The federal government is still shut down, food stamps are being cut off for millions of Americans, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still grinding it out with the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series Game 7 and there are big elections in New York City, Virginia and New Jersey on coming this week. So, of course, tonight’s Saturday Night Live opened with a fictional Big Apple Mayoral debate.
As the Kenan Thompson-portrayed New York newsman Errol Louis (“the least famous person to be impersonated on SNL”) spoke truth to aspiring power: “Why would you want the worst job in the word?”
Returning host Miles Teller played ex-Empire State governor and alleged sexual harasser Andrew Cuomo (“I know this city like the back of a women’s back”), and the SNL-fired and later host Shane Gillis put on the red beret to be low-polling Republican candidate and Guardian Angel CEO Curtis Sliwa. Upping the ante, Ramy Youssef showed up as front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
Pitching himself to New Yorkers, Youssef’s much mispronounced Mamdani put in bluntly and smoothly in that TikTok kinda way that has characterized the long-shot race that the Assemblyman is almost certain to win: “Once you vote for me, you know you’ll feel a little less bad about that chicken and rice shop getting turned into a Sweetgreen, so why don’t you hit me up on the ballot box, girl?”
SNL being SNL, even in what was ultimately one of the most topical but forgettable cold opens in ages, cast member James Austin Johnson showed up as Donald Trump.
Swearing that his go-to bagel order is a “Big Mac with a hole in the middle,” the former New York resident cut to the chase and pronounced “this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it’s about me, right?”
Which, almost everything in America is nowadays — sadly. Then, Johnson’s Trump launched into a bit of Phantom of the Opera, with the mask — and then thankfully the seemingly shorter than usual cold open was over with the traditional “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
The fourth episode of the Lorne Michaels-created NBC late-nighter’s 51st season, SNL tonight sees Teller back as host for a second time. The Top Gun: Maverick and Eternity star is actually the SNL rookie this week compared to musical guest Brandi Carlile. Back for a third time as a solo performer, the 11-time Grammy winner also showed up on SNL in April for a stint with Elton John.
Next week will see returning Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser make her SNL host debut. The November 15 show will have Chad Powers star Glen Powell playing frontman for the first time. As Deadline exclusively reported earlier this week, SNL will have a double punch of Thanksgiving and Christmas specials later this year too.
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