For the first episode of Saturday Night Live since the 2024 Election, the cast opened with an address that began with a serious tone about Trump’s attempt to forcibly overturn the 2020 Election results and his desire for vengeance against his political enemies.

But they quickly pivoted to a joking-not-joking appeasement bit, where they introduced a new “hot, jacked Trump” impression, and a Colin Jost donning a QAnon-Shaman horned fur hat.

It was hard not to read a sense of misgiving and squelched yet earnest fear in many of the castmembers’ faces. It remains to be seen if future lampoons of Trump will softened to avoid his ire.

It was compounded by the fact that host Bill Burr failed to compliment it with any kind of hard-hitting take on recent events, instead delivering an apolitical set, save for telling women to “whore it up a little.”

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• Saturday Night Live – Cold Open, 11/9/2024 (NBC)
• Here’s How People Are Responding To “SNL” Jokingly Praising Donald Trump In Their Post-Election Cold Open (Buzzfeed)
• Saturday Night Live – Bill Burr Monologue, 11/9/2024 (NBC)
• ‘S.N.L.’ Cast Makes Its Case to Stay off Trump’s Enemies List (NY Times)
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