Did ‘SNL’ Just Whack Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump Impression, ‘Sopranos’ Style?

Based on last night’s cold open and monologue, the end of SNL Season 43 couldn’t have come soon enough, as the show has clearly filled this season’s quota of original ideas.

At first, though, it seemed they’d found a new one. The cold open began in a diner in New Jersey. The president (Alec Baldwin) walks in, takes a table, asks a waitress (Heidi Gardner) the difference between HIV and HPV out of nowhere – a chance to milk laughs from a recent news item without context – and then the music starts, and it’s Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Now, it seems like the show has found an interesting idea, comparing the current Trump scandals to the final episode of The Sopranos. But maybe the notion of aping a scene that was legendary for its nebulousness was not the wisest. The president is soon joined by Rudy Giuliani (Kate McKinnon), Michael Cohen (Ben Stiller, now officially in an arc on the show), and presidential sons Donald Jr. (Mikey Day) and Eric (Alex Moffat, who does a funny bit parallel parking a Big Wheel).

The discussion turns around how Cohen will wind up in prison and Giuliani can’t stop revealing crimes on national TV. Then, Robert Mueller (Robert De Niro) walks in, and sits at another table. Only the president sees him. Is he real, or just a manifestation of Trump’s fear?

The answer, it turns out, is irrelevant. Mueller walks to the bathroom, makes an “I’m watching you” hand gesture to Trump, and the scene cuts to black, like the controversial finale of The Sopranos. Did Lorne Michaels just whack Alec Baldwin? We’ll likely have to wait until next September to find out. After a few seconds, the scene returns, and everyone in it says, “Live, from New York, It’s Saturday Night,” at which point it felt like the show simply punted on the final shots, unable to find a joke to fill the space.

Host Tina Fey talked briefly in her monologue about how it’s been 20 years since she started working on the show, then took questions from the audience. Here, we got the now-requisite parade of celebrity drop-ins. Jerry Seinfeld asked if there were too many celebrities on the show these days, as it took time from the show’s cast members. Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Rock made pleas to join the cast – especially ironic in the case of former cast member Rock, who truly evolved as a comedian only after leaving the show. Fred Armisen also asked if the focus on former cast members took time from the current cast. The answer – yes. It does. Anne Hathaway then freaked out about seeing De Niro, which was silly, since they’ve starred in a film together. Even Donald Glover made an appearance, saying he forgot his hat last week. Tracy Morgan took up the final slot, for a sentimental appearance to wish Fey a happy birthday. In case you miss the point – CELEBRITIES LOVE SNL!

The first sketch took us to the royal wedding, as Prince Harry (Day) made a video of the late night shenanigans as the event wound down. This was a roundabout of quick bits, none laugh-out-loud funny, but most were amusing. Highlights included Cecily Strong as Kate Middleton, sloshed after one glass of champagne; Moffat as Prince William, busting a move (but only after Harry hits him with a few bald jokes); Kenan Thompson as a relative of Meghan Markle, imploring McKinnon’s Queen Elizabeth to visit Philadelphia; Aidy Bryant as Elton John; Gardner as a friend of Markle’s who worked with her on Deal or No Deal, and brought her briefcase; and Tina Fey as Harry’s Auntie Creepy, complete with fancy hat, horrible teeth, and an uncomfortable attraction to much younger men.

Next, Moffat and McKinnon return as the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. McKinnon plays Brzezinski’s constant exasperation with the current administration full bore, writhing and hissing like a kettle ready to blow. The pair have Bryant on as Meghan McCain, there to talk about insults against her father, but she cannot get a word in edgewise between the talky hosts. And when not ignoring their guests, they’re flirting shamelessly, to the shock of fellow anchor Willie Geist (Day). Fey played the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. to allegedly provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton. According to her, the meeting in Trump Tower was nothing more than her offering Trump a bribe to help with business in Russia, and then him telling her they already have a crooked Russian lawyer in Michael Cohen. This felt quick, but landed a few solid laughs.

Next, we got a look behind the scenes at Fey’s new Broadway show Mean Girls, and at Fey’s desire to be in the show herself, despite everyone around her believing it to be a horrible idea. Fey, however, doesn’t realize this, because she willfully interprets everything said to her as support for the idea. Then she samples possible roles, attempting to dance and sing and trying on outfits, all horrible. By the end, she’s wearing a mascot costume and tumbling around the floor. A funny bit for Fey, who throws herself into every silly move and clearly had a blast steering into the incompetence. Also including a funny cameo by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who Fey compares herself to until she insults him, causing Miranda to start a nasty rap about her.

Weekend Update saw the return of the Trump brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric, played by Day and Moffat. As usual, Donald Jr. did the talking, and Eric got the laughs. Opening with Don Jr. saying, “Eric, what do you say when you’re a guest at someone’s place,” and him responding, “I’m sorry. I missed the toilet,” the bit continued on that track. While Don Jr. discussed accusations against him in the Russia investigation, Eric mimicked his brother’s movements, kissing his hand instead of finishing a high-five; revealed that Don Jr. committed collusion because “I have a pornographic memory” and that Trump Tower is laden with hidden swastikas; and ate Play-Doh noodles. As always, a great turn by Moffat.

Thompson then played Bishop Michael Curry, who delivered an impassioned speech at the Royal Wedding. He talked about how odd it was delivering his speech, which touched on racial issues, to the British aristocracy, saying it felt like “someone opened up a chicken and waffles kiosk in the middle of a Pottery Barn.” Seeing nothing but white faces staring back at him, he thought, this must be what it’s like to be Darius Rucker.

Since it’s the last episode of the season, Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che decided to tell some of the jokes that had previously been rejected as too offensive. Among them, this from Che: “The Boy Scouts of America agreed this week to allow girls into their organization – cause, somebody’s got to sew those badges on.” And from Jost: “PornHub has released their parody of the musical Hamilton, and in the porn version, Hamilton absolutely throws away his shot.”

Next, Fey played the host of a Dateline-type show called “Pervert Hunters,” with Beck Bennett as the pervert. Unlike the real show, when the host flubs a line, they stop production, and suddenly the “pervert” is part of the show, even though the show’s real purpose has been revealed. It seemed for a bit like the sketch would be felled by its clear lack of logic, since why wouldn’t the pervert just leave after the show’s intention had been revealed. But following his initial reluctance, Bennett’s perv catches the acting bug, and throws himself full force into recreating his capture. This had some laughs and a strong performance by Bennett, but its abrupt ending made it feel one note.

The next sketch is a surprise, as Fey brings back Sarah Palin, there to tell all in the Trump White House to “enjoy your moment, because who knows how long it will last.” Nowadays, she says, she tweets for Bass Pro Shops. She is joined by Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Bryant) for a take on the song “What I Did For Love,” here becoming “What I Did For Trump.” They are joined by McKinnon as Kellyanne Conway and Armisen as Michael Wolff, all singing about their current irrelevance after a brief flash of fame. The theme continued, with Strong as Stormy Daniels and John Goodman returning as Rex Tillerson. “Trump was the biggest mess I’ve ever dealt with, and I worked for Exxon/Mobil,” he says. And of course, no salute to Trump-related irrelevance would be complete without an appearance by Omarosa (Leslie Jones).

Next we’re taken to a high school talent show, where Fey’s “PTA Majority Whip” performs with her goth daughter “Scissors,” played by Melissa Villasenor. They’re singing the same song they did at Scissors’ first grade talent show – her real name is Susan, BTW – and Scissor is clearly unhappy with the arrangement. School principal Thompson hosts the endeavor, explaining that he’s leaving the argumentative mother and daughter up on stage because he’s sleeping with Fey, and, he says, getting roped into something more than he bargained for because “the booty is worth it.” By the end, Scissors’ clearly sympathetic goth DJ friend removes her mom’s preferred “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” for System of a Down’s thrash metal hit “Chop Suey,” and the crowd goes wild.

The season ends with an appropriate TV parody. From Dick Wolf, creator of Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire, comes Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv, the scene that Fey and many other SNL cast members and writers emerged from. As we watch scenes of comic actors discussing their insular world and performing bad improv, we see reviews of the show, such as, “Did Dick Wolf lose a bet? Why did he make this?”

The episode ended with a bumper paying tribute to actress Margot Kidder, a former host who died this week, and with Fey thanking all the celebrities who appeared on the episode, a list she’s probably still reading from now.

It’s been a season, folks. Have a great summer.

Larry Getlen is the author of the book Conversations with Carlin. Follow him on Twitter at @larrygetlen.

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