Bad Bunny got a surprise assist on Saturday Night Live this weekend from the Internet’s boyfriend (or as some might say, daddy), Mr. Pedro Pascal. Pascal only hosted for the first time earlier this year in February, but he returned to the Studio 8H stage as an old pro, offering the rapper sage advice for stealing the show and even bringing back a newly recurring character.
Pascal first popped up during the monologue, where he served as a so-so translator for Bad Bunny (a.k.a. Benito). The Grammy winner is perfectly capable of hosting—or doing anything—in English, by the way, but Pascal was on hand for some inaccurate translation of some monologuing en Español: “He says he’s blessed to be here with my favorite actor Pedro Pascal,” he lied to the audience. Asked for hosting advice, Pascal encouraged his friend to be self-deprecating, which is difficult, because Bad Bunny has nothing to deprecate, by his own estimation.
Later, Pascal reappeared to play Marcello Hernández’s Protective Mom, who is incredibly disparaging of her son’s girlfriend. The joke saw both Pascal and Bad Bunny dressed in suburban middle-aged lady drag and dismissing the new girlfriend (new cast member Chloe Troast) as “muy Old Navy.” The silly sketch proved just how game of a host Bad Bunny was, bringing a completely unselfconscious energy to his performance. It also solidified Pascal as a solid SNL pinch hitter with his own memorable character.
The evening saw some other famous faces, including Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, and SNL alum Fred Armisen. Though the actors strike persists, artists are allowed to appear on Saturday Night Live because it’s under a separate contract (the Network Code Agreement) than the one that’s currently being struck. Still, actors who host SNL are usually doing so in a promotional capacity, which is a no-no right now. So far, the hosts have been guys with other jobs besides acting: though Pete Davidson and Bad Bunny are both rising movie stars, Davidson has a stand-up tour and Bad Bunny just released a new album. Next up will be Nate Bargatze, another stand-up comedian. They’ve basically avoided regular actors so far, and with any luck, the strike will soon resolve so this will no longer be an issue. Still, that doesn’t mean Pedro Pascal can’t stop by whenever the spirit strikes him!