And then, ho ho ho!: tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live was literally pre-empted with a local breaking news alert that the mall 10 minutes away had been locked down with Christmas shoppers trapped inside, because of “gunshot” reports.
Upon hearing the news, I happened to tweet that the cancellation triggered in me a similar feeling of woozy dread that I felt last year after Tom Hanks revealed that he had Covid.
And then, with the cold open scrapped and good-natured Lenny Pickett smiling from his saxophonist stool, there was Hanks on stage, once more lighting the way as worries of shutdown and breakthrough infections loomed.
But my spirits got a genuine lift at the sight of Michael Che and Tina Fey assuming director chairs on the stage to tell some fresh Weekend Update jokes.
One day, maybe we’ll return to the dipshit guilelessness of Rudd’s Adult One Direction fan.
I hope after the credits rolled, they stole to the dressing room and cracked open a bottle of some good stuff and had some laughs about the horrible absurdity of it all.
Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers.