'SNL': Elmo attempts to murder viral nemesis Rocco the rock in explosive 'Weekend Update'
Elmo, played by Chloe Fineman, was all smiles for his "Weekend Update" appearance on "Saturday Night Live." That is, until his viral nemesis Rocco rolled up.
Earlier this month, the furry red Muppet garnered the adoration of adult fans on social media after soundbites and clips of the "Sesame Street" mainstay telling off Rocco, his friend Zoe's pet rock, resurfaced.
But on this weekend's "SNL," Fineman's Elmo assured "Weekend Update" anchor Michael Che that he and the inanimate object have buried the hatchet.
"OK, Elmo, admit Elmo overreacted," he said. "And Elmo has already apologized in a long Instagram post. Elmo ready to move on."
That was perfect because, to Elmo's surprise, Che also invited Rocco, who slid in on a miniature rolling chair.
"What? Why does Rocco get a chair?" the Muppet asked. "Rocco doesn't need a chair. Rocco doesn't even have legs! Rocco's a rock! What is Rocco doing here?"
Che only set Fineman's Elmo off even more, when he explained Rocco was in the building getting a coronavirus test.
"How is Rocco getting a COVID test?" he fumed. "Rocco doesn’t even have a nose! Rocco doesn’t even have a respiratory system!"
Che then dropped an even bigger bomb: Rocco would be doubling as an "SNL" host and musical guest next month.
"Rocco is host and musical guest? How?" Fineman's Elmo shouted. "Don't gaslight Elmo! Elmo feel like Elmo going insane here."
But when Che offered his last cookie to Rocco, that was the final straw.
"The last cookie? The last cookie? It's happening again!" Fineman's Elmo said, before unleashing a scream in flames, a reference to the viral meme of the Muppet on fire.
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Then Elmo did what Elmo had to do, taking out a sheet of paper. "That's it! Paper covers rock, Prepare to die, Rocco!" he shouted, before smothering the rock.
Earlier this month, a 2004 "Sesame Street" clip went viral on Twitter (with more than 100,000 retweets in a week) in which Elmo loses his cool after being denied a cookie because, according to his Muppet friend Zoe, her pet rock Rocco is going to eat it.
Elmo's response: "Rocco doesn't even have a mouth, Rocco's just a rock. Rocco's not alive."
After the exchange blew up, Elmo asked Twitter to weigh in: "Has anybody ever seen a rock eat a cookie? Elmo is just curious," the character tweeted on Jan. 5.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SNL: Elmo confronts viral nemesis Rocco the Rock on 'Weekend Update'
