Ep 18. Elon Musk / Miley Cyrus

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, made his hosting debut on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, which marked the show’s 46th season finale. The episode also featured musical guest Miley Cyrus, who performed three of her newest tracks.

Musk’s appearance on SNL generated a lot of buzz prior to the show, as his unconventional persona as a billionaire entrepreneur made him an unlikely candidate for hosting duties. And he certainly didn’t disappoint, as his monologue tackled many of the controversies and criticisms that have surrounded him recently. He joked about his tweets, which have often caused some backlash, by saying the show was a “live rehearsal for my monologue tweet,” as well as poking fun at his company’s self-driving cars and the possibility of colonizing Mars.

The opening sketch was a parody of CNN’s “Inside Politics,” where Musk played one of several experts discussing a recent story about China landing a rover on Mars. The sketch was an opportunity for the show’s cast to make fun of Musk’s tendency to make eccentric comments, with Musk’s character calling the landing “basic stuff” and insisting that he could land his own car on the red planet.

Another sketch poked fun at Musk’s potential interest in cryptocurrency, as he played a financial expert who struggled to explain the concept to host Michael Che. The sketch also featured appearances from SNL favorites Kate McKinnon as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Bowen Yang as Dogecoin founder Elon Musk.

The musical segments of the show were all Miley Cyrus. She performed “Without You” with Kid LAROI and “Plastic Hearts” solo on guitar, as well as a country-style version of “The Climb,” which was a nod to her Hannah Montana days. Cyrus showed off her vocal range and versatility, earning high praise from critics.

Aside from the usual sketches and musical performances, the episode also featured a heartfelt moment during “Weekend Update” when cast member Michael Che paid tribute to his grandmother, who recently passed away from COVID-19. Che used the tragedy as a platform to criticize the state of healthcare for Black Americans and call for greater attention to the issue.

Overall, the episode managed to balance humor and critical commentary on current events, all while showcasing the unique personality that is Elon Musk. While not all of the sketches landed perfectly, the show succeeded in giving Musk an opportunity to prove himself as a good sport and entertaining host. And with Miley Cyrus as the musical guest, it was a fitting end to what has been a tumultuous and unconventional season of Saturday Night Live.