SNL BIG 50th LOL
SNL Season 50 Premiere: Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, and Dana Carvey Bring the Campaign Chaos**
Season 50 of *Saturday Night Live* kicked off with pure energy, mixing political madness with a touch of the absurd—just the way we like it. With election season heating up, *SNL* took full advantage, putting Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, and Dana Carvey front and center on the campaign trail.
The legendary Jean Smart hosted the season opener, bringing her slick delivery and boss energy, while Jelly Roll brought the vibes as the musical guest. A little bit of politics, a lot of laughs, and a dash of country rap—this premiere had it all.
Maya Rudolph Running for President (and Your Laughs)
Maya Rudolph? A queen, as always. This time she took on a mashup of all the cringiest politicians trying too hard to look cool, and we ate it up. In the cold open, her character, decked out in power suits and awkward charm, danced (or tried to) at a campaign rally. Nothing says “relatable” quite like a botched attempt at the Dougie.
Maya’s character made all the over-the-top campaign promises you’d expect—free Wi-Fi for all, canceling student loans, and turning the White House into a TikTok house. Because, apparently, that’s what the youth are into these days. The side-eye she threw at the crowd was priceless, like she knew the game was rigged from the start but she was here to collect those votes anyway.
### Jim Gaffigan: The Confused Voter Energy We All Feel
Then there’s Jim Gaffigan, who came through as the confused voter who just can’t decide who to believe anymore. You know the type—the guy flipping between campaign ads and wondering why no one’s offering free Hot Pockets or tax breaks on snacks.
Gaffigan nailed that “everyman” vibe, debating between the candidate who promised free healthcare and the one who promised... absolutely nothing but still had that strong “I don't care” energy. His deadpan delivery hit hard when he threw out, “Who do I vote for—the one who knows my pain or the one who looks like they’ve never been to a Walmart?”
Dana Carvey: Still Got It
And we can’t forget Dana Carvey. The OG came back to remind us why he’s a master at political impressions. He revived his George H.W. Bush impersonation, dragging us back to simpler times when the biggest scandal was broccoli. Carvey’s Bush was confused by today’s social media chaos, quipping, “What in the world is a BeReal? Back in my day, we were just real real.”
But the real surprise came when he dropped into a wild Trump impersonation, flipping out over getting only “two follows” on *Threads*. Watching him meltdown over social media was too real, like if Trump accidentally wandered into a Zoom meeting with the camera stuck on selfie mode.
### Jean Smart: Class and Sass
Jean Smart? Straight fire. In one sketch, she played a no-nonsense debate moderator who couldn’t care less about keeping things civil. Picture her slamming down a gavel and snapping, “If I hear the word ‘fake news’ one more time, I’m storming off this stage.”
Her monologue was just as sharp, as she toasted *SNL*’s 50th anniversary by joking about 50 years of “bad wigs, worse accents, and weird dance moves.” She roasted the cast with love but didn’t hold back on calling out the show’s wilder moments.
Jelly Roll: Closing the Night with Soul
To top off the madness, Jelly Roll came through with a chill performance that balanced out the night’s chaos. His raw, heartfelt songs gave the crowd a much-needed breather after a marathon of political jokes and wild impressions. It’s not every day you go from laughing at Jim Gaffigan’s Hot Pocket jokes to vibing with Jelly Roll’s deep, soulful lyrics, but *SNL* pulled it off.
### The Verdict: *SNL* Came Out Swinging
With Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, and Dana Carvey bringing their A-game, *SNL* kicked off its 50th season in style. Between Maya’s deadpan delivery, Gaffigan’s everyman charm, and Carvey’s timeless impressions, it was a night of laughs, chaos, and political messiness we couldn’t get enough of.
If this episode’s any clue, we’re in for a wild ride this season. Election year just got a lot funnier—and a lot weirder.
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