‘Saturday Night Live’ preview: Emma Stone’s iconic arrival ruined by an elevator (video)

“Saturday Night Live” really cannot figure out how they want to structure their promos these days. It wasn’t that long ago that we saw the standard studio banter between the host and the cast member, and then for a while the show moved it out more to various locations for something a little more organic and less forced. This was, at least to us, one of the smartest things they could have done within this medium.

Now, the show seems to be considering more isolated promos featuring hosts on their own. For the Dave Chappelle episode, for example, we saw him entering Studio 8H preparing for the show. For Kristen Wiig, we had something a little bit different in the Mannequin Challenge, but that’s a viral thing and not something we imagine the show trying to replicate on a regular basis.

For Emma Stone, maybe the show is perfecting the isolated promo because this is very funny. It may be short, but it contains a great sight-gag and it reminds us how naturally funny the “La La Land” star can be. It feels almost like this promo is a subtle nod in some ways to her new film, one that’s getting some serious awards buzz. (If you want to be surprised by the promo, watch it before you read any further!)

Stone arrives up to her floor, excited and full of dreams about what she wants her show to be. With that, she bellows out the show’s famous line before the elevator starts to close on her midway through. She stops it, and then the entire promo starts to be about her versus the elevator. We do think that you could take out the second beat of the elevator closing and it’d be every bit as funny, but we do love that this exists out in the universe and that the show’s continuing to try things. We don’t think promos have such a sacred tradition, like the good-nights at the end of the show, that you have to stick to the same thing for over four decades.

If you want to hype yourself up further for Stone’s episode, be sure to check out a video featuring some of he memorable past appearances! (Photo: NBC.)