By Haley Vaughan ’18, Contributor
October 1st 11:30 PM: SNL’s 42nd season premier began. I’d been waiting all summer since Season 41 ended, at 1:02 AM on May 21st to be exact. Camped out in front of the TV with my notepad and a blanket, I eagerly anticipated the cold open. (For those who aren’t familiar with the show, the cold open is a sketch that takes place before the opening credits are rolled.) It was no secret what it was going to be. SNL had already announced they would be satirizing the recent Presidential Debate. Kate McKinnon, who just won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy series, making her the first cast member in SNL history to receive an Emmy for their work on the show, would be portraying Hillary, and Alec Baldwin, whom SNL hired specifically for his Trump impression, would portray the orange business mogul. With those two heading the sketch, there was no question about whether it would be entertaining.
McKinnon and Baldwin did not disappoint. McKinnon’s Clinton entered hobbling with a cane and coughing. She stopped, teetered forwards, then rolled into a somersault and hopped back up. While amusing it is also a small tribute to Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka entrance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (For those who don’t understand the reference a clip can be found here.) Although Alec Baldwin was strong as Trump, Kate as Hillary stole the sketch. Even when not saying anything her Hillary-esque facial expressions and smug looks into the camera sent the audience into fits of laughter. Highlights include Hillary explaining why Trump never released his tax returns and her closing statement:
KM: He hasn’t released his tax returns which means he’s either not that rich…
AB: Wrong.
KM: Not that charitable…
AB: Wrong.
KM: Or he’s never paid taxes in his life.
AB: Warmer…
KM: Listen America, I get it. You hate me. You hate my voice and you hate my face. Well here’s a tip: if you never want to see my face again, elect me president and I swear to God I will lock myself in the Oval Office and not come out for four years. But if you don’t elect me I will continue to run for president till the day I die. And I will never die.
SNL’s host for the evening was Margot Robbie who is best known for playing Harley Quinn in the recent Suicide Squad. She was a slightly above average host, especially considering the premier was her first time hosting. Robbie’s opening monologue was a running gag about lying and fact check. She, along with several different cast members would just be talking about Margot’s week at SNL when they would turn to a side camera and tell the “truth.” The truth was most likely made up considering how absurd some of the asides were. But one fact check aside by Leslie Jones was true. She accidentally called Margot Robbie Kate Upton and says she’s so embarrassed. Then, turning to a side camera, she fact checks herself: “I’m not embarrassed. I’ve done way worse. I called Kate McKinnon Kate Middleton for a year.” The hilarity of Margot’s monologue helped make up for her underutilization in some of the sketches.
The Weeknd was a strong musical guest. He performed two songs: False alarm and Starboy. I liked how he didn’t use a barrage of special effects and showy costumes and instead focused on showcasing the music. False alarm was my favorite of the two he performed, for the simple reason that I couldn’t understand a word he sang in Starboy.
The best sketch of the night was Family Feud: Political edition. Team Clinton: Bill Clinton (Darrell Hammond), Sarah Silverman (Melissa Villaseñor), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Cecily Strong), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Larry David). Team Trump: Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon), Ivanka Trump (guest host Margot Robbie), Gov. Chris Christie (Bobby Moynihan), and Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett).
Needless to say the sketch was hilarious, but the bit that stole the show was Larry David as Bernie Sanders explaining why he is supporting Hillary.
LD: Senator Clinton is the prune juice of this election. She might not seem that appetizing but if you don’t take her now you’re gonna be clogged with crap for a very long time.
The worst sketch of the night was sadly Weekend Update. Weekend Update is a sketch performed each week with two of the same cast members set as anchors. They break down the news of the week and have several guests (cast members doing an impression) come and give their opinion. Normally a highlight of each show, this week’s version fell flat. Colin Jost and Michael Che were the anchors just like last season. Che landed few jokes, but became too preachy at times. The guests, Cecily Strong as a nutjob undecided voter who was impossible to understand, and Kenan Thompson as David Oritz was just boring. I would have completely forgotten the entire segment if it weren’t for Michael Che’s usage of the N-word while imitating Claire Huxtable defending Bill Cosby. Jost, Che’s co-anchor, was shocked but continued on. In my opinion Colin needs a new partner. Michael Che isn’t very funny, and oftentimes makes the audience uncomfortable.
Overall, SNL’s season premiere lived up to expectations. All the political sketches were funny, The Weeknd killed it, and Margot Robbie performed well in the sketches. I give the premiere 8.5 out 10 Next week’s guests are Lin-Manuel Miranda and Twenty One Pilots. With that type of star power, possibilities are endless.
Will next episode be as good as the premier? Could it even be better? We’ll just have to wait and see.
