Bill Burr hosts a post-election ‘SNL’ that he couldn’t quite lift

The last time “Saturday Night Live” aired an episode was after a Donald Trump presidential victory was November 12, 2016when Dave Chappelle hosted. The cold open was a somber Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton sang “Hallelujah,” and the monologue and skit that followed felt like perfectly pitched, clever responses to a shocking outcome.

For the first episode after the 2024 election, stand-up comic Bill Burr hosted, and the episode … was not that at all. The show tried a few different tacks, just one week after Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the showincluding a cold open that mocked Trump by having the entire cast pretend to support him and a Burr monologue that, depending on how you saw it, was either wildly insensitive to dejected Harris supporters, especially women, or provocatively ironic.

By the time “Weekend Update” arrived, with two non-election-related character pieces that missed the mark, the sketches began to feel tired and rambling, with poor premises and weak writing. It never recovered from that. If the show adapted to the sensibilities of the guest host, you have to wonder in hindsight whether scheduling Burr to host days after such a divisive election was the right choice. There were a few minor bright spots, i.a a “Good Will Hunting” parody and one promo for a “Sex Rock” CDplus a few we’ll talk about below, but the rest were forgettable, unfunny, or both.

Meanwhile, musical guest Mk.gee (a man and not a website) performed “Rock man” and “Alesis.” There was no Please Don’t Destroy video, as has been the case for every episode but one this season.

The show paid tribute to producer Quincy Jones, who died this weekwith a title card before the final goodbyes. He hosted the show in 1990.

You might think “SNL” would come out guns blazing to denounce the Trump victory, but instead, this week’s cold open poked fun at the president-elect in a different way: with mocking flattery.

The cast faced the audience and talked about the results of the election before Kenan Thompson said: “That’s why we at ‘SNL’ want to say to Donald Trump… we’ve been with you all along!” Cast members, including Ego Nwodim and Marcello Hernández, joked that everyone in the cast voted for Trump. “Because we see ourselves in you. We look at you and think… ‘That’s me,'” Nwodim said.

Colin Jost even appeared to throw his “Weekend Update” co-star under the bus, saying, “I hate how the lamestream media — Michael Che — tries to spin it to make you look foolish.” He also spelled out Che’s last name to make it easier for Trump to remember.

A muscular, red bandana wearing “hot, jacked” version of Trump was introduced by impressionist James Austin Johnson, who said as Trump, “They finally got the body right.” The sketch ended with Dana Carvey returning as fist-pumping, leaping Elon Musk, who said he rules the country now, which will be like one of his rockets. “But there’s a small chance it could explode and everybody dies,” Musk said.

Is Bill Burr’s comedy meant to be taken at face value, or is he making a high-wire self-parody of the type of edgelord comedy that became enraged after a Trump Madison Square Garden rally? It was hard to tell from Burr’s monologue, which started with a story about getting the flu with an ethnic twist thrown in: “You’re trying to figure out who gave it to you. You go through this Rolodex of people who coughed on you, sniffed near you, walked past an Asian or something.” Burr eventually got to election material, beginning by lecturing women: “OK, ladies, you’re 0 -2 to this guy.” He suggested female candidates ditch the pantsuits, stop trying to have self-respect and “whore it up a little”. He suggested that “ugly women … I mean feminists” won’t hear this, but that candidates must win over swing states by “making a farmer feel like he has a chance. Burr moved on to Trump, mocking his crooked features, which he said could have thwarted an assassination attempt, and chastised him for his appearance at a McDonald’s. “That’s the only time I’ve ever seen that guy really happy,” Burr said.

Best sketch of the night: Mike Wazowski as you’ve never seen him

A group of firefighters at a Boston station are gathered for a meeting with a mental health specialist (Heidi Gardner), who shows the group a series of Rorschach test images. While some of the men see things in the black-and-white images, Ralphie (Burr) keeps seeing full-color images of Disney characters in compromising positions. One of them is Mike Wazowski from “Monsters Inc.” in wedding lingerie and high heels. Another features a topless Elsa from “Frozen” and Olaf running away with her bra. Snoopy and Charlie Brown, the Master Chief from “Halo”, the dead wife from “Up” and Bandit, the father dog from “Bluey”, end up in the mix. This is a very silly premise, but the commitment to the bit works, especially the incredibly specific details that Ralphie knows about so many animated characters.

Also good: Dads who want to talk about anything but themselves

Two pickleball players (Devon Walker and Andrew Dismukes) decide to call their dads to see how they’re doing. The fathers (Thompson and Burr) deflect, with one only wanting to discuss the Philadelphia Eagles and the other redirecting the conversation to his son’s car. It turns out that both dads are going through some stuff and are willing to talk about it through metaphors about their sports teams or cars. “Last week the eagles fell in the shower,” says Thompson, “I thought, ‘This could be where the eagles die.’ ” It is a funny and surprisingly moving piece.

‘Weekend Update’ Winner: Oh no, there’s a Pennsylvania ballot in that wallet

Thompson appeared on “Weekend Update” as Willie, the most optimistic guy Michael Che knowsbut it was Nwodim who made the bigger impression as “A woman who can’t find anything in her purse.” The giant purse contains a dead goldfish in a bag, a gun, a smaller overnight purse, and an uncounted Pennsylvania ballot. What was she trying to find? Nothing, really, she says: “It helps you get your point across when you have to storm off when you’re mad.”