On your feet! Now sit down! If you recognize that classic line, then you already know what’s coming—Kenan Thompson’s legendary Scared Straight sketch is back! And this time, he’s bringing along some comedy royalty.
For the first time in over a decade, Thompson’s Lorenzo “Mac Attack” McIntosh returned to Saturday Night Live’s stage for the show’s 50th anniversary special, ready to terrify some misguided teens into turning their lives around—by traumatizing them with movie plots. But he wasn’t alone. This time, Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell joined in for the chaotic fun, making for a star-studded prison intervention that no one was prepared for.
lol at Eddie Murphy and Kenan Thompson both breaking character after Will Ferrell flubbed his line#SNL50 pic.twitter.com/BjYLFY6Avk
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) February 17, 2025
Prison Wisdom and Movie Spoilers Galore
The sketch followed the classic Scared Straight formula: a police officer (played once again by Jason Sudeikis) brings a group of at-risk teens (Marcello Hernández, Mikey Day, and Michael Longfellow) face-to-face with hardened inmates who scare them straight with horrifying tales of prison life—except every single one of their stories is ripped straight from a famous movie.
- Thompson’s “Mac Attack” McIntosh dropped a backstory that sounded oddly familiar… because it was literally the plot of Harry Potter (nothing screams street cred like surviving the Triwizard Tournament).
- Eddie Murphy’s “All the Way” Ray May got way too into his retelling of The Nutty Professor, even shouting his iconic “Hercules! Hercules!” chant mid-rant.
- Will Ferrell’s Big Red strutted in with a very questionable pair of prison-issued short shorts—a nod to his classic “Short Shorts for the USA” sketch—before launching into his life story, which just so happened to be the plot of Elf.
The result? Absolute mayhem.
A Throwback to SNL’s Funniest Sketches
The Scared Straight sketch has a long and glorious history on SNL. First appearing in 2008, it became a recurring fan-favorite, with eight versions airing between 2008 and 2012. Over the years, the sketch featured hosts like Paul Rudd, Taylor Swift, Charles Barkley, and Lindsay Lohan, but one of the most iconic versions aired in 2010, when Betty White joined the fun as Lorenzo’s tough-as-nails grandmother, Loretta. Her tragic backstory? The Wizard of Oz.
Bringing the sketch back for SNL’s 50th anniversary was a perfect blend of nostalgia, ridiculousness, and seeing if the cast could keep it together without breaking into laughter (spoiler: they couldn’t). While longtime SNL star Bill Hader—famous for breaking character in this sketch—was missing from the lineup, Eddie Murphy still managed to get the only bleep of the night by walking straight up to the camera and casually dropping a “motherf—er.”
#SNL50 was great. Must-watch highlights:
– Eddie Murphy as Tracy Morgan
– Tina Fey, Amy Poehler Q&A
– Adam Sandler’s “50 Years”
– Eddie, Keenan, Will – Scared Straight
– Bill Murray & Weekend Update
– Steve Martin monologue
– Debbie Downerpic.twitter.com/jFHdGLmJd8— Adam Silverstein (@SilversteinAdam) February 17, 2025
Final Verdict: Comedy Gold
With Thompson leading the way, Murphy and Ferrell stealing the show, and Sudeikis hopping on the desk as always, the Scared Straight revival was one of the night’s best moments. It reminded fans why the sketch was so beloved in the first place—unhinged energy, movie-inspired nonsense, and some of the funniest breaking moments in SNL history.
So, will SNL bring Scared Straight back again for future episodes? Who knows. But one thing’s for sure—if you ever find yourself in trouble, just remember: the key to survival might be in a children’s movie.
