In Mikey Day‘s first season on Saturday Night Live, which began in October 2016, viewers could be forgiven for thinking that he had purchased a share of the show. From his first episode, when he appeared as Donald Trump Jr. and also as Margot Robbie’s nerdy husband in what would be one of the funniest sketches of the year, he and Beck Bennett dominated the season, with each appearing in three or four sketches per episode if not more.

The sketch casting has been more equitable this season, and Day is now positioned more as a reliable member of the ensemble than as a potential star. He has also settled in enough that we can view him with a broader perspective.

While he’s had some stand-out roles, this Groundlings alum —who spent three years on SNL‘s writing staff before joining the cast— is as unassuming as it gets. He lacks the strong presence of a superstar like Bill Murray or Will Ferrell, radiating a nerdier, more put-upon vibe, and much of his work on the show plays off this – Day’s most common role is that of a man being disrespected, as with his Weekend Update character who reports Live from the Friend Zone, or the submissive husband of Leslie Jones’ overly-aggressive kinkster, or Alec Baldwin’s military son who can’t escape his father’s prying eyes. One of his two best sketches on the show to date, with Robbie (see below), falls into this category as well.

Much of this leaves Day playing the straight-man, as the showier roles go to those acting upon his downtrodden character. While it’s easy to gloss over, since he appears in so many successful sketches, Day’s roles often find the funniest laughs directed toward him or flowing around him rather than coming from him directly. He has mastered being the butt of a joke, settling into a humiliating or easily mockable character and then staying out of the way while the comedy does its work.

Day is reliable in many contexts, but seeing him in put-upon everyman roles also conveys the occasional sense that something’s missing – that a larger potential is going unfulfilled. His other greatest sketch, as an old, wealthy man who causes a ruckus at the theater, took him deeper into character work, and showed a depth of talent that, surprisingly, has not been seen in a similar vein since.

So while Day currently serves as a reliably funny member of the cast, there are greater depths to his talent, and I wish we could see more of them. Day has the ability to transcend an everyman vibe and take SNL to unexpected places. Let’s hope he uses this more in episodes and seasons to come.

Here’s a look at some of Key’s most notable sketches to date:

1 'Live Report' Original Air Date: October 1, 2016 The premise of “Live Report” is that the nerdy Day is married to Robbie, who appears in a slinky black dress, and that the two witnessed a sinkhole opening. On the scene, news reporter Kenan Thompson is increasingly distracted from the sinkhole by the improbability of their union. The sketch says much about the competitive lens through which men often view each other, including judging whether a man is worthy of the woman he’s with. This sketch introduced the side of Day we’ve seen most on SNL, that of a man given less than his due by those around him. Day played this straight, almost underplaying it, which was precisely what the sketch called for. As Thompson, Bennett (as the news anchor back in the studio), Jones (sports reporter) and Alex Moffat (outside expert) all attempt to justify Robbie’s feelings for him, wondering if he’s rich, famous, or well-hung, Day lets the smartly-written jokes do the work. In one sense, it’s easy to watch this sketch and conclude that Day had the least challenging role. The action here happens around him; he is the topic of discussion rather than the instigator of the action. But in acting, reacting is equally important, and Day plays it just as his character, Matt Shatt, would seem to — passive, never defensive, willing to be rolled over to an extent, and, most impressive given that this was his first episode, allowing the incredulity to swirl around him without absorbing or reflecting that energy. He jumps in when he needs to, and allows the laughs around him to breath when they don’t. His first SNL success and still one of his best, it would show a very different Mikey Day than his other greatest sketch on the show to date.

2 'Theater Donor' Original Air Date: February 27, 2017 Here, Day plays a centenarian who funded a theater, and is now attending one of their plays from his specially-made medical chair. He’s given a special perch to watch from, right in front of the performers, but there are age-related problems. He’s there with his nurse Keely, played by host Felicity Jones, and he’s got some annoyances and medical issues that need tending to – even if it means disrupting the performance. Day’s performance here was the sort of physical comedy showcase we rarely see on SNL these days, making it all the more welcome. After he screams about the play’s volume, Keely attempts to feed him a medicinal yogurt, and his thrashing and squirming in the background as Kate McKinnon and Bennett act out a dark relationship drama is a wonder of comedic contrast, with Day slamming his head to and fro, his face caked in streams of yogurt. From his pained outbursts to his herky-jerky physical rhythms, Day squeezes every possible laugh out of the premise. During the scene where Keely attempts to change his medical stockings, I half expected Day to fly off his chair. Strong physical comedy hasn’t been part of SNL‘s regular playbook for some time, and this sketch showed the promise of more to come. Unfortunately, Day hasn’t matched it since.

3 Donald Trump Jr. Another example of Day playing the straight-man. Here, he portrays the president’s son, deepening his voice and conveying a Trumpian sense of self-worth, but otherwise giving it a pretty straight-forward take. The laughs in this come from his pairing with Moffat, who plays Eric Trump as a dunce barely able to care for himself. Day’s Don Jr. is a caring brother, dutiful son, and father figure. More importantly, he’s a generous comedic partner, setting the table for Moffat to respond quizzically and cluelessly to his every move (literally, at times). The role of comedic straight-man is foundational, and more challenging than it appears. Here, as with “Live Report,” Day shows he can nurture a laugh just as reliably as he can generate it himself.