After nearly a month off, “Saturday Night Live” returned with a brand new episode hosted by Jason Bateman and as usual, it kicked things off with a cold open ripped straight from current events.
Of course, given that right now there’s only one big current event of any note (aside of course from the still-deadly COVID-19 pandemic) — Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to steal the 2020 election from winner Joe Biden — you won’t be shocked to learn that the sketch parodied Rudy Giuliani’s excruciatingly embarrassing hearing in the Michigan legislature earlier this week as part of that effort.
That hearing contained quite a few humiliating moments, but it was most infamous for two specific things. The first was witness Melissa Carone, a freelance consultant who briefly worked for Dominion Voting Systems who alleged without a shred of evidence that she witnessed voting fraud. She delivered incoherent testimony riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods while audibly slurring her words as though she was extremely drunk.
The second was the moment when Rudy farted while speaking to Michigan legislators.
Kate McKinnon once again played Rudy, and of course the sketch made numerous jokes about that fart. Then, living up to the express wishes of the Internet, Cecily Strong played Carone and, we’ll be honest, absolutely nailed it by barely even exaggerating.
“I swear to tell my whole story and nothing but my story, so help me Gob,” Strong’s Carone said after she came out.
“Please tell us what exactly you witnessed with the Dominion machines,” asked Mikey Day playing a Michigan state senator.
“Excuse me, maybe try losing the attitude first? Just like you,” Strong’s Carone said while making obnoxious air quotes — “lost all those Trump ballots?”
“I don’t handle ballots,” Day replied.
“Yeah, exactly, so you wouldn’t know, would you?” Strong replied.
“Please just talk,” asked Ego Nwodim as another Michigan legislator.
“You’re gonna regret saying that cuz I personally saw hundreds if not thousands of dead people vote,” Strong replied.
“You saw them?” asked Nwodim.
“Yeah basically, yes. I remember cuz I was walking out they were walking in,” Strong replied. “And then they gave their votes to Democrats, and then you probably did something crazy with them, damn.”
“I don’t handle ballots, and I’m a Republican,” Day interjected.
“Then you’re literally useless. You have no use. Did you check every poll? Did you talk to all the dead people?” Strong asked.
That’s when Nwodim reminded her “We’re state senators.”
Watch the actual testimony here and see for yourself how much Cecily Strong’s version resembled the real thing.
The sketch didn’t specifically parody any other specific moments from the hearing, though it did get across how unhinged and irresponsible the whole thing was with some fake witnesses. Including Beck Bennett as Mike Lindell of My Pillow, who burst into the scene and declared “Did you know a Democrat can hide over a million fake ballots in a My Pillow and still get a great night’s sleep? Refreshed and ready to steal an election. Thanks to My Pillow.”
“Mr. Lindell, is this a commercial for My Pillow?” asked Day.
“I would like it to be, yes!” said Bennet.
Then Nwodim asked: “Are we just gonna let any random person come in here and start talking?” At which point Strong came back for one more appearance as Carone.
“Excuse me. We are all here under oath. And if you wanna talk about random, I voted for Trump yet Biden won?. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe a little too random!” she said.
Of course, the sketch didn’t go in the direction everyone probably expected, as regular “SNL” guest stars Jim Carrey, Maya Rudolph and Alec Baldwin didn’t show up to play Biden, Kamala Harris and Trump as they did during the first six episodes of the season.
But we’ll assume they’ll be back before the year is out — perhaps after the electoral college convenes on Dec. 14 and finally puts an end to Donald Trump’s attempts to steal the election by formally certifying Joe Biden’s victory.