“SNL” took on the vice presidential debate in Sunday’s cold open, but it was still Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris who took center stage. The cold open was framed with Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff (played by Andy Samberg) watching the VP debate from home. After Samberg’s Emhoff described himself as a GRILF – “which means golden retriever I’d like to French” – Rudolph’s Harris confessed she was nervous about the debate.
The sketch then cut to the debate itself with Bowen Yang reprising his role as GOP running mate JD Vance and Jim Gaffigan back as Tim Walz.
“I wanna begin with something that’ll appeal to women voters,” Yang’s Vance said. “I understand both moderators tonight are mothers and I like that.”
Cut to Gaffigan’s Walz, caught off guard – “I gotta grade these papers, got a stack of midterms,” he said in a fluster while holding papers.
The cold open played heavily on Walz’s awshucks persona during the debate, cutting back to Rudolph’s Harris who said, “OK, OK he’s out there he’s doing his thing, whatever that may be.” Samberg’s Emhoff replied, “Do you wanna watch something less stressful like the Menendez Brothers show.”
Instead, Rudolph’s Harris suggested they rewatch her debate with Donald Trump. “Remember when I said his crowds were tiny and I broke his brain?”
The debate showed Walz continuing to be flustered, with Samberg’s Emhoff saying, “As a goofy white guy, this really sets my guys back. I’m in a group chat with Josh Gad and Jason Kelce and the mood is dark.”
The cold open also played up Vance and Walz’s agreeable relationship during the debate and lack of tension, with the two saying the same thing at the same time and turning and reaching their hands out to one another.
“Why are they friends? Why are they vibing?,” Rudolph’s Harris said.
Dana Carvey then joined Rudolph and Samberg, making his second appearance as president Joe Biden. “Hey kiddo, let me give you a little bit of a pep talk,” he said. “Here’s the deal. I’m being serious right now. Look at me. I’m serious right now. The vice president doesn’t matter.”
Ice cream in hand, Carvey’s Biden added, “Who the hell was Obama’s VP? Nobody knows.”
Carvey got the last line, pushing his ice cream into Rudolph’s face: “You’re gonna be a great president, and when you’re done it’ll be my turn. Biden 2028!”
