Obsession’s Inde Navarrette made her SNL hosting debut this week, and it proved to be quite an eventful episode (which even included nod at the Shane Gillis/gym clothes conflict). As host Navarrette had to contend with the brutal work schedule, quick costume changes and other elements that come with hosting. Another challenge of being on the show, of course, is not breaking during a performance. And Navarrette learned that, thanks to a Paw Patrol sketch that ended up doing her in.
Normally, Paw Patrol centers on a bunch of adorable animals solving mundane “crimes” around their small town. Saturday Night Live, however, decided to take things a step further for their comedy sketch by combining the hit series with Law and Order: SVU and having the pups on solve grisly crimes. It’s a funny concept, and Navarrette apparently found it hilarious, given she completely broke character while she was describing one of the gang crimes. You can see the full sketch below:
While series creator Lorne Michaels famously doesn’t like when the cast or host breaks character, it happens all the time, so Navarrette is in good company. Bill Hader famously broke constantly while serving as a cast member on SNL, and so did Jimmy Fallon. Ryan Gosling is also notorious for breaking during sketches like Beavis and Butt-Head and for absolutely losing it during the Alien Encounter sketch.
Some of the most famous moments on the long-running sketch comedy series have actually come from a host breaking. A perfect example was when Lindsay Lohan couldn’t keep it together during a Debbie Downer segment.
The reason Michaels doesn’t love breaking is because it makes the audience laugh at the actor laughing, rather than the sketch itself. In some respects, that can be seen as kind of be a cheap way to get the audience to laugh if a sketch is bombing. However, breaking still is part of a long SNL tradition, with some of the all-time breaks becoming more iconic than the sketch itself. Also, there’s a reason it’s a surefire way to get a laugh, people love to laugh when other people do, and it’s truly infectious.
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Of course, Navarrette’s laugh was completely authentic, and she clearly wasn’t desperate to save a sketch or make an audience happy. She was just absolutely tickled by the ridiculousness of the Paw Patrol sketch and some of the hilariously innocent phrases she was using when talking about a dark murder.
The Superman & Lois alum also recovered well and was able to carry on with the sketch and keep it together for the rest of the comedy bit, which is no easy feat. All in all, it seems like a successful outing from a first-time host, and I think she has earned an invitation to do it again when the time comes.
You can check out Inde Navarrette’s Saturday Night Live hosting debut, as well as the rest of the episodes from this season, now with a Peacock subscription. Additionally, you can see her make her breakthrough in Obsession, which is also streaming on the platform. Fans of the NBC mainstay should also check out the show next week, where Internet sensation Druski is hosting with musical guest The Strokes amid the 2026 TV schedule.
