Here’s What Broke Bowen Yang in SNL’s Latest ‘Lisa From Temecula’ Sketch

As one redditor aptly put it, Bowen Yang got “Stefon-ed” Saturday night. And by that they meant that a joke found its way onto the cards that Yang wasn’t expecting–and he could not keep it together.

That it came during a “Lisa From Temecula” sketch was the icing on the cake. You may remember that the Ego Nwodim character made her debut last season in the ten-to-one spot of the Pedro Pascal-hosted episode, and was an immediate fan favorite–in part because Yang and the rest of the players in the sketch broke.

In that case, the cast was thrown off by some unexpectedly strong table shaking. In this case, it was apparently a last-minute line change.

All seemed to be going as planned as Nwodim reprised her “Lisa From Temecula” character for the third time, requisite table-shaking and all. That is, until toward the end of the sketch when Nwodim’s character asks Kenan Thompson (playing a server who has told Lisa and her tablemates to leave), “why we got to leave? Because of our disability?”

“You don’t have a disability,” Thompson’s character retorts.

Up until air time, Nwodim’s next line was “Sir, I will have you know [pointing at Yang’s character) he is neurodivergent.”

Just before air, however, “neurodivergent” was changed to “negro-divergent.”

Yang was already gone before the camera cut to him–and Josh Brolin, Chloe Troast, and Punkie Johnson soon followed.

After the show, Yang posted an Instagram story pinning the blame on SNL writer Alex English, saying “@alex3nglish changed the cue cards after dress rehearsal and he is going to H*LL for it.”

English responded in an instagram post himself, telling Yang, “don’t block yo blessings.”

And with that, Lisa from Temecula lives to see another Saturday night.

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2 Comments

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  1. Tab says:

    Not James. Josh.

    1. Jed Rosenzweig says:

      Thanks. Brain fog. I can tell the difference. (Fixed)