By Sophie Jonsson
After an almost five-month break, Saturday Night Live is back for its 44th season. With the never-ending news cycle, Adam Driver as host, and Kanye West as the musical guest, the cast and crew of Studio 8H had plenty of material to deliver an action-packed season premiere.
Kavanaugh Cold Open
Brett Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, while most of the writing for SNL is done on Tuesdays. That means that the thirteen minute cold open hilariously recreating Kavanaugh’s hearing was completely put together in a matter of days. Yet, judging from the finished product, you would have thought that they had been preparing it for weeks. Several of the cast members shined as various senators such as Chuck Grassley (Alex Moffat), Diane Feinstein (Cecily Strong), Orrin Hatch (Beck Bennett), and an enraged Lindsey Graham (Kate McKinnon). Not to mention a surprise appearance from SNL Alum Rachel Dratch as Senator Amy Klobuchar, Aidy Bryant as “female prosecutor” Rachel Mitchell, and a cardboard cutout of Alyssa Milano. But there was no denying that the show’s choice to stunt-cast Kavanaugh with Matt Damon was the shock of the evening. Damon walked in sniffling and screaming, which only continued throughout the sketch with the addition of several glasses of water and a beer. While everyone in the sketch has their moments of hilarity, what makes the sketch so successful is the humor that is utilized in the already existent material. Many of the jokes are things that actually happened, such as Kavanaugh breaking out his 1982 calendars, his “I drank beer” and “I don’t know, did you?” lines, chugging water, his insistent declaration that he was a virgin in high school, and of course, Lindsey Graham’s “audition for Trump’s cabinet.” Since its airing, the cold open already has over 12 million views on YouTube, so if this first sketch of the season is any indication of the success of SNL’s political commentary, viewers are in for another exciting year.
The Cast
With new opening titles, it is revealed that the cast is largely the same as Season 43. Previously featured players Mikey Day, Alex Moffat, and Melissa Villaseñor have been promoted to repertory players, while Heidi Gardner and Chris Redd remain featured players. Since Luke Null was announced to be parting ways with the show, that meant that at least one spot had to be filled, and on Saturday we learned it has been filled by comedian Ego Nwodim. Nwodim got little air-time, however, it was only her first show, and judging by the endearing support at the end of the show by her fellow castmates, it seems as though Nwodim will eventually find her niche.
Live Sketches
After Driver’s monologue about how obnoxious discussions about other people’s summers are, the show jumped right into its first live sketch about two boys (Kyle Mooney and Pete Davidson) playing Fortnite with a dad (Driver) trying to learn how to connect with his son. Afterward, other live sketches included “Coffee Shop” and “Career Day,” both of which have been done before by previous hosts such as Ryan Gosling and Chance the Rapper. Nonetheless, Driver dressed in old-man makeup as Abraham H. Parnassus to teach his son Mordechai (Pete Davidson) and his classmates about his oil baron stole the show, all while giving Driver a chance to tap into his unmistakable Kylo Ren intensity. While many jokes were made about Star Wars, Driver wasn’t ultimately there to promote it, or anything really. His latest movie, BlacKkKlansman, came out in August, however, it was still referenced in the final sketch of the night, “Neo-Confederate Meeting.” In the sketch, during a meeting of white-supremacists discussing their ideal society, Driver’s character suggests that they all move to Vermont. What ensues is a back and forth that ultimately comes to the conclusion that Vermont is a place where “the leaves change color but the people never do.”
Digital Sketches
There were two short-film sketches: “80s Party” and “A New Kyle”. “80s Party” was another take on Kavanaugh’s young-adult life that referenced a typical frat party, all while adding what happened to the party’s guests in their adult futures. “A New Kyle” took a similar tone to previous sketches done regarding the fictitious romantic relationship between Kyle Mooney and Leslie Jones, yet this sketch played on Kyle’s relationship with fellow cast
member Pete Davidson and his newfound fame due to his engagement to Ariana Grande. While trying to recreate Pete’s look and lifestyle, Mooney delivers a comedic and quirky performance that, unlike his look, remains true to his comedy and personality.
Weekend Update
Just under two weeks after their Emmys hosting gig, Co-Anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che returned to the Weekend Update desk. Accompanied by appearances by Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Kate McKinnon), Pete Davidson, and an impassioned too-too wearing Serena Williams/Leslie Jones (who was upset they cut her desk piece due to her story being “old news,”) Jost and Che proved their charm and friendship is alive and well. The co-head writers delivered jokes covering everything from the Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot to Bill Cosby’s prison sentence, laughing through it all.
Overall, the premiere had its ups and downs. Driver isn’t a classic comedic host who knows the show inside and out, yet he was able to prove why he was invited back a second time in select sketches, particularly “Career Day.” The cast seems ready to take on a new season and all of the upcoming news. And if Kanye’s “Make America Great Again” hat is any indication, the cast (and Alec Baldwin) will have no shortage of material. Next week’s host will be Awkwafina with musical guest Travis Scott, and the week after that will be alum Seth Meyers with musical guest Paul Simon. Here’s to a great 44th season of Saturday Night Live!