes you wonder why Michael Che isn’t in more sketches outside of Weekend Update. While he does occasionally appear in other segments, it’s been rare during his twenty years on the show. Sometimes he’s used when they need a generic white male character, especially if other cast members are busy. Other times, sketches have revolved around jokes about his life, like his unfortunate boat purchase. More recently, he’s popped up now and then playing Pete Hegseth.

He’s primarily been known for his appearances on Weekend Update, and for a long time, people thought that was all he did well. However, his recent performance as Hegsweth has been so good that fans are now actively requesting he appear in more sketches throughout the show. I completely agree! While he doesn’t have the same high-energy, improvisational style as many other cast members, that’s actually what makes him unique and refreshing. It would be great to see him in a sketch or two each week, beyond Weekend Update.

It’s unlikely to happen anytime soon, though. For years, the talk around Jost has been about whether he’ll leave the show. He did step down as head writer, and many people expected him to leave this past summer. However, he ended up returning to work with Michael Che, and now people are already wondering what next year will bring.

I’d be glad to have him on the show as long as he’s willing to participate. It would be great if he could also appear in some sketches besides Weekend Update, if possible.

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2025-12-07 17:38