Riley Brennan
Co-Editor In Chief
As September came to a close, and an abnormally hot fall persisted, Saturday Night Live returned for Season 43. The comedy sketch show, which recently dominated at the Emmy’s, the show and actresses/actors alike winning multiple awards, started the season off strong with host Ryan Gosling, and musical performance by Jay-Z. The show’s cold open featured Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, with appearances by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (played by Aidy Bryant), and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (played by Kate McKinnon). The three tackled current events, which was a reoccurring theme throughout the show. During the Weekend Update segment, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che covered topics such as President Trump and his actions towards the hurricane in Puerto Rico, where Che’s strong word choices towards the president earned him a healthy amount of criticism and backlash. SNL however, is known for the strong opinions and stances they take on politics, which this season premiere was not lacking. During Jay-Z’s performance on the show, he made his own political statement by wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey.
Politics aside, the show had numerous funny and random sketches and bits. Ryan Gosling reprised some of his roles from his last appearance on the show, and occasionally struggled to hold in laughter. This included his monologue, which revolved around his role in the movie La La Land, featuring a surprise appearance from his co-star, Emma Stone, where the two joked about “saving” the jazz music genre.
The premiere also featured three new additions to the cast, including comedians Heidi Gardner, Luke Null, and Chris Reed. The three replace ex cast members Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, and Sasheer Zamata, all who left at the end of last season.
Overall, Season 43 shows promise, which is a good thing seeing as it has big shoes to fill after last year’s season, earning the title of the most watched season in 23 years.
