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The Lonely Island Make a Surprise SNL Return with Digital Short "Sushi Glory Hole"
Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer are serving fish (literally) in the surreal surprise musical sketch featuring Maya Rudolph.
Ahead of its milestone Season 50, the people behind Saturday Night Live teased callbacks and happy returns that celebrate the sketch show's deep history. And the very first few minutes of the season premiere made good on that promise, with a cold open starring alums Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey, and Andy Samberg, all of whom came back for Nate Bargatze's October 5 episode. But no one expected a fresh SNL Digital Short that marked the surprise reunion of two-thirds of comedy trio The Lonely Island: Samberg was joined by Akiva Schaffer on "Sushi Glory Hole," a rap track about a fishy business idea.
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During their genre-defining original run on SNL from 2005-2011, The Lonely Island — Samberg, Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone — achieved viral fame with sketches like "Lazy Sunday" and the Emmy-winning "D-ck in a Box," and returned to the show most recently in 2018 for "Natalie's Rap 2" with Natalie Portman. "Sushi Glory Hole" finds Samberg and Schaffer (minus Taccone) playing two sharp-dressed would-be business moguls who make a catchy hard sell to a panel of investors (Maya Rudolph, Bowen Yang, and Kenan Thompson). They're offering a very, very niche service.
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"It's sushi. Being. Fed. Through. A hole. In the wall," Samberg and Schaffer explain. Hear them out!
The "Sushi Glory Hole" lyrics were co-written by Lonely Island's Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone
Though third Lonely Island member Jorma Taccone doesn't appear in the Digital Short, he's credited as a co-writer, along with hip-hop producer DJ Nu-Mark.
Samberg and Schaffer's characters explain the premise to the investors ("it's a good idea and not weird"), as we see cast member James Austin Johnson drop to his knees in a stall to accept a tasty piece of fish on rice.
"Hey, where you going? Hear us out!" they tell Rudolph and Yang's disgusted characters as they make for the exit. Then they set up the scenario.
"You forgot to eat, now you're out and about. But you wanna be discreet, can't be eatin' omakase in the middle of the street [No!] Then you open the app: SGH is all over the map," they continue. "So you head to a club, hit the bathroom stall, find the sushi-size hole in the bathroom wall. Then make a wish, and prepare for some shockingly high grade fish!"
With the Season 50 cast — with the exception of Mikey Day, who finds the wrong stall — making it look so delicious, we're honestly sold.
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Watch the Digital Short "Sushi Glory Hole" from Season 50, Episode 2 above, and watch Saturday Night Live on NBC and Peacock, streaming next day on Peacock.
Seth Meyers and The Lonely Island have a podcast about SNL's Digital Shorts
If you want to hear the story behind all of The Lonely Island's Digital Shorts on SNL, from "Lettuce" to "Laser Cats," listen to their pod with friend and former Saturday Night Live collaborator Seth Meyers. The aptly-titled The Lonely Island & Seth Meyers Podcast is available now wherever you listen.
