‘SNL’: Last Night’s Cold Open Had Kate McKinnon Wondering ‘What Still Works’ in America

Saturday Night Live returned with this first outing for 2021 last night, and, as usual, they went with a political cold open. In this skit, the SNL team highlighted the differences between the presidencies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In the sketch, Kate McKinnon, as herself, hosted a show called What Still Works? that tackled aspects of American society that still work (or actually don’t, as she found). Her first interview was with Cecily Strong playing U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Georgia Congresswoman who spreads conspiracy theories, including the debunked QAnon conspiracy theory.

When McKinnon asked Greene what theories she believed in, Greene asked, “How much time you got?” She then proceeded to list many of the unfounded theories she has spread, from believing the Parkland, Florida school shooting was a “false flag” to the idea that California wildfires were caused by “Jewish Space Lasers.” “So there are lasers in space that cause wildfires and the lasers identify as Jewish?” McKinnon asked. Greene agreed, but McKinnon could not believe it. “So government doesn’t work,” McKinnon said as Greene left the set.

Next, McKinnon brought in the “new majority shareholder of GameStop,” Derek Boner (Pete Davidson). After all, the stock market should still work? Right? “By the way, my name is Derrick Evans, but I made you say boner,” Evans said. He still believes the stock market was still working. McKinnon asked Evans if GameStop was good at selling games, but he said they weren’t really. Usually, a company’s stock reflects its business, but that was not the case for GameStop this past week. McKinnon got Evans to admit the “entire system is a joke.”

McKinnon also interviewed Twitter’s Jack Dorsey (Mickey Day) and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg (Alex Moffatt) to comment on how social media works (or doesn’t). McKinnon spoke with O.J. Simpson (Kenan Thompson), who somehow got the coronavirus vaccine. In the last segment, McKinnon spoke with Tom Brady (host John Krasinski), who somehow keeps winning despite not having a great team behind him. McKinnon decided that Brady was the only thing still working in America, especially if she ignores his history of supporting President Donald Trump.

Moffat made his debut as the new President Joe Biden in the final cold open of 2020. Carrey was only signed to play Biden in the first six episodes of the season when his version of the new president squared off with Alec Baldwin’s Trump during the final days of the campaign. “Though my term was only meant to be 6 weeks, I was thrilled to be elected as your SNL President…comedy’s highest call of duty,” Carrey wrote on Twitter. “I would love to go forward knowing that Biden was the victor because I nailed that s—. But I am just one in a long line of proud, fighting SNL Bidens!”

Carrey’s performance was met with a mixed response, but Moffat’s was mostly praised. In “Pence Gets the Vaccine,” the SNL writers even joked about how Biden looked different. “I’m like Colonel Sanders. Every time you see me, I’m a different guy,” Moffat’s Biden said. “There’s a good chance that this time next year, I’m gonna be Mario Lopez.” Former SNL castmember Maya Rudolph also appeared in the sketch as Vice President Kamala Harris. After Biden said he would have a diverse Presidential Cabinet, Harris joked, “I will make sure Joe will never specify what he means by ‘diverse.’ That is my Christmas present to you, America.”

This week’s SNL was hosted by The Office star John Krasinski, whose new movie, A Quiet Place Part II was recently postponed until September. Machine Gun Kelly is the musical guest. Next week’s episode will be hosted by Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy with Phoebe Bridgers performing. On Feb. 13, Oscar winner Regina King will host with Nathaniel Rateliff as the musical guest. New SNL episodes air at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC Saturdays.