Diner Lobster

"Diner Lobster" is acomedy skitthat aired onSaturday Night Live(SNL) on April 14, 2018. Originally written byJohn MulaneyandColin Jostfor a 2010 episode, the sketch features a man who, after ordering a lobster from a dingy New YorkGreek diner, is warned by the denizens of the diner to change his order through parodies of the songs fromLes Misérables. The sketch did not make it past thetable read, but was revived when Mulaney returned to hostSNLeight years later, starringPete Davidsonas the man ordering the lobster.
"Diner Lobster" received generally positive reviews, with commentators praising its high production value and 2000s-SNLquality. Some named it the bestSNLsketch of the year, or among the best. In Mulaney's subsequent stints as a host, the show featured sequel sketches that followed the same basic structure, including "Bodega Bathroom", "Airport Sushi", "New York Musical", "Subway Churro", and "Port Authority Duane Reade". Reviewers found the sequels to be good but inferior to the original, characterizing them as less focused.
"Diner Lobster" was written in 2010 byJohn MulaneyandColin Jost, then both staff writers atSaturday Night Live.The sketch was written for an episode hosted byZach Galifianakis,and would have featured him as theJean Valjean–esque lobster in the sketch, eventually played byKenan Thompson.However, the sketch never made it past the table read for that week's episode. Jost would later say of the original table read, "The read-through is usually around 40 sketches. You can sometimes have a sketch and it's just in a weird place in the read-through, where maybe the sketch before had something strange in it that threw the room off. Or it's late in the read-through and people are tired. [Diner Lobster] never ignited people. It just didn't work as a sketch at the table read."When Mulaney returned to host the show in 2018, a revised version of the sketch was produced for the episode,alongside another sketch he wrote during his tenure as anSNLwriter ("Switcheroo", written withSimon Richand Marika Sawyer).
Two men sit down in a New York City diner, where a waiter (played by Mulaney) begins to take the customers' orders. One of the men (played byPete Davidson) shocks both his friend (played byChris Redd) and the waiter by deciding to order the lobster off the menu. After his friend and the waiter try and fail to persuade him to order something else, the waiter calls in the order. The back of the set opens to reveal a lobster (played by Kenan Thompson) dressed asJean Valjeanfrom theLes Misérablesmusical in a water tank. The lobster begins to sing a parody of "Who Am I", lamenting his fate of being eaten, eventually being accompanied by the waiter and a cook (played byCecily Strong). Clawsette (a crustacean version ofCosette, played byKate McKinnon) enters and begins to sing a parody of "Castle on a Cloud", mourning the loss of her father. After Davidson's character refuses to change his order, the waiter and cook make a call to, "form the barricade!" An elaborate barricade set piece is moved onto the set, causing Davidson's character to remark that the diner has "incredible set design". The waiter, cook, and lobster make one last plea for the lobster's life, leading a small ensemble in a parody of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" This causes Davidson's character to change his mind and order the veal instead.
Mulaney returned to hostSNLon several subsequent occasions, each time bringing a new sketch following the same basic structure as the first; two men are in a classic New York City setting that is both loved and hated when one attempts to do something locals know is inconceivable and unsanitary for that institution, leading to parodies of several Broadway musical numbers.His next stint as host was in 2019, which featured "Bodega Bathroom", starring the same cast. Pete Davidson's character asks if he can use the restroom at abodega, leading to songs fromRent,Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,Cats, andLittle Shop of Horrors(Kenan Thompson plays abodega cat).
"Airport Sushi", which aired in early March 2020, again starred the same cast with Mulaney hosting the episode. Pete Davidson's character tries to purchasesushiatLaGuardia Airport, leading to not only parodies ofPhantom of the Opera,West Side Story, andAnnie(Kenan Thompson plays the "Phantom of LaGuardia"), but alsoDavid ByrneofTalking Headsplaying a parody of the group's single, "Road to Nowhere".Late in the same year, amidst the upcoming2020 United States presidential electionand the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic, Mulaney hosted again, mixing up the conventional setting with "New York Musical". The sketch praises New York City and rejects then-PresidentDonald Trump's characterization of it as a "ghost town", as Pete Davidson's character attempts to buy a pair of "I Love New York" underpants fromTimes Square, leading to parodies ofA Chorus Line,Fiddler on the Roof, and (among other musicals)Les Misérablesagain (Kenan Thompson plays aMinion).
"Subway Churro" aired in 2022 with Mulaney's return;Andrew Dismukesplays the protagonist, who attempts to buy achurroin asubway station.LCD Soundsystemmakes an appearance as theGuardian Angels, and the cast performs a parody of "Superstar" fromJesus Christ Superstar(Kenan Thompson plays amole person).Pete Davidson returns to the main character role in the most recent installment, "Port Authority Duane Reade", which aired in 2024. Davidson's character attempts to buy milk from aDuane Readestore in thePort Authority Bus Terminal, leading parodies ofThe Lion King(Kenan Thompson plays a possum) andHamilton(Andy Sambergsings asthe dead bear dumped by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.inCentral Park).
Reception for "Diner Lobster" was generally positive, with reviewers praising its absurdity, ambitious production choices, and musical theater knowledge. Joe Reid noted inPrimetimerthat the sketch was written before, and aired five years after, the release ofthe 2012 film adaptation ofLes Misérables, giving it a niche appeal to Broadway fans as opposed to contemporary pop culture reliance. David Sims ofThe Atlanticexpressed nostalgia for the earlier generation ofSNLthe sketch came from, writing that "there's a sad irony... to the fact that two of last weekend's best sketches were written almost a decade ago".Reid agreed, arguing the sketch could have been better if it starredSNLalumni such asAndy SambergorKristen Wiig.Sims and Garrett Martin ofPastealso laughingly noted the relatively small core observation of the sketch compared to the massive production value meant to emphasize it.Reviewers forPaste,Vulture, andThe Washington Postranked "Diner Lobster" as the bestSNLsketch of the year;reviewers forMashableranked it fifth.
The sequels were also received positively, although less so. Travis M. Andrews ofThe Washington Postpositively reviewed the Mulaney tradition as a whole, saying that its infrequency and absurdity made it stand out compared to what he criticized as the show's routinecold open.David Sims likewise referred to "Airport Sushi" as "the bestSaturday Night Livehas been this season".Joe Reid and Garrett Martin, however, both noted "Bodega Bathroom"'s similarities to "Diner Lobster", but criticized it for scattering the songs across multiple musicals, arguing that it sapped some of the focus and absurdity.
Kenan Thompson used the episode containing "Diner Lobster" as his submission for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Seriesin 2018; he also participated in another sketch in the episode, a parody onWild Wild Country. Thompson received a nomination, but the award went toHenry Winkler.The sketch itself was given the "Best Variety Sketch" award by the animal rights organizationPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animalsfor "highlighting the excruciating pain that crustaceans feel when boiled alive".