Who: Heidi Gardner

Cast Member Since: 2017

Not too long ago, Heidi Gardner was nine years into a career as a hairdresser. Now she is the future of Saturday Night Live.

This is because she’s shaping SNL‘s future by looking to its past. Gardner, a 36-year old Kansas City native, often cites the late 1980s/early 1990s as her favorite era of the show. This was a time when the show often kept current events and political humor confined to the cold opening and/or Weekend Update, and left the rest to original comedy and music. In my opinion, this is the best formula for the average SNL episode, and something the show somewhat fell back into during the second half of the 2018-2019 season.

This makes Gardner, who has admitted to not having much interest in political humor, perfect for the current era of SNL. After just two seasons, she’s on a trajectory we haven’t seen since the quick rise of Kristen Wiig during the 2005-2007 seasons. Comparing the two is easy. By Wiig’s 5th episode, she had already introduced us to two of what would go on to be some of her most popular characters: the Target Lady and the female half of Two A-Holes. By Gardner’s 5th episode, she had debuted Angel (which was my vote for the best moment of 2017-2018), and by her 12th, we were laughing with Bailey Gismert. Rounding out the rest of Gardner’s first season were the fantastic Horns, Taco Math, as well as supporting roles in the hilarious Papyrus and Girlfriends Game Night. Not a bad debut.

Fortunately for us, Gardner’s second season was anything but a sophomore slump. During the course of the 2018-2019 season, she added obnoxious traveler Diedre, and two new Weekend Update characters. One was half of the Instagram couple behind the “Once Upon a Snuggle” account, the other is Baskin Johns – a nervous, entry level Goop staffer which proved popular enough to have the actual Gwyneth Paltrow join Gardner for Baskin’s second appearance. Off screen, the stories behind Diedre and both Weekend Update characters are just as fun, and proves her first season was no fluke.

The common thread between all these characters? They are completely original works rooted in human behavior observation which, years from now, will play nicely as time capsules of the more extreme personality types of the late 2010s.

Outside of SNL, Gardner doesn’t slow down. She’s active in projects ranging from the kid friendly Cartoon Network/4Kids TV Bratz to Adult Swim’s Mike Tyson Mysteries . My personal favorite side project is this year’s SyFy series, Alien News Desk , which teams her with another SNL great, Will Forte. It was also recently announced Gardner will have a guest role in the upcoming fifth season of NBC sitcom Superstore . And having just signed with CAA , expect more non-SNL work over the next several years.

Looking ahead to SNL‘s 45th season, now confirmed for a 9/28/19 debut, what can we can expect out of Gardner’s third year? First and foremost, if she isn’t promoted to Repertory, we riot. Second, updates from Angel, Bailey and Baskin are a given, but I can’t wait to see what else she’ll unleash not only behind the Update desk, but also in sketches.

My two favorite 2018-2019 Gardner moments are below. Laugh!

Sketch: RV Life

Episode: Steve Carell/Ella Mai (11/17/18)

Note: Returning as host for the first time since 2008, Steve Carell and Heidi Gardner had amazing chemistry as a mismatched older couple looking to start life over on the road. Lady Gray!

Weekend Update Segment: Goop Staffer Baskin Johns

Episode: Seth Meyers/Paul Simon (10/13/18)

Note: Do you think Gwyneth is watching?

SNL REPORT CARD / HEIDI GARDNER: 4 Coneys

SCALE:

4 Coneys = Excellent / 3 Coneys = Good / 2 Coneys = Needs Improvement / 1 Coney = Worst

Jason Nummer still wonders what a second SNL season with Brooks Wheelan would have been like. You can follow him on Twitter at @jrnummer.

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