Saturday Night Live brought former cast member Bill Hader back to host the late night sketch series this past weekend. The episode was filled with a few new gems, as well as the return of Stefan and much, much more. In fact, the episode was so jam-packed that a sketch featuring Hader called “Coal Miners” was cut by NBC for time. You can check it out, below.
In the sketch, Taran Killam, Bobby Moynihan, Kenan Thompson, Beck Bennett, and Hader are all talking around the water cooler at work. Since it’s a coal mine, that ‘water cooler’ is actually a giant boulder, but that’s neither here nor there. The men all take a break to gossip, bringing up a former employee named Teddy, but they are interrupted by Hader’s character, who claims Teddy is lying about his age. That’s when we get the full title of the sketch, “The Gossipy Coal Miner.” It’s a sketch that is filled with Hader’s signature camera stares, as well as gossipy rumors alluding to various bodily appendages. (“He’s trying to open a Capri Sun with an earthworm” is an actual line, which is hopefully both self-explanatory and giggle-worthy.)
Running at more than four minutes, it’s kind of a lengthy sketch. Still, Hader’s fans will definitely appreciate it, as it follows the actor breaking character whilst trying to keep a straight face. Hader used to break character on occasion on SNL and even developed a strategy during his Stefon sketches to hide it from the audience. Since he’s not playing Stefon in “The Gossipy Coal Miner,” he’s struggling even harder to keep it together. Just catch him at the minute and a half mark when he stops gossiping to say, “I ain’t getting at nuthin’ except for my beybey carrots.”
The last sketch of the night is often reserved for oddball sketches, and this one is no exception. It’s long, it’s based on a weird concept that is not really related to pop culture and it asks the audience to sit through a premise that takes more than a minute to get rolling. It’s sketches like these that remind me that SNL is still willing to take chances on its writers and performers and give them a shot at weirdness. Unfortunately, “The Gossipy Coal Miner” was cut for time this week, but there should be plenty of opportunities in the future to stick around for that last sketch and see what the new cast members can accomplish.
Hader is one of three hosts who have already headlined SNL during its big 40th Anniversary season. Later this year, NBC also has plans to air a special episode related to the show’s 40th birthday. Stay tuned to find out which musical guests, hosts and cast members will be performing. You can catch new episodes of Saturday Night Live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET.
