‘SNL’ Drags Donald Trump, Jim Jordan, Lauren Boebert Groping Scandal and Republican Drama in Cold Open

Live from somewhere near New York, it’s yet another recap of an original broadcast of “Saturday Night Live.”

The venerable late-night NBC series, now just two episodes into its 49th season, kicked off the show with a satirical look at the Republican Party. “SNL” skewered Rep. Jim Jordan’s efforts to win the battle for U.S. Speaker of the House, Rep. George Santos’ ongoing legal imbroglio, Rep. Lauren Boebert’s recent scandal and, of course, former President Donald Trump.

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The opening sketch featured Mikey Day as Rep. Jim Jordan, Chloe Fineman as Rep. Lauren Boebert (who happened to be seated in a theater, the site of her groping scandal), Bowen Yang as Rep. George Santos carrying a mystery baby and James Austin Johnson as former President Donald Trump.

The show also featured surprise cameos by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, who took part in two different sketches, as well as Lady Gaga, who introduced the first musical segment featuring Bad Bunny. Notable sketches of the evening included one in which both Bad Bunny and actor Pedro Pascal leaned heavily on a new woman their son was dating; a new video from the in-house comedy troop “Please Don’t Destroy”; and a taped segment depicting a homeless man asking a Wall Street titan for a job against the backdrop of a subway car filled with crazy and off-putting antics.

One of the final sketches of the evening raised eyebrows by depicting a cloistered group of nuns discussing a male in their midst who was having sexual relations with many of them. The man in question turned out to be Jagger, playing a “sister” who was really a man.

“SNL” stars include Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Punkie Johnson, Ego Nwodim, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang, while “Weekend Update” co-anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost are back. Upped to regular cast status are James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman, while returning featured players are Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker.

“SNL” runs live across the U.S. all at once, including in primetime on the west coast. The show is one of the most-watched entertainment programs on TV among viewers between 18 and 49, the demographic most preferred by advertisers.

NBCUniversal has already started negotiating with advertisers for sponsorships tied to the landmark 50th season of “SNL,” slated to debut in the fall of 2024. In March, “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels made a presentation in Studio 8H, the show’s longtime home at NBC’s New York headquarters, to around 100 advertisers about what to expect as the anniversary draws near. NBC plans a series of retrospectives around “SNL” as well as at least one documentary about the program.

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