We open on the White House lawn. President Trump (Alec Baldwin) fields questions with the help of his “super important notes” written in big “black licorice”.
He denies allegations revealed in the Ukraine investigation and tries to spin some of the damning testimony given to Congress by Ambassador Gordon Sondland, only for Sondland (Will Ferrell) to show up and incriminate him further. After Ferrell and Baldwin trip over each other’s lines, we’re abruptly hit with “Live From New York!” I didn’t think it possible for the cold opens to get any lazier, but here we are. At this point they’re almost impressive in their badness but hey, at least this one was short.
This is Ferrell’s fifth turn as host. He begins by recounting his years as a cast member but becomes distracted when he spots actor Ryan Reynolds sitting in the front row. Suddenly, the host is reduced to a giddy fan. He begins giggling, gawking and rambling, suddenly taking up a Tracy Morgan impersonation – he explains, “Whenever I get nervous I go into Tracy Morgan. In fact, I delivered my wedding vows in this voice!” – much to Reynolds’ embarrassment.
Then the actual Tracy Morgan shows up, spouting nonsense about prophecies, Star Wars and the River Styx. It’s a mess but an enjoyable one. Morgan is always welcome and Reynolds is a surprisingly good straight man.
Heinz Relax is a new container designed to keep the ketchup bottle from making fart noises when you squeeze it. The only problem is that the new noise, supposed to be a relaxed sigh, sounds more like a female orgasm. Like the cold open, the sketch is over almost as soon as it begins.
And now, the Democratic Debate. #SNL pic.twitter.com/rLnVaZ8cO4
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 24, 2019
Next up is MSNBC’s coverage of the latest Democratic debate, which is overrun by nominees.
There’s “overambitious” Elizabeth Warren (Kate McKinnon); America’s “fun aunt” (or “funt”), Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph); “adorable” Mayor Pete (Colin Jost); on-the-mend socialist Bernie Sanders (Larry David); shaky moderate Amy Klobuchar (Rachel Dratch); toothy and out of touch Joe Biden (Woody Harrelson); coy billionaire Michael Bloomberg (Fred Armisen); and “underdog candidate and tonight’s villain” Tulsi Gabbard (Cecily Strong). Cory Booker and Andrew Yang are also present, but as in real life they don’t have much to say or do.
McKinnon’s Warren and Rudolph’s Harris continue to grate – blame the writing in the latter case, as Rudolph does the best with what she’s given – while David’s Sanders is great as ever and Harrelson continues to steal the show as Biden. It’s messy and overstuffed but given its energy and star power it’s baffling it wasn’t chosen for the cold open. Baldwin’s contract must say he’s got to be out before midnight.
In First Thanksgiving, Pocahontas introduces her new boyfriend, John Smith, to her family. They’re all welcoming except for her grandfather, a cranky old bigot who rants about “illegal pale faces” taking over the country. It’s all a bit too on-the-nose, the writing unwittingly lending credence to the rightwing talking points it attempts to mock: white settlers, meant to be stand-ins for modern-day immigrants, were responsible for all the things Ferrell’s patriarch accuses them of. Not that it much matters, as the sketch turns into a prolonged poop joke.
Party Song sees a high school rager crashed by Mr B, an AP English teacher undergoing a midlife crisis. Few can make genuine desperation as funny as Ferrell, and his performance elevates an already catchy and clever musical number.
Next, Pizza Ad sees a middle-class family land a starring role in a commercial for their favorite pizza joint, only to fall apart under pressure. Ferrell’s unhinged monologue about how lost he is without his wife – “She let me believe in Santa Claus until I was 28 years old and what did I give in return? At our wedding I sneezed on the altar and broke her nose with my head!” – is particularly great. These sketches make for a wonderful one-two punch, followed up nicely by musical guest King Princess, who plays her catchy single 1950.
This Bertucci’s commercial took...a weird turn. #SNL pic.twitter.com/B6eXHVRCrY
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 24, 2019
Weekend Update continues its coverage of the House impeachment investigations, Jost hoping the president makes good on his threat to testify. “Can you imagine if both Trump and Giuliani testified on live TV? The ratings would be insane. It would be like the Super Bowl but with worse brain damage.”
Jost then welcomes his guest, Guy Who Just Bought a Boat (Alex Moffatt). There to give dating advice for the “Holiday sleazeon”, the smug yuppie scumbag runs down a litany of crude double entendres, impressively getting “green bean asserole” past the censors, before bringing out Reynolds as his “fra-bra from Siggy-Eps”, Guy Who Knows the Owner.
King Princess returns and performs Hit the Back. In the night’s final sketch, Ferrell plays ventriloquist Wally Colepepper. His act starts out well enough, as he and dummy Chippy perform some classic routines. Things take a turn once Chippy’s refrain of “ … with a man’s hand up your butt!” stops being a snappy comeback and turns into a desperate cry for help. Kenan Thompson, playing an outraged member of the audience, gets the best lines in a middle-of-the-road closer.
Ferrell’s game hosting and the stream of surprise guests improved an otherwise bland episode, although given the sheer volume of talent on stage throughout the night it is disappointing memorable moments were in short supply. And as for the cold open … perhaps this was its nadir?
