The freshest voices in comedy return for a riotous season of fan favorites and new material.

Bringing back favorite characters and connecting some surprising threads throughout sketches in previous seasons, season 3 of the Emmy Award winning A Black Lady Sketch Show is back and funnier than ever, throwing comedic punches with an all-star cast of hilarious heavy-hitters.

Since its inaugural season in 2019, A Black Lady Sketch Show has amassed universal acclaim, won prestigious awards (including that previously mentioned Emmy in 2021), and has a devoted fan following. Season 3 looks to repeat its successful run, dropping some hilarious sketches and memorable characters with core cast members Robin Thede, Ashley Nicole Black, Gabrielle Dennis, and Skye Townsend. 

A Black Lady Sketch Show continues with some of the memorable moments from previous seasons. Back are the opening credits, each episode opening slightly different than the previous. Also returning are the interstitial scenes that feature the core cast hiding out in secluded locations. Season 1 found the cast hiding out in Robin’s fortified house during an apocalypse, while season 2 threw them in a warehouse during a different apocalypse. Season 3 finds them in a penthouse-style suite, state of the world unknown, unable to leave the room until they “evolve.” It’s a funny running gag that ends in capital fashion in episode six, peeling back the curtains to a humorous reveal. 

Now in season 3, A Black Lady Sketch Show has the opportunity to reference characters and sketches from past seasons. They’ve brought back the outlandish and eccentric Dr. Hadassah Olayinka Ali Youngman, played to perfection by Thede. Dr. Hadassah pops up at an elementary class career day, teaching her rhetoric to children, much to the teacher’s dismay. Also back are the gossiping Biblical ladies (Thede, Black, and Townsend) in the sketch aptly titled “The Res-herrection,” – this time they’re spilling the tea at Jesus’s resurrection. And if you’ve ever wanted to see the bailiff (Dennis) from “Courtroom Kiki” outside of the court and at a bridal shower, this season is for you.

One of the more clever aspects of this season of A Black Lady Sketch Show is how Thede and company explore the series, connecting previously separate sketches and characters throughout season three. Never did I think I’d see a sketch that connects Trinity, the regular CIA agent (Black) to Octavia, the neon-haired and trap music-loving fitness trainer (Thede). It’s a brilliant scene that shows its awareness of the show’s popularity, taking two of the show’s memorable characters, and connecting them in a clever way we never saw coming. 

A Black Lady Sketch Show also has plenty of new sketches that will delight viewers. One sketch “Didn’t Figures,” follows Black, Dennis, and Thede as a trio of black scientists a la Hidden Figure types who discover the secret to time travel is to slap a person into next week. There’s also “WTF Wrestling,” a wildly entertaining wrestling-inspired sketch where the WTF (World Texting Federation) presents a texting tag team battle: team Long Text and Three Dots versus team “k” and 2 AM WYD. These new sketches are fun and energetic, and might become new favorites for viewers.

As with every sketch show, not all sketches land. There’s a clunky sketch with Black as Autumn, a college student coming out as gay to her parents. The twist is tarantulas are climbing on the wall behind Autumn, so as she comes out, her parents yell their disgust at the spiders, thus leading Autumn to think the disgust is meant for her. It felt very amateur, a scene pulled from a sketch 101 class. However, even if the premise falls flat, there are still some amusing moments to be found, like a pair of legends guest-starring as Autumn’s parents.  

While a lot has changed since its premiere in 2019, each season of A Black Lady Sketch Show has been exciting and hilarious to watch. It’s evolved from a rookie show to a widely loved comedy series. The characters and sketches in season 3 add to the show’s legacy, cementing its status as a landmark television comedy series. 

Season 3 of A Black Lady Sketch Show is now available on HBO Max.

A Black Lady Sketch Show Season 3: