Fun/Humor

Jason Momoa reprises Khal Drogo role in SNL Game of Thrones parody!

Posted on by David Rosenblatt

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It’s been 5 seasons since we’ve seen Khal Drogo’s face on Game of Thrones. Following his death at the end of season 1, he made a brief appearance to Dany during her vision in The House of the Undying, when she saw her life as it could have been had he lived. As the years have gone on, our hopes of another Khal Drogo apparition have slowly waned. But as they say, just when you think he’s out, they pull him back in…to SNL (Saturday Night Live) of all places.

When it was announced that Jason Momoa was hosting SNL for the first time, I felt a flurry of excitement. Not only is Momoa our Khal Drogo now and forever, but he’s also seemingly such a cool, likable dude. So, the question on everyone’s lips was if he’d reprise the role that launched him to global stardom. The answer is, of course, a resounding yes:

In “Khal Drogo’s Ghost Dojo,” a sketch brought to us courtesy of Dothraki Public Access, one of my favorite humans on the planet, Kenan Thompson, plays newly minted bloodrider, Zerbo. It quickly becomes apparent that, like Khal Drogo, the sketch will be all about bringing back dead characters for a ‘talk show.’ Who did they bring back and what was the joke? Why watch the video when I can tell you all about it!

Hodor (Beck Bennett) shows up and exercises his typically verbose grasp on language. On his way out, he is asked (naturally) to hold the door for the next guest, which was The High Sparrow (Pete Davidson), who, upon realizing that both he and Khal Drogo have ended up in the same heaven, his life of holiness may have been for nothing. “Almost makes you question religion,” he quips. Following this, Khal Drogo gives him his trademark ‘golden crown,’ and off the High Sparrow goes. Then, a very confused Brienne (Heidi Gardner) pops up, and questions Khal Drogo’s questionable identity politics, to the likely applause of many Twitter pundits everywhere. Lastly, a character everyone is happy is dead, Joffrey, played by SNL everywoman Kate McKinnon, turns up and stages a fight with Olenna Tyrell (Aidy Bryant) in a…Jerry Springer(?) mashup. I’m not sure what happened here; this one was confusing for me. Ah well.

Throughout the sketch, there was a running joke about how fast the show will kill off a character, leaving them with many options for characters for this sketch. All in all, it’s pleasant escape for 6 minutes of your time, and now that you’ve read a full synopsis of it, do please go and enjoy the actual sketch!

Did everyone enjoy the rest of the episode? Sound off on Jason Momoa’s SNL debut in the comments below!

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David Rosenblatt

18 Comments

  7. Pigeon: I kind of felt that uncomfortable feeling of being embarrassed for them.

    Same. I rarely, rarely watch SNL anymore and honestly don’t know anybody that does. All I ever hear people say is that they haven’t watched that show for years. I’ll make an attempt if Justin Timberlake is hosting because I’ve found that he usually does some funny stuff. Other than that it’s just periodically when I’m bored or I’ll watch a sketch on YouTube if I hear they supposedly did a rare good one.

    The last time (I personally believe) they had a really funny cast that routinely did funny sketches was the early 90’s when they had Farley, Myers, Carvey, Hartman, Sandler, Nealon, Chris Rock, Schneider, Spade, Meadows, Franken, Cleghorne, Sweeny, Hutsell. Since then they’ve had a few individuals come and go, but never a great ensemble. Now they sit on and feature people for years that aren’t very funny, like Kenan Thompson in this very sketch, who’s on his 16th season!!

  8. Clob,

    Some great times there…I really liked Norm Macdonald too, and the “Celebrity Jeopardy” skits were probably my favourite. Bill Hader is hilarious in general. Right now I’d probably say Kate McKinnon is the most talented. I just don’t make the effort to watch it anymore.

  11. Pigeon,

    Nah, can’t be the mood. I can’t for the life of me ever laugh at any skits anyone does on SNL and then I see a rerun of John Oliver and I’m laughing like a nut job at his genius Marlon Bundo idea. Honestly I’m assuming I’m not SNL’s target audience and leave it at that.

  12. The whole episode was lacklustre. Almost every sketch they had Jason Momoa violently smash or attack things/people. I was embarrassed on his behalf because the writers have such a one-dimensional view of him so that is all they could come up with? When SNL has had wrestlers on they have used them in a more versatile manner than they used Momoa.

  13. Despite his early departure, Jason Mamoa has remained a superfan of the show.

    He and Emilia Clarke have kept up their “Moon of My Life” and “My Sun and Stars” faux romance on social media. They’re both so witty and gregarious in real life.

    I suspect he visited the set recently not to be in a flashback scene or anything, but because he just wanted to drop in on his friends.

    I’m happy for his apparent success as Aquaman.

    It’s too bad SNL blows.

  14. I never watch SNL live anymore–just the videos online afterward that I hear are particularly funny or of especial interest. Here I LOLed at the ads (Little Beard Twisties, Khal on a Wall–does it come with a free Lannister on the Banister…?) And I liked Olenna’s Jerry Springer catfight with Joffrey, Oberyn with his groove back, and still-murderous Drogo with a vendetta against aftershows. Most of the impressions need some work, and I thought they could’ve had more funny things for everybody to do…still, “Khal Drogo’s Ghost Dojo” is a cool concept that could definitely be expanded on.

  16. That was fun to watch during the wait for the trailer:-) I’m still not entirely ruling out Khal Drogo appearing in S8 if Dany does die.

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