Jean Smart SNL Sketches Ranked: Election Cycle Kickoff && Plus, Two Hilarious Sketches Cut for Time

While we would normally applaud the decision to finally allow Jean Smart to host Saturday Night Live after all these years, we're not sure her particular comedic stylings set the right tone to kick off the landmark anniversary 50th season for NBC's late-night staple. Jean's style is very lowkey, sardonic, and a little snarky. There were definitely laughs to be had, but someone who performs a little broader, a little bigger might have been a better fit for the premiere. The episode left us feeling more happy about the return of SNL in general, than what we got here. Maybe someone like an Andy Samberg would have been a more appropriate choice, though we did get to see him. The alum is part of this season's election cycle players, joining Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris as her husband Doug Emhoff. They're joined by fellow alum Dana Carvey, with a hilariously on-point Joe Biden impression, while Jim Gaffigan takes on Tim Walz's brand of energetic insanity. On the Trump side, despite some speculation Lorne Michaels might go a different direction for the former president's more manic rally persona, James Austin Johnson remains the go-to guy, modifying his gently rambling take on Trump into a louder rambling version that works quite well. Bowen Yang, meanwhile, steps into the shoes of J.D. Vance, because he can do anything! While this week's premiere introduced these players, it didn't come close to bringing the biggest laughs. Those came during Weekend Update, and a brilliant Real Housewives parody, as well as two brilliant sketches cut for time, including a pretty spot-on House of the Dragon parody! And don't worry, we've restored both in the rankings below. As usual, we're ranking all the sketches from worst to first, including the Monologue, Cold Open, "Weekend Update" and any sketches that were cut for time but made their way online. We'll skip the musical guests, because they're not usually funny -- unless Ashlee Simpson shows up. We wrap up with a look at the cast-member who had the strongest week. Newcomer Emil has a brief cameo as the viral Olympic shooter as SNL tries to play catch-up on all the good, juicy material they missed out on during the summer olympics. We also saw Chimp Crazy star Tonia Haddix, Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch -- who really wishes everyone will still remember her name in a year -- and North Carolina's lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson -- who probably really wishes everyone would forget his. Devon Walker was solid enough as Michael Strahan hosting this disaster-ful performance from his players in a somewhat forgettable sketch. The jokes were all a bit too obvious, and the occasional pauses before line deliveries kept us from fully connecting. A very, very silly sketch with Jean Smart as a romance writer hired by Scholastic to write a math book that was even more raunchy than a typical Harlequin. Jean messed up showing us the book's cover jacket, showing us the back cover more than the front -- live TV, folks! -- but she made up for it with those sultry deliveries of math problems like exploring what's 67+2… Yeah, it was that kind of juvenile humor, but we can't deny that it's pretty funny to read a steamy passage with a math problem awkwardly tacked on. This was another sketch that was more a gentle smile than a gut laugh, but at least we were smiling? "I haven't got all dressed up and had hundreds of people clap for for me … in days," Jean Smart said at the top of what turned into a surprise musical monologue. She threw in some cut ad-libs for "I Happen to Like New York," sharing her love for the city that never sleeps in the fall, noting, "All the garbage on the street is starting to change colors." Jean has a natural ease and charm with her, and she's naturally funny, with gentle quips throughout the monologue. She shared that she remembered watching the first episode of this show, and even misunderstanding the title. "I thought SNL stood for Saturday Night Laughs," she shared, adding. "And then I would watch the show and think, 'Well, that can't be right.'" It was an interesting tone to set for the 50th season premiere, with gravitas and charm over belly laughs, but we certainly know we're in capable hands with her at the helm this week. "The lyrics are vague but the vibe slaps." Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris was comparing his vague rhetoric to Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso," but it works for this season opener, as well. The sketch was more about introducing the various players who will help carry us through the season. Jim Gaffigan was over exuberant as her veep candidate Tim Walz, proudly declaring, "This suit is from Costco. It's a Kirkland brand They make great dog food." And Andy Samberg has grown a lot as a performer since his own SNL era, returning to portray her husband, Doug Emhoff. But it was Dana Carvey who stole the show as "Joebiden," stumbling around the stage and sounding even more