Billie Eilish tried her best on ‘SNL’ but Kate McKinnon can make anyone break

Don’t blame Billie Eilish. Who among us could stand inches away from Kate McKinnon, acting dryly silly, and not break out into hysterics?

The Saturday Night Live veteran seemingly made it her mission to get Eilish, the evening’s host and musical guest, to break character and burst out laughing during their ad for an incredibly underwhelming hotel. The mission was a resounding success.

Eilish and McKinnon stand side by side as a “desk lady” and “the same person that’s her,” respectively, while they talk up the Business Garden Inn & Suites & Hotel Room Inn to the best of their abilities. It’s just not a nice hotel though, and there’s no putting a positive spin on the increasingly unhinged rundown of accommodations and amenities. Not that either woman tries.

Eilish is mostly focused on getting her lines right and not cracking up. McKinnon makes that task enormously difficult as she injects added weirdness into her performance, and intentionally turns it on her co-star. An oddly timed turn here, a pointlessly extended hand there. It’s a miracle that the sketch doesn’t fall apart. Eilish can’t help the laughter, but the two see it through to the end and our day is enriched with laughter as a result.