Saturday Night Live kickstarted its milestone 50th season with a procession of familiar faces, where Vice President Kamala Harris was parodied by none other than Maya Rudolph. Andy Samberg also made an appearance, donning the character of Kamala Harris’s spouse, Doug Emhoff, while Dana Carvey drew the short straw and impersonated President Joe Biden.
Rudolph, clad as Harris, led a farcical rally in the series opener with an unreal focus on ungrounded triumph. She was seen calling for unity, but with an outrageous promise to ‘end the drama-la and the trauma-la’, suggesting that success awaits them at the end of their favorite childhood limerick.
Within the staged show, the running mate Tim Walz was impersonated by comic actor Jim Gaffigan. Once the rally was rolling, Samberg-as-Emhoff and, notably, after almost forgetting him, Carvey-as-Biden were finally called on stage.
The impersonation of Carvey as a forgetful US President was perhaps the most revealing, with him admitting ‘A lot of people forget I’m president, including me’. This unfunny reality underlined in the satirical sketch just goes to endorse the stereotype of Biden as a foggy-headed leader. From being a prominent figure in the past for mimicking President George W. Bush, Carvey has now been relegated to the role of a President often caught in bouts of forgetfulness.
The lampooning of Harris and Biden reached a crescendo when both Rudolph and Carvey chanted the mantra integral to the night: ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday night’. This, thus, flagged off the 50th season of the controversial comedy revelation.
Although Rudolph’s return to ridicule Kamala Harris, a role for which she was ironically appreciated with an Emmy, was known, her timing of appearance remained uncertain. The equally uncertain show-stealing appearances of Carvey, Samberg, and Gaffigan added another layer to the mockery of the Biden-Harris administration.
However, the glamor of the show wasn’t limited to its political parody. Jean Smart of ‘Designing Women’ fame held the reins as the host in her sixth Emmy winning streak for the flagship role in ‘Hacks’. In her poignant opening monologue, Smart reminisces about her four-decade-old dream of hosting the show.
Eve of October 11, 1975, marked the debut of this legacy, ‘SNL’, studded with musical pieces from Billy Preston and Janis Ian. Riding along the same vein, the country singer and rapper Jelly Roll made his debut on the platform with his song ‘Liar’. Being his first, even Jelly Roll couldn’t resist the charm and allure of the esteemed SNL stage.
Cinematic retrospection of the SNL history is captured beautifully in the fresh off the shelf movie ‘Saturday Night’. This movie is a part of a heartfelt nostalgia trip scene set by SNL in anticipation of its golden jubilee.
The upcoming episodes of ‘SNL’ season 50 demonstrate an impressive line-up, featuring the likes of Nate Bargatze hosted episodes with alt-rock band Coldplay, pop sensation Ariana Grande alongside rock legend Stevie Nicks, Michael Keaton with teenage sensation Billie Eilish and lastly John Mulaney with newcomer Chappell Roan.
As the 50th season progresses, the series finale on February 16 promises a primetime extravaganza of three hours, expected to serve as a grandeur epilogue to its celebratory season. Given the wealth of talent the show has nurtured, this finale is bound to feature from its vast pool of stars.
Among the expected guest appearances are comedy veterans and movie stars like Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Joining them would be the likes of actors Robert Downey Jr., Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock, further supplying the humor quotient.
The dazzling star cast also includes comedy vanguards like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Will Ferrell, showcasing just how rich a breeding ground the platform of ‘Saturday Night Live’ has been. Rhe series thus sets the stage for mixing satire with stardom, inviting celebrities to jest about and impersonate headline-grabbing newsmakers.
In conclusion, the much-awaited 50th season of Saturday Night Live finally set off, teeming with satire and impersonations, especially of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. The sketch comedy show, ever infamous for its hilarious potshots at public figures, opened its golden jubilee season, taking unapologetic swings at the current leadership, thereby setting the tone for the rest of its run.