SNL just keeps giving out information about the new season, much to my delight. First off, in case you haven’t been watching the show recently, the last season featured veteran comedian Larry David as Bernie Sanders in many of the episodes, even having him host the show for one of the episodes. This year, they are doing the same thing for Donald Trump, with the only change being that they are announcing it beforehand.
Yes, for once, there’s a promo for the inevitable presidential debate cold opening. Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton with match wits with Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of Donald Trump, rather than Darrell Hammond, as in previous seasons. According to some reports, Darrell will continue to be the show’s announcer and might make an on-camera appearance in the future.
As a long-time fan, I’m mildly disappointed by this news. I’ve been a fan of Hammond’s Trump impression for years and it’s been refreshing and nostalgic to see him reprise his roles as Trump and Bill Clinton in the past seasons. Alec Baldwin has never revealed his Trump impersonation before, so I’m not sure how good it’ll be. Even if the material is funny, an inaccurate or boring impersonation could underhand any sketch. As evidenced by the video, he looks the part, but can he nail the voice?
In other news, the next two hosts have been announced. On October 8th, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter behind Hamilton, will make his hosting debut and Twenty One Pilots, a musical duo, will perform for the first time. I have a feeling that a good portion of the show will involve musical and historical skits. I guess I’ll finally listen to the Hamilton songs so I can understand any references. Next, Emily Blunt will host the program on October 15th to promote her upcoming film The Girl On The Train. As of this writing, the musical guest has not been announced.
Finally, aside from the aforementioned debate teaser, the standard promos for this week’s episode have been released. If you want to see Margot Robbie dance, now is the time!
Now, I want to know what you think! Will the promise of Harley Quinn, a Broadway sensation, and Emily Blunt’s awesomeness be enough to get you to watch the upcoming episodes? How many Hamilton jokes will they make in the promos alone? Can Alec Baldwin make Trump funny? Come to think of it, Jack Donaghy is essentially a smarter version of Donald, so maybe my slight pessimism is unwarranted. Comment below with your thoughts!
Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.
