Pete Davidson Stans Santa in em SNL /em 's Christmas Take on the Eminem Classic

This week's episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Jason Bateman, featured two different kinds of sketches that felt inevitable the moment they aired. First there was the cold open, which became obligatory the moment that Melissa Carone did her uncanny Cecily Strong impersonation at a Michigan hearing about voter fraud, necessitating a Cecily Strong impersonation of Melissa Carone. But this week also featured "Stu," an instant-classic Christmas sketch, which felt inevitable and surprising, because it's a perfect synthesis of the cast members' individual interests and strengths. Everyone is cast perfectly here. Meanwhile, Pete Davidson has been making goofy comedy rap videos since lockdown started, to somewhat mixed results. In "Stu," though, he's in top form lyrically and has reached deep within himself to find aspects of his role--a mentally ill young man who enjoys rap music, video games, and impulsive tattoos--that he could somehow relate to events in his own life.