‘SNL’ Weekend Update: Trump Boys Return, Michael Che Slams Racist Airlines & Houston Astros Win Over Leslie Jones
The return of the Trump boys, the now-expected surprise appearance by World Series winners and the ground-staking arrival of both a new character and the new cast member who plays her made for one of SNL’s strongest Weekend Updates this season.
Co-anchor Michael Che got things started by mentioning the recent allegations that American Airlines is racially biased, a situation he found baffling. “Black people are awesome on planes. We always have our own headphones, we always have our socks on, we never talk to strangers unless we’re telling you to shut that baby up. The real people you need to be worried about on planes are white women named Gail who claps when the plane lands.”
Later in Update, three of the Houston Astros arrived – something of an SNL post-World Series tradition – to win over a baseball-hating Leslie Jones. The team won again.
But Update’s most welcome arrival was new cast member Heidi Gardner, committing entirely and impressively to her character “Angel,” introduced by Che as Every Boxer’s Girlfriend from Every Movie About Boxing Ever. With a cannoli-thick New York Italian accent and teary determination, the ever-put-upon Angel vowed to stay strong despite any adversity, whether it’s her boxer man getting his face re-arranged or the release of yet another iPhone. “They tell me it’s different this time but you know what, I don’t give up on my phone after a year,” she says defiantly. “You think you’re the fighter? I’m the fighter!”
The terrific Gardner’s Angel might also have come up with the show’s latest catchphrase: “I’m takin’ the kids to my sister’s.” Take a look at the video above to get the joke.
And here’s Alex Moffat and Mikey Day reprising their Eric & Don Jr routine, which has hit that SNL sweet spot: well-polished performances that have not yet worn out their welcome.
Not quite up to that standard is Aidy Bryant’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She gets close to the podium-talker’s arrogance, but hasn’t quite sharpened her attack to equal Melissa McCarthy’s Spicey or Kate McKinnon’s Kellyanne Conway:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp25IyLTEYE&w=605&h=340]
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