Mikey Madison hosts ‘SNL’ after Oscar win, but mostly plays supporting role

Hosting “Saturday Night Live” right after winning an Academy Award can seem like a victory lap, but it’s also a way for a performer to show a TV audience that they’re much more than one iconic role. Unfortunately Oscar winner Mikey Madison, fresh off her best actress win for “Anora,” didn’t get much opportunity to do so in her first time guest hosting “SNL.” Instead of leaning into her talents, as it did successfully a few weeks ago for Lady Gaga, the episode plopped Madison into a series of sketches where she was mostly playing a supporting role for cast members in warmed-over repeats of past sketches. It wasn’t one of the best pieces of the night, but it at least showed off Madison’s comedy chops that fans of Pamela Adlon’s FX show “ Better Things ” have known about for years. Musical guest Morgan Wallen performed “ I’m the Problem ” and “ I’m a Little Crazy.” The week’s cold open featured a furiously texting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unknowingly engaging with a group of high school girls in a group chat, a reference to the Signal chat scandal. Best sketch of the night: A line is forming even for this recap A pre-taped musical number featured New Yorkers engaging in the city’s biggest craze: “Wait in a big, dumb line.” Lines for bagels that went viral, lines for gummy bears from a pop-up store, lines for viral matcha or cronuts.