Pete Davidson [1]'s known for many things, making headlines for everything from his whirlwind romances [2] to his frank discussions about mental health [3]. But above all else, he's celebrated for being one of Saturday Night Live [4]'s youngest cast members, entering the ranks of the well-oiled NBC funny machine at age 20 in 2014 in season 40. In his sketches, Davidson is charming, commandeering the room with his easy and goofy humour. Watchers welcome his youthful presence, whether he's delivering deadpan as the clueless Chad or offering a piece of his mind on Weekend Update. Here are our top 10 favourite Pete Davidson sketches that are more than just "OK"!
"The Jungle" (Season 40, 2015)
In this early sketch, Davidson plays Short-Long, a devoted guide to Dr. Bones, a striking archaeologist played by The Rock [5] (who has a Brendan Fraser's hair from The Mummy, to boot). When Dr. Bones gets hit with deadly darts, Short-Long has to suck out the poison in compromising positions, much to translator Miss Reese's (Kate McKinnon) envy.
"Weekend Update: Pete Davidson on Transgender Rights" (Season 41, 2015)
Davidson shines as a guest on Weekend Update, speaking on everything from his sobriety to mental illness. (And yes, we remember his apology message to Lieutenant Commander Dan Crenshaw [6].) His commentary about transgender bathroom rights [7] is definitely one of his sharpest and most earnest bits. He makes valid points about what transgender people have to go through — but also introduces levity with jokes about seeing his mom poop by accident and the state of affairs in the SNL ladies' room.
"Movie Night" (Season 41, 2016)
The resident young guy on SNL, Davidson portrays a teenager whose tries to break the awkward tension while watching a sex scene [8] with his parents (Melissa McCarthy and Bobby Moynihan). Suffice to say, the situation gets even more uncomfortable as everyone tries to get it under control. Moral of the story? Always watch a PG movie with the parentals.
"Pool Boy" (Season 41, 2016)
Davidson's most well-known character is Chad, an awkward, bro-y dude type who replies with a relaxed "OK" to everything and who surprisingly has a lot of game despite being a dud. We have to pay homage to his very first sketch as this character, in which Chad is a pool boy who has an affair with his married boss (Julia Louis-Dreyfus [9]). Be sure to watch through the entire clip for a very special Nick Jonas [10] cameo! Our other favourite Chad sketches include "Bachelor Auction [11]" with Saoirse Ronan and "Chad Horror Movie [12]" with John Mulaney.
"WWII Scene" (Season 42, 2016)
You could say that this Lin-Manuel Miranda sketch [13] is all about who lives, who dies, who tells your story. The Broadway veteran plays a commanding officer who tries to honour the dying wishes of a soldier played by Davidson. As he awaits the pearly gates of heaven, the soldier sends his officer on a quest to retrieve . . . his oversize butt plug.
"Meet Cute" (Season 42, 2017)
Starring Davidson and Kristen Stewart [14], this SNL short takes on the logistical oversights of many a romantic comedy [15]. After they instantly connect at a coffee shop and agree to go on a date, Steve (Davidson) realises that he doesn't know anything about Claire (Stewart), including her last name and phone number. A hilarious wild goose chase across Manhattan follows.
"Tucci Gang" (Season 43, 2018)
In the spirit of The Lonely Island parodies, Davidson, dressed up as Lil Pump, does an aggressively wholesome spoof on "Gucci Gang" in honour of character actor Stanley Tucci, who's played by Sam Rockwell — another beloved character actor himself. If you're feeling this musical digital short, it's also worth checking out Davidson in "Trees [16]" and "GoT Tribute [17]" (the latter of which is really about Grace and Frankie [18]).
Diner Lobster (Season 43, 2018)
John Mulaney has written many SNL bits but "Diner Lobster [19]," which is featured on his hosting gig episode, might just be his crowning achievement on the series. Mulaney guest stars as a diner waiter who gets a strange request from a customer (Davidson) for a lobster dish. What ensues is an uproarious musical number with Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon as a dramatic lobster father-daughter duo singing of their impending deaths. Davidson has a hard time keeping a straight face here, but honestly, we'd be in stitches as well. Plus, his breaking makes the sketch even funnier, to be honest.
"Millennial Millions" (Season 44, 2019)
This sketch had us screaming because we felt it deep in our bones. Kenan Thompson hosts a game show (of course) where millennials [20]Carrie (Rachel Brosnahan) and Dylan (Davidson) play against baby boomers for things such as debt relief, health insurance, and mortgages.
"Riverdale" (Season 44, 2019)
In this sketch, SNL takes us onto the set of Riverdale [21] in an episode where Betty (Halsey) identifies her cousin at the morgue. There's only one problem — the corpse (Davidson) keeps making noises, causing the crew to go through multiple takes. We don't see as much dark and steamy Riverdale [22] as we do goofy and off-colour Davidson comedy here, and we're digging it.