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Molly Shannon, a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, returned to the show’s stage for her second time hosting. The latest episode, which aired on April 8, was a nostalgic throwback for Shannon who spent six seasons as a repertory player on the NBC sketch show.
During her time on the show, Shannon received an Emmy nomination for outstanding individual performance in a variety program. Shannon also starred in director Zach Braff’s A Good Person, which released in theaters on March 24. She will also appear in Season 3 of The Other Two, which premieres on May 4 on HBO Max.
Sally O’Malley Returns
Shannon is known among Saturday Night Live enthusiasts for playing a recurring character named Mary Katherine Gallagher, a Catholic school girl with bizarre habits.
But, it was Shannon’s character Sally O’Malley, a brash 50-year-old dancer distinguished by her trademark red outfit and frizzy 1970s hairdo, that made a return with Shannon to the SNL stage.
The character was first introduced to the show in 1999 with a sketch where she auditioned for The Rockettes.
Sally O’Malley Makes an Entrance with Jonas Brothers
The episode features Sally as the newly hired dance choreographer for the Jonas Brothers, who are about to embark on a Vegas residency.
Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas then emerge, clad in matching red pantsuits to perform Sally’s signature kick, stretch, kick move.
Over 20 years have passed since the character’s introduction, but Sally’s age has remained the same. Shannon addresses this loophole by telling Bowen Yang, “Honey, I’ve been 50 since before you were born.”
A Salute to Democratic Legislators
After Shannon bid goodnight to the audience, “SNL” featured players Devon Walker and James Austin Johnson held up a black T-shirt with the names “Jones” and “Pearson” written in blocky white letters.
The gesture was a salute to Democratic legislators Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who were ousted from the Tennessee state House of Representatives on Friday by the Republican majority.
Jones and Pearson’s expulsion was a punitive measure against the lawmakers after they took part in a gun control protest on the floor of the statehouse last week.
The return of Molly Shannon to Saturday Night Live brought back memories of her hilarious characters from the past. Her reprisal of Sally O’Malley, along with the Jonas Brothers, provided a much-needed dose of humor in a time when people could use a laugh.
Shannon’s performance was a testament to her ability to bring back a character and make it just as funny as it was in the past.
