The intersection of cosmic awe and mundane chaos took center stage in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch, where host Colman Domingo portrayed the struggle of maintaining dignity while orbiting the moon. The segment serves as a satirical reflection on the safe return of the Artemis II crew, imagining the psychological toll of a ten-day lunar journey when your crewmates are decidedly unserious.
Domingo, playing pilot Victor Glover, attempts to record a solemn video log on the ninth day of the mission. His goal is to capture the spiritual and profound nature of seeing Earth from a distance, but his efforts are systematically dismantled by a series of floating distractions and juvenile antics. The sketch highlights the friction between the high-stakes environment of NASA’s lunar missions and the basic human tendency toward boredom and mischief.
The comedy centers on the profound astronaut Colman Domingo perturbed by rogue Pringles can and a series of increasingly absurd hygiene crises, painting a picture of a spacecraft that feels less like a pinnacle of engineering and more like a chaotic college dormitory in zero gravity.
The Struggle for Lunar Solemnity
The sketch begins with Glover attempting to share a moment of transcendence. Looking through the ship’s window at the distant blue marble of Earth, he reflects on his spirituality, stating, “Seeing our planet like this is pretty profound. Being a man of faith, this has certainly brought me closer to God.”
This moment of peace is short-lived. The first breach of decorum arrives in the form of a red Pringles can drifting slowly into the frame. The sight of the floating snack prompts an immediate shift in Glover’s tone from the divine to the exasperated. “Oh come on, guys!” he exclaims, reminding his crew that they “have to velcro your snacks to the wall.”
The disruption is spearheaded by astronauts Reid and Hansen, played by Marcello Hernandez and Mikey Day. Described as being “kinda bored,” the duo spends the mission engaging in low-stakes conflict over food and playing a zero-gravity version of “no hands hat,” all while Glover attempts to maintain a professional record for the archives.
A Descent Into Zero-Gravity Chaos
As the video log progresses, Glover’s attempts to honor the legacy of space exploration are repeatedly thwarted. He tries to recite a quote from Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell, only to be interrupted by Reid flaunting a Canadian flag. Meanwhile, astronaut Christina, played by Sarah Sherman, provides a silent, snoring backdrop as she floats aimlessly through the cabin.
The situational comedy peaks when Glover attempts to quote the pioneering astronaut Sally Ride. By this point, the crew’s boredom has turned into targeted prankstership. Christina floats back into the frame, still fast asleep, but now featuring Sharpie drawings scrawled across her face by Reid and Hansen.
The climax of the sketch shifts from general mischief to a specific, urgent medical—or rather, mechanical—crisis. Reid approaches Glover with a look of genuine panic, holding a piece of equipment. “Hey Victor, my pee pee’s stuck in the tube again!” he says anxiously. “You’ve got to get it off me, Victor, please!”
The request represents the ultimate collapse of the mission’s professional veneer. Glover, now completely depleted of patience, refuses to assist. “I don’t know, man, figure it out!” he responds. “I’m making my video!”
Mission Timeline: The Descent of Professionalism
| Event | Glover’s Intent | The Distraction |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Log | Spiritual reflection | Floating Pringles can |
| Second Attempt | Jim Lovell quote | Canadian flag / snoring colleague |
| Third Attempt | Sally Ride quote | Sharpie-defaced colleague |
| Final Segment | Message of kindness | Urgent “tube” malfunction |
The Meaning Behind the Mischief
While the sketch plays for laughs, it touches on the very real challenges of long-duration spaceflight: confinement and the psychological impact of isolation. The contrast between Glover’s desire for a legacy-defining moment and the crew’s fixation on Pringles and plumbing issues mirrors the duality of space travel—the grand scale of the universe versus the claustrophobic reality of living in a pressurized tube.
Glover eventually manages to deliver a final, brief message to the people of Earth: “My one hope for everyone on Earth is this… Everyone: be kind to each other. The end.” The recording is cut short abruptly as Hansen pulls Reid around the cabin by the very tube that had caused the earlier crisis, punctuating the sketch with a final note of absurdity.
For viewers, the humor lies in the relatability of the “challenging coworker,” scaled up to the most extreme environment imaginable. The profound astronaut Colman Domingo perturbed by rogue Pringles can and his colleague’s anatomical mishaps serve as a reminder that no matter how far humanity travels, we bring our most basic, messy human instincts with us.
As NASA continues its efforts toward lunar exploration and eventually Mars, the reality of crew dynamics remains a critical area of study for mission success. Official updates on the Artemis program and future crewed missions can be tracked through the NASA Artemis mission portal.
Do you think the “boredom” depicted in the sketch is a realistic take on long-term space travel? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
