As the 2026 TV schedule pushes into the summer months, Saturday Night Live Season 51 is winding down. Still, SNL’s host and musical guests continue to delight and, this week, the series welcomed Matt Damon and Noah Kahan. Damon certainly brought on the comedy during his latest appearance on the show, and he even reprised his role as U.S. Judge Brett Kavanaugh years after making that jaw-dropping cameo. The actor also teamed up with Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernández for a humorously cringey sketch I loved.
Damon, Thompson and Hernández headlined the “Tough Guys” sketch, which saw them playing middle-aged men discussing how everyone wants to be a tough guy these days. On the surface, the three friends seem to be tough themselves, but they eventually reveal the ways in which they’ve had their butts kicked by unexpected aggressors. For instance, Damon’s character admits to having been beaten up by wife and son for asking simple questions, while Thompson’s character recalls being pummeled by a priest.
These little anecdotes are funny enough on their own, but the sketch takes a wild turn when Hernández’s character recalls being straight-up captured by someone. Yes, you read that correctly. And, from there, the character opens up about the man putting him in a cage and then periodically feeding him gummi bears as a way of training him. Needless to say, it’s an awkward but comedic turn for this sketch, which can be viewed down below:
Of course, there have been plenty of instances in which SNL has injected some awkward or even dark elements into sketches to the surprise of viewers. Ariana Grande’s bloody Home Alone ending sketch is a perfect example of that and, just weeks ago, Tina Fey got morbid when she sported a Paddington Bear skin during Jack Black’s Five-Timers sketch. While the “Tough Guys” twist may not have the visual element that the other sketches mentioned, it still works, and I certainly didn’t see it coming.
All in all, this sketch works due to a strong combination of the solid writing and the actors' deliveries. One of the other bits I can’t stop thinking about involves Kenan Thompson’s character talking about a guy forcing him to keep a quarter in his mouth at all times. That bit also pays off near the end of the sketch when the guy – who’s revealed to be a kid – comes to do a “quarter check.” I’d expect the long-tenured Thompson to pull that off so perfectly.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention just how refreshing it was to see Matt Damon in full-on comedy mode during his third hosting spot on SNL. As he joked in his monologue, it is somewhat hard to believe he’s only hosted the show three times at this point. Regardless of that, he always seems to make the most of his screentime, and I’m happy to say “Tough Guys” now represents another solid notch in his comedic belt. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to give this cringe-inducing sketch again.
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET, and episodes are also available to stream with a Peacock subscription. Be sure to check out the show’s season finale on May 16, which will feature Will Ferrell as host and Paul McCartney as musical guest.
