It seems Lady Gaga had one directive for the writing staff and cast of “ Saturday Night Live ” ahead of her second time pulling double duty as host and musical guest: make it weird. Or perhaps more accurately: let’s give the audience a little mayhem.

It was less of a concept or observation than a baffling, unexpected contract: If you go with this extremely silly sketch where Marcello and Gaga and a sometimes-real, sometimes-fake dog ride motorized luggage through green-screen backgrounds and also the actual SNL backstage area,