SNL gifted fans with another joke swap last night, though I wouldn’t exactly say it was a surprise. Hardcore fans were speculating we’d get another round of the popular "Weekend Update" series in which hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost write jokes the other must read live without any warning because the conditions just seemed too perfect. Not only was last night’s episode the season finale, which has featured joke swaps in the past, but also, Jost’s real life wife Scarlett Johansson was the episode’s host and she'd even made a comment about "retaliation" a few days ago. You just can’t pass up an opportunity like that, especially when there’s a chance it could be the final Weekend Update for the two.
Thankfully, the joke swap did not disappoint. It, of course, included all of the racial humor and jokes about masturbating during Minecraft’s chicken jockey scene that you’d expect, but more notably, it also included Jost forcing Che to bring out Johansson and apologize to her in person.
She has been the subject of numerous Weekend Update joke swap insults in the past, as both Che and the audience have loved to see Jost squirm as he’s been forced to say truly horrible things about his partner. One time she was even forced to stand there while they read jokes about her. Well, she finally got the apology she deserved, but unfortunately for Jost, that wasn’t the last word, you can watch the joke swap in full below…
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As you can see, the joke swap both starts and ends with Jost being forced to read a comment about how much he wants to take over the show. He’s frequently been rumored as a possible successor to creator Lorne Michaels. The longtime showrunner hasn’t made any plans to retire.
In fact, his biographer recently told us she thinks it’s more likely he reduces his schedule than leaves, but he’s also 80 and can’t run the show forever. As a former headwriter and longtime "Weekend Update" host, Jost seems like an ideal next in line, though it’s unclear if he’ll be around long enough to do so.
That’s because, in addition to rumors about him taking over the show, there’s also been a lot of rumors about him leaving the show. He’s been working on a bunch of non-SNL projects (other than the ferry boat), and many fans guessed his wife hosting the final episode of the season could be evidence that it was going to be his last episode. It was clear he and Che were going to stay on through the 2024 Presidential Election, but with that over, they now have to make the decision of whether they want to stay on, given they already hold the record for longest Weekend Update tenures.
We have no idea what’s going to happen, but for now, all we can do is appreciate the legacies they’ve built. They’re among the best Weekend Update hosting duos in history because they’re both sharp joke writers, have incredible chemistry together and are always willing to go there for the laugh. The perfect representation of how far they’re willing to go has always been the joke swaps. They’re most people’s favorite recurring bits they do, and if this was truly the final one, we’ve been so lucky to have gotten as many as we have.
No announcements have been made about the cast and who might be staying and who might be going, however. The show will head into the off season with a lot of questions to be answered, but given SNL has quietly put together a very talented and deep cast, the show will be fine regardless of what happens and no matter who is in charge.
