On SNL's Cold Open, Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon Are So Done With This Election

Last night's Saturday Night Live cold open began like another solid reprisal by Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon of their Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton personas. They were brought together this time for an interview on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront, with Cecily Strong as Burnett. The pair, side-by-side as if on a split screen, begin with their usual mannerisms: Baldwin emphasizing Trump's pouty lips, McKinnon the simultaneous eye bulge and wave to particular supporters that is a Clinton signature. Their lines are similarly on point. Donald Trump talks about his "really, really great" week, because, as he explains, "they're all still buying it." When Burnett says she's addressing the "really big story of the week," Clinton crosses her fingers and repeats to herself, "please be his taxes, please be his taxes." But it's her emails that are on the agenda, and they continue to be for most of this first part of the skit, even as Trump plays dumb ("what even is the FBI?," etc.) before kissing an FBI agent, a topless Vladimir Putin and a Klansman on the mouth. Burnett's response, "it doesn't seem like enough of a story," leads Clinton to elicit a large Chewbacca-like wail. But as the skit seems to be wrapping up, with Clinton and Trump delivering their soliloquys, Baldwin breaks character mid-speech. "I'm sorry, Kate," he says, "I just hate yelling all this stuff at you like this." The camera zooms out to show Baldwin and McKinnon standing on the same stage. "Yeah," agrees McKinnon. "I know, right? This whole election has been so mean." "I mean, I just feel gross all the time," says Baldwin. "Don't you guys feel gross all the time about this?" The audience claps. "You know what I think can help us?" says McKinnon. "Let's get out of here." And they do, running out the doors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza to go frolic in Times Square, with Baldwin, still dressed as Trump, hugging people of color and McKinnon hugging a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat. There's also pretzels and cotton candy, balloons, dancing, and a large hand-holding circle. McKinnon and Baldwin return to the SNL stage, out of breath, for the skit's third act. This time they are really themselves as they deliver a GOTV message. "And now it's time to get out there and vote," says Baldwin. "None of this will have mattered if you don't vote." "And we can't tell you who to vote for," says McKinnon, "But on Tuesday, we all get a chance to choose what kind of country we all want to live in." Watch it in full below.

Fishbowl

On SNL's Cold Open, Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon Are So Done With This Election

Except for the voting part.

Corinne Grinapol

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Corinne Grinapol