Most political candidates play themselves on “SNL”, often for just a cameo in a sketch or to declare the show’s famous tag line, “Live from New York – it’s Saturday night!” And when Cyrus, playing Parent Trap star Hayley Mills, condescends to her, Nichols wears that same smile while warning, “All right you got one more time to call me silly”. This led to an enthusiastic response from the crowd.
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The most hilarious moment came when old SNL cast member Darrell Hammond appeared to do his Bill Clinton impression, took one look at the two HRC’s and screamed “Oh my God!”
Instead, SNL cast member Kate McKinnon as Clinton wondered why the nation simply wouldn’t rubber-stamp a Hillary Clinton presidential “inevitability”. In her first sketch, a “Grease” parody, Cyrus more or less played herself in a poodle skirt. Prior in 2008 Clinton appeared in a play which is opposite but similarly dressed Poehler to point out how the actress’ impression was good but not entirely accurate.
In Nielsen’s metered-market overnights, Saturday’s season opener averaged a 4.5 household rating/11 share – up 13% vs. the year-ago premiere (4.0/10) featuring Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. It’s in putting on a ridiculous spectacle and then somehow, miraculously, making us think – even cry? – about real things, even when she doesn’t mean to. The satirical show nails Clinton from every angle and the Democratic front-runner defends her well.
I am not sure what is happening in this 1950s dance sketch, but I guess it’s kinda amusing? In adults 18-49, last night’s 2.0 overnight rating was down a tick from a year ago, but matches the show’s highest score in its final eight originals last season. McKinnon’s Clinton told Clinton’s Val, after hearing her advice.
And when it comes to humanizing the image and brand of Hillary Clinton, perhaps nothing is more humanizing than public humiliation-which is precisely what we all witnessed as Clinton attempted her own Donald Trump impression and then actually sang a song on live TV.
The much anticipated segment made Clinton the brunt of the jokes over how long it took her to come out against the Keystone pipeline and support gay marriage. If you see someone say to you, Wow, that Hillary appearance probably really helped/hurt her, you have my permission to report them to the authorities. “Still, could have been sooner”, McKinnon’s Clinton responds. This is an extended dialogue sequence where McKinnon tries to drink her troubles away while her helpful bartender Val offers words of encouragement. You know she is a hard person to get to know. Mooney’s mounting frustration expressed through a near-dead pan was great (I loved his angry insistence that his friends didn’t need Miley’s “extra money”), and the signature Good Neighbor freaky escalation got insane without getting uncomfortable.
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The wild child pop singer jested that hosting SNL would at least help her parents keep tabs on her whereabouts for the next 90 minutes.
