Meanwhile, Jack White made his sixth turn as musical guest.

Saturday Night Live recap: Jack Black joins the Five-Timers Club in a star-studded episode

Meanwhile, Jack White made his sixth turn as musical guest.

By Andy Hoglund

Andy Hoglund

Andy Hoglund is a writer at **. He has worked at EW since 2019.

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on April 5, 2026 12:02 a.m. ET

Jack Black delivers his monologue on 'Saturday Night Live' on April 4, 2026. Credit:

Will Heath/NBC via Getty

Hi one and all — it’s SNL in Review! Life is funny — last season, we rejoiced when Jack Black triumphantly returned to 8H after 20 years. It was his fourth time hosting. Tonight, almost to the day, Black is back again, this time for his fifth gig. Yes, Five Timers Club material. Brace yourselves.

I am joined again tonight by former cast member, and the new host of the Catholic and Cappuccinos podcast, Siobhan Fallon Hogan. (Just in time for Easter!) 8H sleuths will recall she recently returned in person, attending the Alexander Skarsgard episode earlier this year. She recalls: “It was amazing being back on *SNL* because I haven’t seen my friend Stellan since we filmed Dogville 24 years ago. It was like time had not even gone by. He’s still the greatest guy and of course is a superb actor, and is genius in *Sentimental Value.*” She also tells me she was able to meet the *SNL UK* cast backstage. Fun!

Meanwhile, I checked back with another *SNL* alum his thoughts on tonight’s host! Gary Kroeger recalls, “When I first noticed Jack Black, probably with Tenacious D, I thought he was too intense. I didn't care for humor that seemed to require a maniacally focused delivery. It was when my sons kept telling me how much they love Jack Black. He really connected to his generation and younger. *Tropic Thunder* is what made me realize that he is a really, really good comedic actor. Then *Jumanji*. Now I will seek out a Jack Black movie. I loved *Anaconda*.”

In a fun bit of stunt booking, Black’s musical guest tonight is White. Jack White, that is, in his fifth appearance as a solo artist and sixth, overall, counting his 2002 appearance in the White Stripes. In fact, his last regular season appearance was when Woody Harrelson joined the Five Timers! *SNL *lore + symmetry, gotta love it.

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It’s the Final Four post-game show on TBS. Nice to see Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley — he spoke so eloquently about immigrants last week. (Also nice to see Kam Patterson in a good role!) People love sincere Charles Barkley — and he loved going viral! “War is turrible,” he opines, solemnly. Ernie Johnson just wants to talk about basketball, but Sir Charles prefers to wax on about Artemis mission being a waste of money and Kalshi. The audience backs him up when he gets into Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem’s husband.

Barkley’s reference to Bondi being fired as Attorney General summons her to the show for equal time. No, it’s not Amy Poehler —Ashley Padilla repeats. Poehler did Bondi opposite Tina Fey's Kristi Noem at the beginning of the season, but Padilla did her in “White Potus” spoof.

Gary Kroeger says the impression is “spot on” and deserves all the critical satire. “Keep it coming.  Even those they have been retired to "other" positions within the Trump Reich, they defined blind loyalty to a demagogic authoritarian and every broadcast that portrays their vapid, stick-to-the-script, automatron, vanity should be preserved for future generations to understand what destroyed America.  Did I reveal my opinion of them?”

**Jack Black immediately notes it is his Five Timer show. Jonah Hill appears on-stage and immediately brings him to the actual club ,but there’s something amiss. He sees a ghoul! Oops, no — that’s Tina Fey.

Wow, Candice Bergen also returns! Like Fey, she’s done several Five Timer Club sketches. So many cameos, ah – Melissa McCarthy! I am having a sugar high. *SNL* podcast great Brad Robinson says in dress Hill explained the darkness of the club more and Melissa chugged more of John Mulaney's vodka-fused alcohol free beer, and everyone broke.

Mercifully, Jack White spars us from more of Marcello’s Domingo.

Jack Black has an idea to save the Club, which is in disarray. He sings “Seven Nation Army” accompanied by Jack White and some elves. It’s such an anthem, no notes. Great energy. Fallon Hogan notes she has "never met Jack Black, but I adore his work. He is fearless and beyond hilarious!"

“Kathy"

Kathy (Ashley Padilla) wants to talk tech (or anything at all) with her co-workers at lunch. She’s both loud and tedious, butting in multiple times. ”Shut up Kathy,” explodes Jack Black, several times. They resolve themselves to ignore her, but she’s relentless. “We talkin’ TV” she inquires, endlessly. Will the group break?

"Words to Live By"

James Austin Johnson spoof-singing is always welcome. This is a country ballad about his dying grandpa’s words to live by. They were short and sweet and kinda folksy… but he’s forgotten it. Tip of his tongue!

Second verse: Jack Black climbs a mountain and meets a wise man. He will always live by the man’s words… until his wife’s text distracts him. Jack White gets a nice guitar solo… wait, no he doesn’t!

Last verse is our guy Dismukes. He yells at a child. I welcome that too.

"Husbands”

A group of female friends are hanging out. Their husbands have never met, so they’re learning to socialize together in the den. They’ve got nothing. Slowly, they start murmuring together “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas. Musical episode thus far! The song is intercut back to the women speculating about how awkward the male hangout must be, but the men actually break out in rock and roll jumpsuits. James Austin Johnson has a very funny line delivery.

I like the interplay between Padilla and Sarah Sherman as bickering frenemies. *Not Ready for Primetime Project *host Brad Robinson tells me a lot of build-up was trimmed back from dress. Too bad!

Jack White performs “Derecho Demonico”

“Derecho Demonico” launches with a funky rhythm and vocals, with White singing, “Looks like you started something that you cannot finish.” He just released this yesterday. Great stuff!

Gary Kroeger (correctly) tells me that “Jack White is simply sublime. Loved the White Stripes and it blows my mind that I was listening to them 30 years ago!  Jack White is one of those people whose talent is so massive that there is little he can't do.  His work is intelligent, diverse, interesting and *analog*!  He's a purest and there is something about the tactile production of analog sound that seems so much more immediate and personal.  Love him."

Weekend Update

The Iran War and President Trump’s recent speech kicks things off as Che’s spits a savage joke about the Strait of Hormuz. He follows that with a bombastic joke about Kristi Noem’s husband. (Pictures of Bryon Noem wearing pink hot pants and a skin-toned spandex top stuffed with balloons were published this week.)

More on Noem: the husband comes out to comment: Sarah Sherman time! He asks Che who he plans to kink-shame next. Wally the Cue Card Guy. No! Lorne Michaels’ empty chair is also asked. Next, Kristi Noem (Ashley Padilla, not Tina Fey!). Laroche (Kenan Thompson) also comments on the appearance, which is funny. (FYI: Not Ready for Primetime Project aficionado Brad Robinson tells me that, originally, in dress. Jonah Hill, complete with balloon breasts, also weighed in affirmatively, supporting Noem – it did not play well.)

The new *Harry Potter* trailer just dropped. Professor Snape will be played by a Black actor this time around, shocking some friends… Snape (Kam Patterson) comes out to discuss! Turns out Harry is a racist.

FYI, there was one cut Update bit featuring a couple talking about tiresome dating apps, starring Mikey Day and Chloe Fineman. The girlfriend keeps mentioning being cold, with Day increasingly giving her his layers. Eventually, he gives the shirt off his back -- revealing a hidden Scarlett Johannssen chest tattoo as the punchline, and Colin was oblivious. (This was originally the final bit of Update! Thank you, Brad!)

”The 301 Spartans"

Jack Black is a Spartan having a tough time preparing to battle Persia. He wants to be the personality hire. There’s 301 soldiers… everyone is selected but Black, like an elementary school kickball team. Robinson notes this too was longer in dress — the “give me a line” joke and skin cancer line were different. Eh.

"Self-Defense”

Marcello and Jack lead a self-defense course with unorthodox tactics, pretty silly. James Austin Johnson wants to turn his skill into technique. Jane Wickline has a nice moment at the end. Meh, skip.

Jack White performs “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs"

This is a trippy apocalyptic take on Adam and Eve! "G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs" is also one of the brand new tracks.

"Airbnb Superhost”

A group of young people are hanging at an Airbnb when the owner Bob (Jack Black) shows up and keeps hiding in his closet. His sister’s widow (Melissa McCarthy) joins him.

Brad Robinson notes this was earlier in the dress — and we got this as the *final *sketch tonight instead of a Martin Herlihy pretape. Too bad. (The pretape was about a strange, moustached relative of Martin's in a trench coat seeing Jane Wickline at a store, eventually becoming about male lingerie. Black was also in it.)

Final thoughts

- Vote here please!

- Thank you to the incredible Siobhan Fallon Hogan for her commentary tonight! Please follow @catholicapps on Instagram and check out her podcast ASAP folks.

- Who wants to read more about yours truly and my takes on SNL!? The Emmy winning TV host Brandon Post just interviewed me for his Substack re: my history with the show. Check it out!

- *Not Ready for Primetime Project* podcast recently concluded, and the fan community is worse off for it. Do not feel too bad for host Brad Robinson following his Kurtz-like devotion rewatching and commenting on the first five seasons. He took a victory lap tonight checking out modern SNL with fellow podcast aficionado Thomas Sena. Cheers to them for all they do! And thank you to Brad for his notes from dress.

- And thank you as always to SNLer Gary Kroeger! More from him soon.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW SNL”