In a rare 'SNL' move, the show's optimistic cold open mocked voters, not politics.
Saturday Night Live kicked off this week's episode on a surprisingly supportive note, with Kate McKinnon showcasing her stellar Elizabeth Warren impression at a Town Hall rally where she fielded questions from uninformed, undecided voters.
McKinnon's Warren got her own punches in, comedically speaking, taking a shot at Donald Trump, whom she mocked for moving to Florida to avoid paying taxes. Warren went on to say that she pays taxes in every state on general principal.
One voter then asked her about her controversial alternative healthcare plan, which just about made her day.
"Thanks for bringing up healthcare. That is my 'Despacito,'" Warren said, beaming. When asked how her plan compared to Joe Biden's, Warren said, "My plan compares favorably in that it exists."
Warren then broke down the plan's three steps on a display board -- Step 1: Cut military spending "so immediately it's dead in the water," Warren admitted.
The second step just said, "Amazon Creep," in reference to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
"He's gonna go from paying no tax to paying a tax," Warren said, before explaining how the third step will be to "Tax Banks."
For each question, Warren had a measured, intelligent answer that she backed up with math, personality and jokes. She even ended on a daytime talk show-esque tearful psychology session convincing a woman that she needs to leave her abusive, manipulative car insurance company.
Yet, when Warren asked if she could count on her vote, the woman shrugged dismissively and admitted that "Buttigieg seems like a nice guy."
It was an oddly positive cold open that felt, in a way, like SNL endorsing Warren. Instead of poking fun at her, it poked fun of democratic voters while generally advocating for Warren's abilities and viability as a presidential candidate. It's certainly a far cry from SNL's Donald Trump-focused cold open sketches.
SNL airs live coast-to-coast on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
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