Vice President Kamala Harris plays opposite Vice President Kamala Harris

The the election day episode of “Saturday Night Live” has become a staple of the long-running sketch comedy seriessimilar to other festive themed episodes they make for Halloween and Christmas. And while it may be hard to laugh at this particular election cycle, when half the country is seemingly still willing to vote for a man who is about to be convicted on 34 charges against him and has further trials pending in related to its attempted coup, “SNL 50” was ready to bring out the big guns to give the public a reprieve from their fears. Before six-time host John Mulaney and first musical guest Chappell Roan made their entrances, the audience was greeted by none other than presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, who joined her “SNL” counterpart. Maya Rudolf for a cold open sketch that scratched the funny bone and tugged at the heartstrings.

After cast members James Austin Johnson and Bowen Yang satirized some of Trump and Vance’s latest blunders, the scene transitioned to a green room where Rudolph as Harris was joined by Jim Gaffigan as running mate Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, as well as Dana Carvey as current President Joe Biden. Needing a moment alone, the men leave while Rudolph sits in front of a makeup mirror wishing she had someone to talk to who could relate to everything she’s been dealing with these past few months. As Rudolph turns to the mirror, she is confronted with the warm, inviting gaze of the real Vice President Kamala Harris. Once the crowd’s excitement finally subsided, Harris and Rudolph were able to continue with the skit, with both offering each other support and a plethora of -ala-related puns.

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Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made similar appearances on “SNL” in the lead-up to their respective presidential elections, both with different results. After Harris started the episode with “live from New York, it’s Saturday night,” host John Mulaney took the stage to perform some of his new stand-up regarding his son, newborn daughter, wife Olivia Munn and his mother. -in-laws. It was a typical monologue of the stand-up comedian, who prefers to rely on his personal material rather than prepare an introduction specific to the moment. As expected, Mulaney killed, beginning an episode anchored by some of his signature humor.

As if Vice President Harris wasn’t enough, “SNL 50” also rolled out the red carpet for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate and current Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Cast member Michael Longfellow brought back one of Bill Hader’s most important sketches, “What’s That Name,” and took on the role of a game show host against Mulaney’s contestant, who was forced to remember Kaine’s name despite it being obvious to him escaped. The skit was mainly a joke about the similarities between the former VP pick and the current one, as both share the same physical features and the same first name, but also a parody of white liberalism, which views every election and political movement as something to get . instead of something of long-term value. Sarah Sherman also enjoyed playing “The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood, although getting the real author for the sketch might have made the final punchline a little better.

Another surprise appearance came from former ‘SNL’ cast member Pete Davidson, who returned to join Mulaney and Andrew Dismukes for a new New York musical sketch that joins the ranks of ‘Diner Lobster’ and ‘Bodega Bathroom’ . This time the action took place at the Duane Reade at Port Authority, where Mulaney tries to stop Davidson from drinking the milk found in a small refrigerator behind the cash register. As the set opens up to reveal more of Port Authority, we are greeted with singing, nursing possums, hobo fights, an escaped convict bus driver and much more. It was a true spectacle to behold and continued one of Mulaney’s age-old traditions: calling out the strangeness of New York in a musical theater-style extravaganza.

“Saturday Night Live” returns on November 9 with host Bill Burr and musical guest Mk.gee.

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