Kylo Ren Brings Star Wars Nerdery To 'SNL'

If you watched Saturday Night Live in New York on January 17, you had to be patient. Football went into overtime, delaying the start of the show until almost 12:30 am. (Technically, it was Sunday Night Live, and, even then, a message on screen said it'd been previously recorded, so it was actually Sunday Night Almost Live.) Normally, I'd throw in the towel and head off to bed. What could keep me watching? Adam Driver. After seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens over the Christmas holiday, I was pysched for Kylo Ren to get out on stage and make fun of The Force Awakens. So, what Star Wars jokes did Adam Driver do for his SNL monologue?

Turns out, pretty weak ones. After mentioning how happy he was to be in the cast (and telling people to please see it, because, "If this one does well, they might make another"), it seemed like he was going to make fun of Star Wars nerds. "Never, ever would you find a more devoted fanbase," he said. "They're very intense." Then, instead of showing this intense fanbase in action, they just had Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan bug Driver to find out what's going to happen in the next installment.

That's not really biting satire, or even a real take on the Star Wars fanbase. It's a real surface-level observation that people who have seen The Force Awakens would want to see the next Star Wars movie. It was also a super-short monologue, so they didn't really have enough time to get into it.

He did better in a later pre-filmed that was a parody of Undercover Boss, called Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base Edition. The sketch had Driver play Kylo Ren going undercover within the ranks of the First Order, throwing temper tantrums with the rank-and-file bad guys who badmouthed him. That one at least pokes fun at Kylo Ren's teenage-like angst.

But, really, the best Star Wars sketch so far this season was another pre-filmed bit in an earlier episode, which shows how adult fans get excited about new Star Wars toys, but refuse to play with them.

Now that's how to really get to the quirkiness of the rabidly devoted fanbase.

Watch the full video below:

Image: Dana Edelson/NBC