After a week off, we’ve got new Saturday Night Live again, and this was the first time many of us have met Jack Harlow, who was pulling double duty as host and musical guest.

We began with a PBS News Hour cold open, goofing on GOP senate candidates, Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz, and Kari Lake. It was funny. Cecily Strong, who also returned this week, absolutely crushed it as Lake.

Then we had Harlow’s monologue and it was good. He took some shots at himself and it was both funny, and demonstrated that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. The goat Narnia joke was good and so was the “Justin Timberlake drawn from memory” line. Not a bad start.

The Joker best man skit was terrfic. Heidi Gardner was breaking and it made me laugh too.

Next was Kanye getting kicked out of Skechers, and Strong crushed this video as well. The Halloween after party red carpet was great, shout out to slapped Chris Rock.

Then we had Tom freaking Hanks with an assist on the 12 steps luggage movie. We knew Harlow would get some help, but wow.

The 2020 Part II 2024 movie preview was kind of lame. The first miss of the night. We got back on track with the tableside bartender skit.

Harlow’s music isn’t for me, but I knew that coming in. SNL is about trying new things musically, and you can never dock too many points for that.

Weekend Update took a shot at Orlando, but they teed off on Kanye West so well and we got the return of Drunk Uncle played by Bobby Moynihan, so we’ll give them a pass and call the segment a win. They’re continuing their winning streaks after years of unfunny misery.

David S. Pumpkins made his return. While I’m more of a Kevin Roberts guy, it has become something of a Halloween tradition on SNL. “The View” with Harlow flirting with Whoopi Goldberg (Ego Nwodim) was cringey but funny.

Harlow won. While I’m still not sold on the “White Men Can’t Jump” reboot, he can say he won SNL with an assist from an all time great.