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In its first new broadcast in six months, \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d returned to a starkly serious world and to news developments seemingly impervious to any kind of comedic commentary. Would this topical sketch show in any way address the Israel-Hamas war<\/a>? Should it? As it has in previous times of crisis<\/a>, \u201cS.N.L.\u201d met the moment by taking things seriously, and in this case found an unexpectedly poignant spokesman in this week\u2019s host, Pete Davidson.<\/p>\n Davidson, an \u201cS.N.L.\u201d alumnus, began the show by speaking directly to the audience, reminding them that his father, a firefighter, had been killed in the 9\/11 attacks<\/a>. \u201cThis week,\u201d Davidson said, \u201cwe saw the horrible images and stories from Israel and Gaza. And I know what you\u2019re thinking: Who better to comment on it than Pete Davidson?\u201d<\/p>\n He continued:<\/p>\n Well, in a lot of ways, I am a good person to talk about it because when I was 7 years old, my dad was killed in a terrorist attack, so I know something about what that\u2019s like. I saw so many terrible pictures this week of children suffering, Israeli children and Palestinian children. And it took me back to a really horrible, horrible place. No one in this world deserves to suffer like that, especially not kids.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Davidson shared a story about how, in the months that followed, his mother had sought to cheer him up by giving him what she thought was a Disney movie \u2014 but turned out to be the Eddie Murphy stand-up special \u201cDelirious.\u201d Though it may not have been ideal material for an 8-year-old, it did make Davidson laugh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSometimes comedy is really the only way forward through tragedy,\u201d Davidson said. \u201cMy heart is with everyone whose lives have been destroyed this week. But tonight, I\u2019m going to do what I\u2019ve always done in the face of tragedy, and that\u2019s try to be funny. Remember, I said \u2018Try.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Davidson\u2019s monologue was an abbreviated stand-up set, delivered in his more traditional manner \u2014 no topical material but lots of ribald jokes we can\u2019t safely transcribe here, so caveat emptor.<\/p>\n Among the subjects that we can (just about) get away with mentioning, Davidson discussed an ill-fated attempt to bond with his sister by watching the fantasy series \u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d which neither of them had seen. \u201cI thought it was like dragons and stuff, and magic,\u201d Davidson said. \u201cHardly any dragons. Lots of incest. Tons of incest. So much incest. You could leave the house, come back, incest still happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He also joked about his Staten Island roots and how it was not necessarily his childhood dream to become a comedian. \u201cMy dream was to be a construction worker,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was. Hopefully work for a construction company for like eight years, and then if I\u2019m lucky, fall off a ladder. Sue the city for six mil, settle for three. Marry some chick I had a crush on in high school. That I\u2019m not even really into anymore \u2014 but no one else can have her!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Though she wasn\u2019t announced ahead of time as a participant in this week\u2019s show, Taylor Swift \u2014 who, you may have heard, has a new movie out this weekend<\/a> \u2014 was not only a surprise guest on \u201cS.N.L.\u201d but the running theme of this week\u2019s broadcast: A sketch<\/a> that lampooned Fox\u2019s NFL coverage leaned heavily on jokes about the pop star\u2019s burgeoning relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and concluded with a cameo from the football player.<\/p>\n Swift was also referenced in a filmed segment from Please Don\u2019t Destroy<\/a> and in a Weekend Update desk segment<\/a> that cast Bowen Yang as Christopher Columbus. For good measure, Swift herself showed up to introduce a second performance from this week\u2019s musical guest, Ice Spice. Mikey Day showed off his friendship bracelets during \u201cS.N.L.\u201d good-nights, but Swift herself wasn\u2019t seen there. She has an empire to run, after all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n This being an \u201cS.N.L.\u201d episode centered on Davidson means that you\u2019re going to get a lot of sketches about the fact that Davidson is, well, Davidson and lives the life that Davidson lives. That said, he and \u201cS.N.L.\u201d availed themselves pretty well with this segment that both parodies and faithfully recreates a musical lamentation performed by Ryan Gosling<\/a> in this summer\u2019s hit comedy \u201cBarbie.\u201d<\/p>\n The many, many references to Davidson\u2019s real-life exploits are too numerous to catalog here, but we would like to acknowledge this verse in particular:<\/p>\n I\u2019m just Pete.<\/em> Over at the Weekend Update desk, the anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che continued to riff on the Israel-Hamas War and Laphonza Butler\u2019s appointment to the senate seat formerly held by Dianne Feinstein.<\/p>\n Jost began:<\/p>\n Well, this was a terrible week for the world but a great week for random idiots who like to share completely unhinged thoughts wherever they can. And weirdly it\u2019s not even on social media anymore. I saw a 1,000-word essay called \u201cHow I\u2019d Fix Palestine,\u201d and it was posted in a Yelp review of a Buffalo Wild Wings.<\/p>\n Even world leaders who could be making it better are making it worse. For example, former President Trump went out of his way to praise the terrorist group Hezbollah, calling them \u201cvery smart.” Though in Trump\u2019s defense he thinks Hezbollah is the genie from Aladdin.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Che continued:<\/p>\n Laphonza Butler was sworn in as California\u2019s newest senator, becoming the first openly [gay] Black woman in Congress. \u201cUm, you mean second,\u201d said George Santos.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Opening monologue of the week<\/h2>\n
Unofficial guest star of the week<\/h2>\n
\u2018Barbie\u2019 parody of the week<\/h2>\n
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Anyone else, I\u2019d be a three<\/em>
But I guess I\u2019m hot for dudes in comedy<\/em>
\u2018cause it\u2019s an ugly industry.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWeekend Update jokes of the week<\/h2>\n
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