“Saturday Night Live” opened its Oct. 3 episode with two Republican strategists trying to build buzz for their party’s candidates, and the sketch kept turning into a highlight reel. Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla play the schemers, but the guests are the stars, and the jokes land hard on Tom Holland, Mitch McConnell and JD Vance.
The cold open starts with Marcello Hernández as Marco Rubio speaking to constituents in Spanish. Rubio admits that Trump did not live up to expectations, and his endless war is not making things better. Mikey Day follows as a frozen Mitch McConnell, only able to give the peace sign and nearly derailing the fourth wall of the sketch when he mistakenly tries to say “Live from New York” too early.
Vice President JD Vance stopped by, played by Jeremy Culhane. His lack of charisma was mocked when he started his camera test by saying, “Hi, I’m JD Vance,” before getting dismissed. But the real winner of the sketch was Colin Jost returning as Pete Hegseth.
Pete Hegseth Drinks Spider-Man’s Beer
Jost chugged one of Tom Holland’s Bero, which he refers to as, “Spider-Man’s New Non-Alcoholic B—- Beer.” The line was the sketch’s highlight, and it worked because Jost plays Hegseth with a straight face that makes the absurdity land harder.
Hegseth does not just drink the beer. He also urges Republicans to do something shocking: “I need all you patriots at home to do the gayest thing ever and vote.” The line is a direct quote from the cold open, and it is the kind of political absurdism that “SNL” does best.
I’m Putting the God Back in War
Hegseth also noted that, “I’m putting the God back in war and it’s working. Our soldiers are praying a lot more than they used to.” The sketch leans into the religious angle of his political branding, treating it as a punchline rather than a serious platform.
Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, also dropped by. He said, “Let me cook,” which is a reference to his past restaurant work and his current role as a political figure. The line works because it is a simple, honest statement that gets a laugh without needing to be explained.
Trump’s $5,000 Plan
Trump made fun of his real-life plan to reimburse American voters for a Republican midterm win. He said, “$5,000 for every voter, but it’s not a bribe because I have no intention of doing it.” The joke is that the plan is a bribe by design, and his denial of it is the joke.
The Fourth Wall Nearly Falls
The sketch nearly fell apart when Mikey Day’s Mitch McConnell tried to say “Live from New York” too early. That moment of almost-breaking the fourth wall is the kind of thing that makes “SNL” great, and it is a reminder that the show is at its best when it is willing to let things get messy.
The sketch also made a point about the state of the party. The strategists are trying to sell a product that is not working, and the cold open shows that even the best jokes cannot hide the fact that the party’s problems are real.
The Gayest Thing Ever
Hegseth’s line about the “gayest thing ever” is the most memorable moment of the sketch. It is a direct reference to his own political branding, and the sketch uses it to mock him for being his own worst advertisement.
The line works because it is a direct quote from Hegseth, and it is the kind of thing that “SNL” does best. It is a political joke that is also a cultural joke, and it is the kind of thing that makes “SNL” a national institution.
JD Vance’s Camera Test
JD Vance, played by Jeremy Culhane, had a brief but pointed moment in the sketch. His lack of charisma was mocked when he started his camera test by saying, “Hi, I’m JD Vance,” before getting dismissed. The sketch does not spend much time on him, but the camera-test setup delivers the joke quickly.
The sketch is at its best when it is focused on the characters. The lines are sharp, the impressions are strong, and the jokes land because they are based on something real.
The Episode’s Host and Musical Guest
The episode’s host is Dakota Johnson, and the musical guest is Turnstile. Those details matter because they set the tone for the rest of the show.
The cold open is a good way to start the episode. It is a tight, fast sketch that sets the tone for the rest of the show, and it is the kind of opening that “SNL” does best.
KEY FACTS BOX
– Cold open aired on Oct. 3 episode of “Saturday Night Live”
– Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla play Republican strategists
– Marcello Hernández plays Marco Rubio
– Mikey Day plays a frozen Mitch McConnell
– Jeremy Culhane plays JD Vance
– James Austin Johnson plays Trump
– Colin Jost returns as Pete Hegseth
– Dakota Johnson is the episode’s host
– Turnstile is the musical guest
The cold open was a good way to start the episode. It was a tight, fast sketch that set the tone for the rest of the show, and it did exactly that.
Source material: “Pete Hegseth Chugs ‘Spider-Man’s Non-Alcoholic B—- Beer’ in ‘SNL’ Cold Open That Mocks Tom Holland, Mitch McConnell and JD Vance,” Variety.
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