If President Trump’s shock-and-awe attack on truth, decorum and liberal sensibilities is intended to bludgeon his opponents into submission, “Saturday Night Live” felt like his latest victim this weekend.
Not that the show, which has been one of his most outspoken and popular antagonists, didn’t remain on the attack. Melissa McCarthy reprised her savage impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, and Alec Baldwin (in his 17th appearance as host) donned his flaxen wig and prosthetic jowls to play Mr. Trump in a “People’s Court” sketch mocking the president’s attempts to have his travel ban reinstated. Kate McKinnon — who, in a Tatiana Maslany-style tour de force, also appeared as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senator Elizabeth Warren — played the presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway trying to seduce her way onto CNN in a “Fatal Attraction” spoof.
If President Trump’s shock-and-awe attack on truth, decorum and liberal sensibilities is intended to bludgeon his opponents into submission, “Saturday Night Live” felt like his latest victim this weekend.
Not that the show, which has been one of his most outspoken and popular antagonists, didn’t remain on the attack. Melissa McCarthy reprised her savage impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, and Alec Baldwin (in his 17th appearance as host) donned his flaxen wig and prosthetic jowls to play Mr. Trump in a “People’s Court” sketch mocking the president’s attempts to have his travel ban reinstated. Kate McKinnon — who, in a Tatiana Maslany-style tour de force, also appeared as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senator Elizabeth Warren — played the presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway trying to seduce her way onto CNN in a “Fatal Attraction” spoof.
Mr. Baldwin came out as himself for his monologue, which did not address politics. He finally appeared as Mr. Trump an hour into the show, facing off against the judges of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and asking for a reinstatement of the travel ban, as well as $725. It was a routine sketch, briefly enlivened by the appearance of a bare-chested Beck Bennett as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, calling Mr. Trump “my little American Happy Meal.”
Mr. Bennett also played the CNN host Jake Tapper in the Conway sketch, which never quite found its tone and had a queasy edge of sexism, but at least wasn’t boring. Lying in wait for Mr. Tapper at his apartment, Ms. McKinnon’s Conway writhed and moaned in her desperation to get back on TV. (In real life, CNN turned down the offer of an interview with Ms. Conway last week.) When Mr. Bennett’s Tapper said, “You’re just going to keep lying,” she replied, “You need to reach inside me and pull out the truth,” before threatening him with a kitchen knife.
The episode’s funnier moments were mostly Trump-free. An amusing sketch in which competing ad agencies pitched a new Cheetos campaign had political overtones but no overt Trump references. A bit in which Kenan Thompson and Tracy Morgan played Beyoncé’s twin sons in the womb was pedestrian, but at least had the pleasurable jolt of seeing Mr. Morgan. The best moment of the night was when Mr. Baldwin appeared to flub a line, saying “cookie chillout” instead of “chili cookout.”
As Mr. Trump’s political fortunes have risen, “Saturday Night Live” has benefited, at least in ratings, from its perceived status as the official television opposition to him and, now, his administration. Based on Saturday’s episode, it will be a hard if not impossible task to keep up for four years, if Mr. Trump stays in power that long and keeps making news — and outraging much of the country — at his current rate.
Not that the show, which has been one of his most outspoken and popular antagonists, didn’t remain on the attack. Melissa McCarthy reprised her savage impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, and Alec Baldwin (in his 17th appearance as host) donned his flaxen wig and prosthetic jowls to play Mr. Trump in a “People’s Court” sketch mocking the president’s attempts to have his travel ban reinstated. Kate McKinnon — who, in a Tatiana Maslany-style tour de force, also appeared as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senator Elizabeth Warren — played the presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway trying to seduce her way onto CNN in a “Fatal Attraction” spoof.
If President Trump’s shock-and-awe attack on truth, decorum and liberal sensibilities is intended to bludgeon his opponents into submission, “Saturday Night Live” felt like his latest victim this weekend.
Not that the show, which has been one of his most outspoken and popular antagonists, didn’t remain on the attack. Melissa McCarthy reprised her savage impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, and Alec Baldwin (in his 17th appearance as host) donned his flaxen wig and prosthetic jowls to play Mr. Trump in a “People’s Court” sketch mocking the president’s attempts to have his travel ban reinstated. Kate McKinnon — who, in a Tatiana Maslany-style tour de force, also appeared as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Senator Elizabeth Warren — played the presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway trying to seduce her way onto CNN in a “Fatal Attraction” spoof.
Mr. Baldwin came out as himself for his monologue, which did not address politics. He finally appeared as Mr. Trump an hour into the show, facing off against the judges of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and asking for a reinstatement of the travel ban, as well as $725. It was a routine sketch, briefly enlivened by the appearance of a bare-chested Beck Bennett as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, calling Mr. Trump “my little American Happy Meal.”
The episode’s funnier moments were mostly Trump-free. An amusing sketch in which competing ad agencies pitched a new Cheetos campaign had political overtones but no overt Trump references. A bit in which Kenan Thompson and Tracy Morgan played Beyoncé’s twin sons in the womb was pedestrian, but at least had the pleasurable jolt of seeing Mr. Morgan. The best moment of the night was when Mr. Baldwin appeared to flub a line, saying “cookie chillout” instead of “chili cookout.”
As Mr. Trump’s political fortunes have risen, “Saturday Night Live” has benefited, at least in ratings, from its perceived status as the official television opposition to him and, now, his administration. Based on Saturday’s episode, it will be a hard if not impossible task to keep up for four years, if Mr. Trump stays in power that long and keeps making news — and outraging much of the country — at his current rate.
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