Lin-Manuel Miranda hosted SNL for the first time in his career, and it was very clear from the start that he belonged on the stage of Studio 8H.
Miranda, who spent much of the week geeking out about hosting SNL on his social media accounts, was part of a rare episode of the late night comedy show that got better with every passing sketch.
Check out this tweet which includes all the praise he received from some famous friends:
They don't warn you that all day you get texts from everyone you love. It's it's possible to die of gratitude I'm in very real danger. #SNL pic.twitter.com/eacxX4NO2j
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) October 8, 2016
There was the expected singing and dancing, but also spot-on comedic timing that even veteran A-list actors sometimes struggle with when hosting, especially for their first time.
One thing is clear: no one wants last night to be the last time we see Miranda hosting SNL.
The episode opened with a spoof of this week’s Vice Presidential debate, as many would expect. It also mixed in the latest absurdities from the Donald Trump campaign which included Alec Baldwin’s perfect and hilarious impression. Check out the sketch below.
Mirandas’s opening monologue included a ton of singing and dancing to the theme of making sure he doesn’t lose his chance to host SNL. Fans of Hamilton will be familiar with this.
If you are or were a theater kid in high school, this episode was for you. In a digital sketch, Miranda and the women of SNL joked around high school cast parties which were always complex to teenagers. Check out the hilarious sketch below.
Weekend Update alumni and superstars Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey surprised everyone by dropping by to play two middle-aged white voters from Philly who are undecided. It was great to see these two together again for a political cause.
In one of the final sketches of the night, Sasheer Zamata, Keenan Thompson and Leslie Jones played a family on Stranger Things that we hadn’t heard much of on the first season of the show. The sketch is full of hilarious moments that will have Stranger Things fans laughing out loud.
Twenty-One Pilots performed the songs “Ride” and “Heathens” during last night’s show as well. Check out their performances below.
Coming up on ‘SNL’
Next week Emily Blunt will host SNL with musical guest Bruno Mars. The following Saturday, October 22, Tom Hanks will host along with musical guest Lady Gaga.
What was your favorite sketch of the night with host Lin-Manuel Miranda?