Please Don’t Destroy Record Pigeons Infiltrating Their Office Ahead of ‘SNL’ Season 50

A couple of Saturday Night Live cast members were greeted by unexpected guests ahead of the season 50 premiere.

Ben Marshall — who makes up one-third of Please Don’t Destroy, along with Martin Herlihy and John Higgins — posted an Instagram video on Monday, Sept. 23, showing off their new coworkers: a flock of pigeons. 

Marshall, 29, opened the video by walking through 30 Rockefeller Plaza, telling the camera, “I’m excited for a great season. I’m feeling really good.”

The video then cut to a close-up shot of a pigeon sitting on one of the office chairs, with Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” playing in the background. He shared more clips of several pigeons in their office standing on their couch, desks and chairs.

In another clip, Higgins, 28, mimicked throwing something to get the birds to fly out of the office window, but they just flapped around the office. Higgins shouted, “Oh my god! Oh s—!” Meanwhile, Marshall calmly said, “Fly. Get out.” Higgins shut the door closed, laughing about the situation.

They then apprehensively reopened the door and asked one another if the birds were gone. With only a second of relief, Higgins spotted the birds on their clothing rack. 

The two then called for backup, and security came to assist. When Higgins asked if he should close the office door so the birds don’t escape, the security guard replied, “You’re gonna leave me in here with them?”

Marshall shared a series of texts he got from fellow SNL writers in a group chat, including one from co-head writer Michael Che. “You hit a witch with your car?” Che wrote.

Marshall also shared another person’s direct message that read, “That’s a good omen. Even number of birds is good. Odd is bad.”

He then added a screenshot of an internet search for what it means when pigeons arrive in spaces, finding a source that declares it “a sense of good luck and fortune.”

He capped it off by writing on a black background, “We look forward to a bountiful harvest.”

The video ended with Higgins and the security guard assessing the damage once the birds finally fled.

“Oh yeah, they s— on the sofa,” the security guard said.

“Yeah they s— everywhere,” Higgins said before the security guard said the birds “were nervous.”

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Saturday Night Live season 50 premieres on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC with Jean Smart hosting and Jelly Roll as musical guest.