“SNL” can’t wait for Trump to return to the White House — really!

This week Saturday Night Live was proof that we are not yet ready to process the election. It’s a topic that everyone is either tired of or fed up with. Not talking about it feels weird and wrong; Talking about it feels boring, loud and hopeless.

Apparently there was an online petition for this SNL not to go down the sad path it took in the open cold after the 2016 election Kate McKinnon— who had spent the year playing the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton– sang a version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on the piano. (I loved this performance in terms of its value and put it on a par with it in terms of its emotional impact SNLis the first post-9/11 show where everyone is the most popular mayor at the time. Rudolf Giulianistood flanked by NYC firefighters and police officers.) Dignity Maya Rudolphwho I hope at least had a good, tearful phone call with the Vice President Kamala Harris coming out this week? Would the cold be openly gloomy or indignant or sincere? And what would even feel “right” if every reaction feels exhausting and wrong in the moment?

All in all, the cold open worked for me. It started with veterinarians Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Ego NwodimAnd Heidi Gardner They spoke stone-facedly into the camera, reciting the stunning premise of President-elect Trump’s decisive victory as if they were human resources reading a script. But then they all flipped the script and marveled at the emperor’s fantastic wardrobe. Whatever the lamestream media’s problem with Trump was, this SNL The family always had his back. (All except Michael Chewarned Colin Jostspelling out his co-host’s last name, just in case Trump wanted to work on his enemies list.) “I was one of the proud 8% [of Black women] “Whoever voted for you,” Nwodim promised. “If we find out that someone here voted for Kamala, we will betray them so quickly,” Yang said. Sarah Sherman presented him with their “three new disgusting actors” as scapegoats for revenge.

Someone remained poor James Austin Johnsonwho, in my opinion, was the drunkest performer of all on Tuesday, wearing a “hot jacked Trump” muscle suit. “Hail King” Marcello Hernández praised. The only big laugh at the opening was Dana CarveyThe pivotal point of the role of the president Joe Biden to play Elon Musk. He jumped around and threw his arms in the air like an idiot – I’ll miss you the most, Governor Walz– and then the cast treated the disaffected young men of America to a rendition of “YMCA.” Good, tender chaos.