This week’s Saturday Night Live surprised viewers with a star-studded sketch.
Wednesday’s Democratic debate was paralleled on the show with appearances from Woody Harrelson, Will Ferrell and Larry David — as well as an array of both current and past SNL cast members.
Melissa Villaseñor, who played MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, moderated as participants duked it out much like Wednesday’s debate.
“Of course this Thanksgiving I’ll be cooking … the food of my ancestors — should I say it? I’m gonna say it — maize,” said Kate McKinnon’s Elizabeth Warren, who poked at Warren’s previous claim of Native American ancestry.
Former cast member Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris then came in with “The funt is back! America’s fun aunt. I’m also America’s cool aunt! The cah — you know what, let’s not do that.”
Colin Jost, who played South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg was introduced on-stage as looking “adorable” in his “little suit,” but also came out with a great line in response to why he was polling so low with Black voters.
“Maybe because of this,” said Jost’s Buttigieg, who then gestured to his face.
Up next came David’s Bernie Sanders, who started off by thanking people for the well wishes following his “heart attack-ack-ack-ack.”
“Doctors were surprised I made it,” said David, who reprised the role of Sanders for the third time. “And I’m very proud of the fact that I was the first heart attack patient to show up to the emergency room in a city bus.”
Showing up as former vice president Joe Biden, Harrelson came out swinging as well. After flashing his teeth and proclaiming that he wanted everyone to see them, he said he too saw America and “the faces you make when I talk — you’re scared — scared I’ll say something off-colour or even worse, on-colour.”
“What I want you to know is you should be scared because I’m always one second away from calling Cory Booker ‘Barack.’”
Ferrell filled the boots of an unblinking billionaire, Tom Steyer, who said he threw in his candidacy because “it’s fun” and that it would help him get out of the house.
Steyer wouldn’t be the only billionaire to take the stage — former cast member Fred Armisen’s arrival as Michael Bloomberg came abrupt and late, unintentionally mirroring the former New York mayor’s announcement of candidacy to the race just a day later.
“Did somebody say billionaire?” asked Armisen’s Bloomberg, who then said that he “tipped the doorman $30 million” in order to get in.
Former cast member Rachel Dratch showed up as a shaking Amy Klobuchar, Bowen Yang as Andrew Yang, Chris Redd as Cory Booker and Cecily Strong as a villainous Tulsi Gabbard who said that she was “wearing the white suit of your fallen hero, Hillary Clinton.”
“Now fight me, cowards.”