Leslie Jones, Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Redd in a Saturday Night Live (SNL) "Black Panther" skit

Sterling K. Brown Spoofs Black Panther and This Is Us on Saturday Night Live

On last night's Saturday Night Live, host Sterling K. Brown spoofed Black Panther and This Is Us.

Recommended Videos

Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning This Is Us actor Sterling K. Brown hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) last night. He fully embraced some super-weird sketches, like one about Shrek superfan and another about a dying old woman who just loves Nickelback, but he also parodied two of his most popular recent projects: Black Panther and This Is Us. 

Given Brown’s role as N’Jobu in Black Panther, and given Black Panther‘s continued box office dominance, it was inevitable that SNL would do a Black Panther skit. (Though, as many people have pointed out, it was quite a surprise that the show actually had enough black actors to do this sketch, given their hiring history with black comedians.) I really liked the premise of this one: that in a world with an Ancestral Plane, even the ancestors and relatives you don’t like might show up to spend eternity with you. And watching Brown and Leslie Jones try not to break character as Kenan Thompson’s character, Uncle M’Butu, gets more and more ridiculous, was pretty darn charming.

“All of you live here in harmony together?”

“We … do our best.”

However, some of the jokes—like Thompson’s Lion King sequence—felt uncomfortably against the spirit of the movie. Like, making “African languages sound funny” the punchline of the joke … That felt neither appropriate nor funny. But I’m curious to see what you all thought of it.

Next up, Brown parodied the ratings bonanza This Is Us with a skit about the Trump administration called “This Is U.S.” Brown absolutely crushes his Ben Carson impression; I giggled so hard at his first line. And the skit’s descriptions of the Trump administration as “a drama so unnerving, you can’t look away” and “like This Is Us, but without the parts that feel good” were so spot-on. Plus, Kate McKinnon returns as Kellyanne Conway, ready to join in the general weeping before she remembers: “Oh, can’t cry. I have nothing in me.”

What’d you think of Sterling K. Brown’s episode?

(Featured image: screengrab)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article What You Need To Know about ‘Doctor Who’ as It Enters a New Era
Jodi Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who
Read Article Netflix Confirms Release Dates for ‘Cobra Kai’s Three-Part Final Season
Ralph Macchio as Danny LaRusso, William Zabka as Johnny, and Mary Mouser as Sam in Cobra Kai
Read Article We’re Not Even Halfway Through the ‘X-Men ’97’ Season Finale
Jean Grey stepping between Cable and Cyclops in 'X-Men '97'
Read Article ‘The Equalizer’ Season 4 Episode 8 Release Date Confirmed
Queen Latifah in The Equalizer
Read Article ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Season 2 Episode 4 Release Date Confirmed
Characters from Sullivan's Crossing
Related Content
Read Article What You Need To Know about ‘Doctor Who’ as It Enters a New Era
Jodi Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who
Read Article Netflix Confirms Release Dates for ‘Cobra Kai’s Three-Part Final Season
Ralph Macchio as Danny LaRusso, William Zabka as Johnny, and Mary Mouser as Sam in Cobra Kai
Read Article We’re Not Even Halfway Through the ‘X-Men ’97’ Season Finale
Jean Grey stepping between Cable and Cyclops in 'X-Men '97'
Read Article ‘The Equalizer’ Season 4 Episode 8 Release Date Confirmed
Queen Latifah in The Equalizer
Read Article ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ Season 2 Episode 4 Release Date Confirmed
Characters from Sullivan's Crossing