‘Saturday Night Live’ Had a Surprising 2018 Opening

“Saturday Night Live” delivered one of its most politically even-handed episodes in a long time as it kicked off the new year.

The cold open of the program featured actors Alex Moffat and Kate McKinnon playing over-the-top versions of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who last spring announced their engagement. Naturally, the couple went after President Donald Trump when they introduced Fred Armison as the controversial “Fire and Fury” author Michael Wolff.

“This book is wild,” said Moffat as Scarborough.

“It’s insane,” declared McKinnon as Brzezinski. “I’m depressed.”

They asked Armison-as-Wolff to tell them what he found out from his days hanging out at the White House.

“There were baby races. Trump would ask to have two babies placed in his office, usually of different ethnicities. Someone would put a bowl of Goldfish crackers at the other side of the room. Trump would say, ‘A thousand bucks on the black one.'”

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After the predictably outraged responses, they challenged him about the book’s content. The Wolff character responded, “You read it, right? And you liked it? You had fun? Well, what’s the problem? You got the gist, so shut up. Even the stuff that’s not true — it’s true.”

The co-hosts soon introduced none other than former White House strategist Steve Bannon — played by Bill Murray.

“My God, Steve, I always thought you looked like death, but this is death warmed over,” said the Brzezinski character.

When she asked him what he’s been working on since his exit from the White House, Murray-as-Bannon replied, “I’m working on a web series for Crackle. It’s called ‘Cucks In Cars Getting Coffee.’ I’m also coming out with a new line of wrinkled barn jackets, called Frumpers for Guys.” 

While the shots at Bannon were predictable for this left-leaning show, the Wolff humor was actually a pleasant surprise. The show even took a few jabs at Oprah Winfrey.

Leslie Jones, playing Oprah, said at one point about a potential run for president, “I am a celebrity, so I’m qualified, but I am different from Donald Trump because I’m actually a billionaire. There’s only one job more powerful than being president. Being Oprah!”

The big news out of “Saturday Night Live” came from host Sam Rockwell. The “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” star managed to accidentally drop the “F-word” in a segment — which immediately set Twitter afire. It was not a good move for Hollywood, the home of many of Trump’s critics over his recent alleged “s**hole” comments during a meeting with lawmakers and cabinet members.

All in all, this newest “SNL” was still an overlong bore of a program that has lost sight of its brilliant satirical beginnings.