The Kwisatz Horse-erach

Timothée Chalamet Hilariously Brought Back One Of The Most Wholesome SNL Jokes Ever

The strike is over and Chalamet is back... along with an old friend.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- "Timothée Chalamet, boygenius" Episode 1848 -- Pictured: Host Timothée Chalam...
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For those who worry that the SAG-AFTRA strike was preventing millions of Americans from distracting themselves with shameless Hollywood self-promotion, Timothée Chalamet feels your pain. Returning to host SNL on November 11, 2023, Chalamet mocked the relative absurdity of his profession, by promoting his upcoming movie Wonka so much, that it was almost like he doesn’t want us to see it. Regardless of his age (Chalamet is 27 this year), he’s clearly a guy who gets it. And in returning to host SNL for the first time since 2020, Chalamet brought his unique blend of artistry of wholesomeness to the proceedings. This is all a long-winded way of saying, thank f*cking God they let him do the “Tiny Horse” thing again.

Back in 2020, Chalamet starred in a ridiculous SNL sketch about a cowboy who falls in love with a tiny horse. This shouldn’t be funny. It’s just straight-up dumb. But, like all things Chalamet, the commitment to the bit is the thing, and it’s in that commitment of playing it utterly straight that things get truly hilarious.

Tiny Horse returns to SNL

In the new SNL sketch, “Giant Horse,” the SNL cast and Timothée Chalamet pop up in a sci-fi dystopia movie, that feels a little more Rebel Moon than Dune. Chalamet is sad in this future, and soon we learn that the thing that’s ravaging the world is Tiny Horse, who has now turned evil and become GIANT HORSE. In a sketch that evokes some of the genius of “Laser Cats” from the Andy Samberg SNL era, the claymation-esque Tiny Horse returns in all of its glory.

With a climax that is taken straight from Return of the Jedi, Timothée Chalamet talks Giant Horse back into being Tiny Horse, and the Anakin Skywalker redemption arc is complete. It’s enough to remind you why Chalamet is so good as Paul Atreides in Dune, and since Dune: Part Two has been delayed until March of 2023, “Giant Horse” is basically the next best thing to seeing Chalamet ride a sandworm.

It’s beautiful. It’s absurd. We love it.

SNL streams on Peacock. Dune: Part Two hits theaters on March 15, 2024.