Ep 14. Don Cheadle / Gary Clark Jr.

Don Cheadle, the famous American actor, takes on hosting duties in the Saturday Night Live (SNL) show's 44th season's 14th episode. Cheadle, who has appeared in blockbuster movies such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Iron Man series, Hotel Rwanda, and Ocean's Trilogy, promises to bring his unique style of comedy and charisma to the iconic SNL stage.

As the episode kicks off, the SNL cast uses the opportunity to revisit the recent political events that have made headlines. The cold open sees Alec Baldwin return to the show to reprise his role as President Donald Trump. He is joined by SNL player Cecily Strong, who takes on the role of Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News personality. The skit pokes fun at the president's recent national emergency declaration, his potential impeachment and the Jussie Smollett case.

Following the opening monologue by Cheadle, which tackles topics such as Black History Month, he goes on to feature in a hilarious skit about the state of American English. The sketch, titled "Roach-Ex," is a parody commercial for a cockroach repellent that promises to eliminate the bugs while having a significant impact on the English language. Cheadle's comedic timing shines through in this skit. He appears again later in the show in a skit titled "Family Feud Oscars Edition," where he brings his impressions of Spike Lee and Ray Charles to life.

The episode's musical guest is Grammy-winning artist Gary Clark Jr. He delivers a powerful performance of two songs: "This Land" and "Pearl Cadillac," both of which reflect his unique blues-rock sound.

The rest of the show features more SNL classics such as "Weekend Update," which has Michael Che and Colin Jost delivering their usual witty takes on the week's news, and "The War in Words," which sees the SNL cast parody the '60s game show "The Dating Game" with a focus on the Vietnam War.

All in all, the 14th episode of SNL's 44th season starring Don Cheadle and Gary Clark Jr. is a great installment of the iconic show. With its signature blend of political satire, social commentary, and side-splitting comedy, SNL continues to offer audiences the best in sketch comedy on prime-time television.