Most episodes of Saturday Night Live are scheduled so the funnier bits go first and the riskier, oddball sketches appear towards the end in case they have to be cut for time. But on the February 4, 2023 episode featuring host Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us), the final sketch, “Lisa from Temecula,” was probably the most memorable of the night.
The secret sauce for a great SNL sketch doesn’t always have the same ingredients. Sometimes it’s an idea so simple that, on paper, there’s no reason it should work. Look no further than the classic “Get off the shed,” with SNL legend Will Ferrell.
Then there’s the magic of the happy accident, when the cast starts to lose their composure and things spiral into the glorious chaos of uncontrollable laughter. It took a minute and forty seconds for the cracks to start showing in the classic “Debbie Downer: Disney World” sketch before the wheels came off.
‘Lisa from Temecula’ checks both boxes
In “Lisa from Temecula,” Paul, played by Pascal, takes a few friends, played by Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney, and breakout star Bowen Yang, out for dinner. The trouble comes when Johnson’s sister Lisa, played by Ego Nwodim, orders her steak “extra, extra well done.”
The sketch is a play on the notion that it’s a faux pas to order well-done steak, especially in a fancy restaurant. However, Lisa doesn’t care and won’t tolerate “one speck of red” on her steak.
The concept was simple, and that’s all it took to send the cast over the edge. Pascal struggles to get through his lines, and Yang has to cover his face to hide the fact that he’s completely lost it. Nwodim, meanwhile, holds it together with just one small crack: the unshakeable comedy core the whole sketch depends on.
“Lisa from Temecula” got a lot of attention online, sparking articles, posts, and lots of praise. Shout out the sketch’s writers Alex English, Gary Richardson, and Michael Che.
Then came the news that Nwodim was leaving
Sadly, Nwodim announced she was exiting SNL after seven seasons in September 2025. Her announcement came on the heels of a shocking cast shake up where showrunner Lorne Michaels announced a slew of departures, including fan favorite Heidi Gardner. “It’s always hard when people leave,” Lorne told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet of the 2025 Emmys, “but change is good.”
Nwodim may have left the show, but “Lisa from Temecula” isn’t going anywhere. Some SNL sketches fade into the archives. This one has a permanent seat at the table… extra, extra well done.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
