Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton couldn’t resist the snark in this cold open, hilariously poking fun at the voter count controversy during Al Gore’s 2000 run!
Jim Carrey‘s Joe Biden loves a good story time, and Halloween is no exception! Cozy in a living room decorated with Halloween trinkets, he addressed the audience in SNL‘s cold open that was so funny, Jim couldn’t contain his laughs. “It’s a spooky time, and the only time Trump’s voters will wear a mask…do you like my decorations? I borrowed Melania‘s Christmas display,” he declared, reminding the American public to get out and vote.
“There’s another holiday right around the corner — election day! But don’t worry, they say I’m eight points ahead! With points like that, it can only go wrong once in a blue moon,” as he looked out the window to see just that before getting ready for story time. After accidentally grabbing Triggered by Donald Trump Jr. (“that one is a little too scary,” he said), he shared his own interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe‘s poem “The Raven.” “”At my chamber door was someone still a little sore,” he read as Kate McKinnon‘s Hillary Clinton appeared. “I think she’s scared of four years more.”
The former First Lady wore her signature blue suit as a raven was perched on her shoulder. “We lost before,” she dramatically reminded Jim’s Joe, flashing back to her own run in 2016. “Even if you do win on Tuesday, the election can still be stolen from you,” she reminded him, making a subtle reference to the popular vote versus electoral collage voting numbers. “I’m going to get sworn in fair and square….all the votes will be accounted for,” Jim’s Joe declared, as Kate’s Hillary hilariously recalled Al Gore‘s 2000 run. “Just like Al Gore?…but the real advantage is you’re not a woman, you’re a man!” she added.
Maya Rudolph then popped in as senator Kamala Harris — Joe’s running mate. “Our nation will endure and we will fight another day…though it’s never a good sign when Wal-Mart stops selling guns. Use your voice and use your vote. Democracy will prevail,” she said, as the pair crossed their fingers and noted everything will be okay no matter what happens. “This daylight savings, let’s gain an hour and lose a president,” Jim’s Joe said.
Following three editions of SNL At Home — which were virtual episodes to close out season 45 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic — season 46 returned to the legendary Studio 8H. The current season was also important for show runner Lorne Michaels and the SNL cast given the upcoming presidential election. “I made the decision early on that we would do something we hadn’t done before, which was five shows in a row,” Lorne explained to Vulture ahead of the premiere. As part of the politically charged season, Jim Carrey came on board to play democratic nominee Joe Biden, while Alec Baldwin reprised his now-iconic Donald Trump. Former regular cast member Maya Rudolph has also had presence as senator Kamala Harris.
“Because there are four debates and then it’s Halloween, and that’s the weekend before the election. And sadly, if the election gets extended, then we’ll be doing six or seven shows in a row,” Lorne further explained, addressing the unusual year for the show. “Fatigue has been part of it, so we’re trying to make sure that everyone is safe and protected and looked after. The show will be compromised on some levels of production, but it will be recognizable as the show you’ve seen all these years,” he added. The show has had strict quarantine rules and protocols in place for cast members, hosts and musical guest that even lead to first-time performer Morgan Wallen removed from the show last minute (Jack White stepped in as a last minute replacement, and paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen).
Of course, there’s been a slew of hilarious political moments, including taking a jab at Kamala’s comfy Converse sneakers, Joe Biden’s long winded answers and Donald Trump’s on-going refusal to answer certain types of questions (such as about his taxes with Savannah Guthrie of TODAY, hilariously spoofed by Kate McKinnon). In one unexpected twist, Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden ended up being the fly taking up residence on VP Mike Pence‘s head (played by Beck Bennett) after his teleportation machine had an unexpected malfunction!