“Saturday Night Live” opened its first show following the Beijing Winter Olympics with a stunning and solemn performance by the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York.
A group of male and female singers, wearing embroidered traditional outfits, sang the rousing choral selection “Prayer for Ukraine,” reflecting the resilient spirit of the nation that has been under attack from Russian on multiple fronts since earlier this week.
The chorus was founded in the years after World War II by Ukrainian immigrants who wanted to preserve their cultural heritage in a new homeland, according to Ukrainian Weekly. It’s now 72-years-old and is composed of strictly non-professional performers.
The somber setting on the “SNL” stage featured the candles, and bouquets of yellow flowers, evoking Ukraine’s national colors of yellow and blue.
Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong ended the cold open after the performance was over, with the typical “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”
John Mulaney kicked off his fifth time hosting “Saturday Night Live” with addressing his drug problem and discussing his newborn son.
The comedian, who was a writer on “SNL,” made several references to his headline making year — from his journey following rehab, to his new baby with partner Olivia Munn. He starts out his monologue about how it started in December of 2020, about an intervention regarding Mulaney’s drug problem.
“For many many reasons, I’m grateful to be here tonight after a very complicated year, it’s always great to be somewhere that’s always emphasized sobriety and mental health. Since I last hosted, different things happened,” Mulaney joked.
He revealed that in December he went to a dinner at a friend’s apartment, but it was “not dinner.”
“It was an intervention, for me, my least favorite kind of intervention. Do you know how big of a drug problem you have to have if you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is that this is probably an intervention about my drug problem?”
He continued to say that rehab was a good experience for him, and told a funny story about breaking up with his drug dealer ‘Arvin’. Only it turned out that Arvin wasn’t a drug dealer, but a painter who didn’t want Mulaney to buy his drugs on the street.
“There are many tales of drug dealers turning innocent people into drug addicts, but I might be the first drug addict to turn an innocent man into a drug dealer,” he added.
Noting that he was in rehab from December 2020 until February 2021, Mulaney said, “I was there on January 6th, during the insurrection. Wouldn’t have happened on my watch. Because I would have seen to it. Was there ever an insurrection before I went to rehab? No! Has there been one since I got out? Absolutely not. They wouldn’t dare! They know Baby J is back on the streets.”
Mulaney mentioned his 12-week old son, Malcolm, that he recently had with Olivia Munn. “Life is a lot better and happier now,” he said. “He is a pretty cool for someone who can’t vote.”
In a coronavirus related sketch, that addresses the latest mask guidance from the CDC, a group of friends are out to dinner when Kenan Thompson offers to pay for the table, taking off his mask.
Heidi Gardner’s character brings up an article she thought was “interesting,” that suggested mask mandates had little to no effect on COVID. The tension is palpable, while the table treads carefully on the subject.
Hysterical reactions from the different cast members continue around the table, as the camera pans around to each of them individually. The sketch highlights how difficult it may be nowadays to discuss certain topics in social settings.
In a digital sketch, the “Please Don’t Destroy” comedy trio watches a news segment presented by Mulaney, about a new coronavirus variant that “makes you feel cool and confident.”
Paul Rudd, whose “SNL” episode was majorly affected by December’s omicron surge, makes a fun surprise appearance, in addition to TODAY’s Al Roker.
Fellow five-time hosts Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Elliot Gould and Candice Bergen, as well as Conan O’Brien, inducted John Mulaney into the “Saturday Night Live” Five-Timers Club during the peak episode of the night.
The sketch opened with Martin, Rudd and Bergen meeting in a private library-like setting, all wearing their infamous jackets. As Mulaney entered the room, Bergen quips, “Let me be the first person to say, ‘Who are you?’ ” To which Mulaney responded, “If you have a niece or son who’s bad at sports, he might know who I am.”
Bergen breaks the news to Mulaney, that in order for him to join in the Five-Timers Club someone has to leave.
Martin exclaims, “We can’t kick out Tina, she’s the first woman to ever wear glasses on TV!”
Conan O’Brien struts through the door to a loud round of applause. “I am just here to sign up for Peacock. It’s weird that they make you do it in person,” O’Brien says.
During the news segment “Weekend Update,” co-host Colin Jost and Michael Che immediately discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Jost quips, “President Putin launched the attack with support from allies like Belarus and Tucker Carlson.”
(For context, the latter recently opined that “The invasion of Ukraine is a humiliating defeat for Joe Biden.” The Washington Post headlined two days ago: “After downplaying Russia-Ukraine conflict, Tucker Clarson shifts his tone on Putin: ‘He is to blame’.”)
Che added, “I’m very impressed by all the Ukrainian citizens signing up to defend their country, even the famous ones. Imagine that here? If you ever read on the news that Michael Che joined an American war, we have just lost that war!”
Now a tradition when John Mulaney hosts “SNL,” he performs an expansive musical number. It kicks off with Andrew Dismukes, replacing Pete Davidson from the previous sketches, and Chris Redd in a New York City subway station craving a churro.
In a spoof of different musicals, such as “South Pacific,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” multiple storylines intertwine as they showcase through song some of the New York City characters one may see while waiting for the subway.
Next week Oscar Isaac hosts with returning musical guest Charli XCX, who could not perform in December of 2021, due to production shutdown from the COVID surge.
