Bill Burr hosted a post-election “SNL” that he couldn’t quite sit through

The last time “Saturday Night Live” aired an episode after Donald Trump won the presidential election was on November 12, 2016when Dave Chappelle hosted. The cold opener was a sombre Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton “singing.”Hallelujah,” and the monologue and sketch that followed felt like perfectly worded, clever responses to a shocking outcome.

The first episode after the 2024 election was hosted by stand-up comedian Bill Burr, and the episode…wasn’t that at all. The show tried a few different approaches for just one week after Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the showincluding a cold opener that mocked Trump by having the entire cast pretend to support him, and a Burr monologue that, depending on how you look at it, was either completely insensitive to dejected Harris supporters, particularly women, or provocative was ironic.

When “Weekend Update” came out, with two non-election-related character parts missing the mark, the sketches felt tired and rote, with poor premise and weak writing. It never recovered after that. If the show was based on the guest host’s feelings, one has to wonder in retrospect whether it was the right decision to schedule Burr as host days after such a divisive election. There were a few minor bright spots, including a “Good Will Hunting” parody and a Promo for a “Sex Rock” CDplus a few that we’ll talk about below, but the rest were forgettable, unfunny, or both.

Meanwhile, musical guest Mk.gee (a man and not a website) performed: “Rock man” And “Alesis.” There was no Please Don’t Destroy video, as was the case with every episode but one this season.

The show honored producer Quincy Jones, who died this weekwith a title card before the final farewell. He hosted the show in 1990.

You might think that “SNL” would be full-throated denouncing the Trump victory, but instead this week’s cold public joked about the president-elect in a different way: with mock flattery.

The cast faced the audience and recounted the election results before Kenan Thompson said, “That’s why on ‘SNL’ we want to say Donald Trump… we’ve been with you the whole time!” Cast members like Ego Nwodim and Marcello Hernández joked that everyone in voted for Trump during the occupation. “Because we see ourselves in you. We look at you and think… ‘That’s me,'” Nwodim said.

Colin Jost even seemed to offend his “Weekend Update” co-star, saying, “I hate how the lame media – Michael Che – tries to twist it to make you look stupid.” He also spelled out Che’s last name to make it easier for Trump to remember.

A muscular, red bandana with a “hot, jacked” version of Trump was introduced by impressionist James Austin Johnson, who, as Trump, said: “Finally they got the body right.” The skit ended with Dana Carvey as a fist punching, jumping Elon Musk returned, saying he now runs the country, which will be like one of his rockets. “But there is a small chance it will explode and everyone will die,” Musk said.

Should Bill Burr’s comedy be taken at face value, or is he doing a high-wire self-parody in the vein of edgelord comedy? drew ire after a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden? From Burr’s monologue, which began with a story about catching the flu, it was hard to tell with an ethnic slur: “You’re trying to figure out who gave you the flu. You go through this Rolodex of people who have coughed on you, smelled you near you, walked past an Asian man or something like that.” Burr finally got to the campaign material and began teaching the women a lesson: “Okay, ladies , you’re 0-2 against this guy.” He suggested female candidates give up on pantsuits, give up trying to have respect for themselves and “whore it up a little.” He pointed out that “ugly women… I mean feminists” don’t want to hear that, but candidates need to win over swing states by “making a farmer feel like he has a chance.” Burr pivoted at Trump, mocked his jerky movements that he said would have thwarted an assassination attempt, and reprimanded him for his appearance at McDonald’s. “That was the only time I ever saw that guy really happy,” Burr said.

Best sketch of the night: Mike Wazowski like you’ve never seen him before

A group of firefighters at a Boston station gather for a meeting with a mental health specialist (Heidi Gardner), who shows the group a series of Rorschach test images. While some of the men see things in the black and white images, Ralphie (Burr) keeps seeing color images of Disney characters in compromising positions. One of them is Mike Wazowski from “Monsters Inc.” in wedding lingerie and high heels. Another shows a topless Elsa from Frozen and Olaf running away with her bra. Snoopy and Charlie Brown, Master Chief from “Halo”, the dead woman from “Up” and Bandit, the dog father from “Bluey”, are there. It’s a very silly premise, but the dedication to the part works, especially the incredibly specific details that Ralphie knows about so many cartoon characters.

Also good: fathers who talk about everything but themselves

Two pickleball players (Devon Walker and Andrew Dismukes) decide to call their fathers and ask how they are doing. The fathers (Thompson and Burr) divert, with one of them just wanting to talk about the Philadelphia Eagles and the other steering the conversation toward his son’s car. It turns out both dads are going through a lot and are willing to talk about it in metaphors about their sports team or their cars. “Last week the Eagles fell in the shower,” Thompson said. “I thought, ‘This is where the Eagles might die.’ “It’s a funny and surprisingly touching piece.

“Weekend Update” winner: Oh no, there’s a ballot from Pennsylvania in that purse

Thompson appeared on “Weekend Update” as Willie, the most optimistic guy Michael Che knowsbut it was Nwodim who made the bigger impression as “A Woman Who Can’t Find Anything in Her Purse.” The massive purse contains a dead goldfish in a pocket, a gun, a smaller overnight bag and an uncounted ballot from Pennsylvania. What did she want to find? Nothing really, she says: “It helps you get your point across when you have to leave in anger.”