SNL cold open debates Derek Chauvin trial and more
By Matt Moore
Saturday Night Live wasted no time tackling the Derek Chauvin trial in its latest episode. SNL’s cold open featured an uncomfortable conversation among Minnesota news anchors regarding the death of Georgy Floyd.
Whether in cold opens, monologues, sketches, or “Weekend Update,” SNL has proved that it won’t shy away from sensitive topics around race. The Black Lives Matter movement, protests against police brutality, and more have provided SNL with an avenue to satirize race relations and how different sides approach the subject.
The latest example came last night. Carey Mulligan and Kid Cudi were in the building as the host and the musical guest. With the nation fixated on the trial of Derek Chauvin and some testimony supporting allegations the police officer was responsible for George Floyd’s death, SNL found the perfect opportunity to get its message across.
In the cold open, Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Kate McKinnon, and Alex Moffat play Minnesota news anchors with two very different mindsets when it comes to covering the trial. Check out the sketch right here:
Saturday Night Live’s cold open isn’t banking on an open and shut case
Considering the disturbing video of George Floyd’s death, many believe that Derek Chauvin will be held accountable and found guilty. Not so fast, argues Saturday Night Live in this cold open. As Ego Nwodim’s character reminds everyone, we’ve seen this movie before.
SNL doesn’t pull any punches on this one and warns everyone to brace themselves for an unexpected verdict in the trial. Kate McKinnon and Alex Moffat do an excellent job of playing up the naïveté of those convinced that justice is guaranteed. And the further Ego Nwodim and Kenan Thompson push them, the more is revealed about just how supportive some people are willing to be when it comes to the topic. It wasn’t quite the “race rivalry” that broke out in a 2019 sketch featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge but there were some similarities.
The success of this cold open is all due to the delivery and reactions from Nwodim and Thompson, with Chris Redd jumping in at just the right time. Nwodim continues to have her best season since joining SNL and Thompson reminds us that nobody does a better reaction shot.
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