John Mulaney hosts with musical guest Chappell Roan

Ahoy Coneheads! To fill the gap of last weekend’s lack of Saturday Night Live, I joined the Sunday evening Zoom series Democracy ’24 Town Halls: America at a Crossroads, in which former SNL writer Jim Downey reminisced with MSNBC anchor, and Harvard Lampoon alumni Lawrence O’Donnell about his many legendary political sketches at the show and thoughts on the state of comedy during the current election cycle. It was a reminder how deep the show’s political influence actually goes — dating back to the 1976 election, when SNL’s portrayal of President Gerald Ford partially contributed to his loss against Jimmy Carter.

Tonight, days before the 2024 presidential election, the show has a final opportunity to shape the discourse around Kamala Harris (who has made a last minute pit stop in NYC today…) and, yes, Donald Trump. Tonight’s episode is fronted by Five-Timers Club member John Mulaney, whose “Horse in a Hospital” bit on Trump is a definitive commentary trying to explain the surreal moment we are in.

Mulaney is having a great 2024. John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. streamed live on Netflix in May and the former SNL writer was tapped to host a new live variety talk show for the streamer. A few weeks back, it was announced that Mulaney would return to Broadway in the Simon Rich play All In: Comedy About Love, acting opposite Fred Armisen and Chloe Fineman.

It’s SNL in Review: the 50th-anniversary season recap. Buckle up – the next few hours/days/weeks may get bumpy. In the meantime, let’s enjoy tonight’s episode.

Check back for live updates throughout tonight’s show!

Cold Open

Chloe Fineman is back playing CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, intercutting between the two candidate rallies. This format allows us to jump to James Austin Johnson’s rambling, vested Donald Trump. “Where the hell am I, this place reeks,” he laments. He’s exhausted. “Nobody cares,” he hisses, before inviting JD Vance (Bowen Yang) on stage. In an interesting edit for SNL, Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) cuts off the rally, which she’s been watching on TV. She’s been personally texting every voter in America. Her husband Doug Emhoff (Andy Samberg) is planning to sue the show Doug for taking his name and likeness.

Maya Rudolph and Kamala Harris on ‘SNL’.

NBC

Dana Carvey enters the chat as President Joe Biden. Former SNL cast member Siobhan Fallon Hogan was on the show back when the comic was dominating with his iconic George Bush impression. She recalls to Entertainment Weekly: “Carvey is not only an absolute genius but is a fantastic guy who was very supportive and encouraging to me and the entire cast. He is one of a kind and his talent is insane – so specific and exact!”

Rudolph’s Kamala is finally alone – and wants to chat with someone who has been in her shoes. Then, we get it: dueling Kamalas! The real candidate is here! They touch on the laugh and some of the candidate’s other tics. “Keep Calm-ala/Kamala and carry-on-ala!” While this isn’t Obama stopping by the Clinton Halloween party, this is still fun.

“I am going to vote for us!” says Rudolph with pride, before the real VPOTUS jokingly asks whether she’s a registered Pennsylvania voter.

Monologue

Mulaney is back hosting for a sixth time. He notes he has a 5-week-old daughter and a 34-inch-tall 2-year-old. Everyone in his home is small. He wonders when his parents will be old ala the grandparents from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. It sounds like eventually he will have hip replacement surgery. He talks about his grandfather, who grew up over 100 years ago on a dairy farm from Wisconsin and large Catholic families. He was too old to even fight World War II. A very solid Mulaney monologue, decidedly apolitical – at least in terms of commenting on Tuesday.

“What’s That Name: Election Edition”

Election edition! The game show contestants are Ben and Margaret Atwood (Sarah Sherman). Early answers are Jack Smith and Doug Emhoff. Mulaney’s Ben nails both, as this is the most important election of our lifetimes. Democracy is on the line! In another surprise cameo, Hillary Clinton’s VP appears and asks Mulaney to remember his name. In 2016, Mulaney also claimed democracy was on the line so surely he knows his name. Yes? Nope. (It’s Tim Kaine.) Michael Longfellow takes over for Bill Hader here – big shoes! This is fun, not sure he captures the same indifferent malevolence.

“Beppo”

Credit: ew.com