A fake Gretchen Whitmer drinking a Bell's Oberon during a sketch in February seemed like the ultimate "Saturday Night Live" moment for metro Detroit.
But when Keegan-Michael Key hosts "SNL" on Saturday, it could surpass that whole governor-craft beer thing.
Born in Southfield, Michigan, raised in the Motor City and a proud alum of the local comedy improv scene, Key has stayed loyal to his hometown as his career has soared.
He even remains a genuine Detroit Lions fan, a commitment that takes guts (and eternal optimism).
Will the charismatic star of the classic "Key & Peele" series, films like "The Prom" and a proposed ABC show about a Detroit detective, "August Snow," do something on the air to salute the place where he grew up and sharpened his performing skills?
We're rooting for one of these five possible shout-outs during the 90 minutes that start at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC.
Home is where the T-shirt is
The odds are good that Key will wear his Detroit pride on his sleeve during the show's finale with the cast and musical guest Olivia Rodrigo. But will he put on a shirt that's all about a Motor City sports team? The Ren Cen skyline? The familiar "Detroit vs. Everybody" logo?
We're betting Key will don something that's tied either to Planet Ant, the Detroit comedy theater that he co-founded, or the Detroit Creativity Project, a nonprofit program that helps Detroit students build multiple skills through improv comedy classes. Key has performed often in fundraisers for the DCP, which he also helped create.
A Whitmer/anger translator crossover?
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but bear with us. Key is starring with "SNL" regular Cecily Strong in the upcoming "Schmigadoon!," a comedy series that arrives July 16 on AppleTV+. They play a backpacking couple who stumble onto a "Brigadoon"-like town frozen in time — only in this story line, it's more like being frozen in the genre of a 1940s musical.
What if Key and Strong take the rapport they've built through "Schmigadoon!" and bring together two of their best-known characters? Picture his Luther, the anger translator for President Barack Obama from "Key & Peele," expressing the real feelings of Strong's Gov. Whitmer impression for "SNL." Different politician, same opportunity for venting the frustration of a leader with an unruffled facade.
A Boogie Down Brown reunion with the Lions
In December 2017, five now-former players from Detroit Lions — TJ Jones, Theo Riddick, Marvin Jones Jr., Eric Ebron and Golden Tate — celebrated a touchdown by imitating the famous high kicks of the Radio City Music Hall's Rockettes.
The idea originated with an NFL pregame video that Key actually did with the Lions. In it, he played Boogie Down Brown, an instructor who is trying to get team members to focus on what really matters: their post-scoring moves. With the pro football preseason three months away, it's time for a skit that brings back Brown and gets an early jump on making fun of the Lions. Is there an end zone dance about biting off kneecaps?
Eddie Murphy memories
For his monologue as host, Key could talk about the significance of "SNL" in his life. Specifically, he could tell the story from his Audible podcast, “The History of Sketch Comedy,” about being a kid in Detroit and hearing his dad roar with laughter at a 1983 sketch where Eddie Murphy was a talent agent and the real Stevie Wonder played a Stevie Wonder impersonator.
For Key, it was a pivotal moment that drew him to a career in comedy. It also would be the perfect set-up for an epic surprise like Murphy walking onstage mid-anecdote to congratulate Key on his first hosting gig. Given the fact that he co-starred with the "SNL" veteran on 2019's "Dolemite Is My Name," Key just might have Murphy on speed dial.
The Michigan hand map
If all else fails, let's hope Key holds up his hand, palm facing outward and points to Detroit. Or maybe he'll drop a "What up doe?" into a scene. Message to KMK: Basically, we'll take anything!
