With the midterm elections just three days away, Saturday Night Live returned from a two-week hiatus with a cold open that hijacked a Halloween fan favorite to deliver a pointed political message. Tom Hanks reprised his role as the enigmatic David S. Pumpkins from the Oct. 31 sketch, joined by skeleton dancers including former cast member Bobby Moynihan. The haunted amusement park ride was quickly interrupted, however, when James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump commandeered the platform to address the approaching ballot.
“We both appeared in 2016,” the Trump character remarked of Pumpkins, drawing a comparison between the eccentric character and himself. “We’re both very loud, very orange, and very, frankly, annoying.” The sketch featured Johnson mocking Republican polling numbers, comparing the political landscape of Texas to his discolored hand, and reluctantly urging viewers to support Republican Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico—whom Trump dubbed “Tala-FREAK-o.” The segment also revisited recent remarks regarding men’s backsides, with Hanks becoming a recipient of the character’s admiration.
Following a quick impression of Nicki Minaj highlighting her support for the MAGA movement, a parody of former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia botched the program’s signature opening line. Despite the imminent elections, the episode largely confined its political commentary to the opening sketch and a few “Weekend Update” jokes. Colin Jost opened the weekend segment by running a montage of remarks regarding Ohio Sen. Jon Husted‘s backside to extend the running posterior joke.
Outside of the political cold open, the broadcast leaned heavily on nostalgia and guest appearances. Bobby Moynihan returned as his recurring “Drunk Uncle” persona during “Weekend Update,” joined on stage by Milwaukee Brewers players Christian Yelich and Brice Turang alongside manager Pat Murphy, who brought the World Series trophy with them.
Host Inde Navarrette used the monologue to take direct aim at previous host Shane Gillis, whose remarks weeks prior describing women at the gym in derogatory terms had drawn widespread criticism. Discussing the fitness demands required for an upcoming Marvel role, Navarrette turned the previous comments back around: “Every morning, I put on my ‘little whore outfit,’ and I hit the gym,” drawing cheers and applause from the audience. Gracie Abrams served as the evening’s musical guest.
