Saturday Night Live was presumably ready to kick off its 46th season with a big Trump vs. Biden debate sketch cold open. Then came the October surprise.
Yes, SNL made its triumphant return to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center this weekend amidst the still-raging coronavirus pandemic after airing a series of entirely virtual shows this past spring. And even though the debate feels like a “hundred years ago,” SNL stuck with the plan so they could highlight their new mega-guest star in the form of Jim Carrey as former Vice President Joe Biden.
“Good evening, I’m your moderator Chris Wallace and I think I’m going to do a really good job tonight,” Beck Bennett said as the Fox News host at the top of the show before introducing Alec Baldwin’s Trump and Carrey’s Biden. Asked if he was ready, Biden replied, “Absolutely not, but I’ve got the beginning of 46 fantastic ideas.”
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Most of the sketch was a too-close approximation of the actual debate, with Trump talking over Biden at every opportunity and Carrey showing off his creepily accurate impression of the former vice president.
Things kicked up a notch when Cecily Strong appeared in Trump’s head as an amped-up Kimberly Guilfoyle shouting “The best is yet to come!” and Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris took the stage to calm things down.
“Boys, boys, boys, boys, boys, both of you, this stops right now, all right?” Harris said. “Look, I think if there’s one thing we learned tonight, it’s that America needs a WAP: Woman as President. But for now, I’ll settle for HVPIC: Hot Vice President in Charge. So why don’t the two of you finish this debate or whatever the hell this is with dignity? And when you’re done I’ve got some PB and J and apple slices waiting for you.”
But the real high point came when Biden pulled out a remote control and “paused” Trump during his closing statement.
“Sorry, but I think we all needed a break,” he said. “Isn’t that satisfying? Just not to hear his voice for a single goddamn second? Let’s wallow in it. Let’s bask in the Trumplessness.”
Speaking directly to the American people, Biden said, “Look at me. Look directly into my eyeballs. You can trust me because I believe in science and karma. Now, just imagine if science and karma could somehow team up and send us all a message about how dangerous this virus can be.
“I’m not saying I want it to happen. Just imagine if it did,” he continued. “So this November, please get on the Biden train, which is literally a commuter train to Delaware and we can all make America not actively on fire again.”
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