Saturday Night Live returned with a bang on October 2 with a hilarious performance by Cecily Strong spoofing Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema, roasting the congresswoman for getting in the way of Democrat’s plans for the country. One of her most hilarious lines featured Cecily taking a humorous jab at the senator. “As a wine-drinking bisexual tri-athlete, I know what the average American wants. They want to be put on hold when they call 911. They want bridges that just stop, cars fall down. They want water so thick you could eat it with a fork, and I will fight for that no matter what, unless my foot hurts. Then, I’ll go back to Arizona,” she said.
Cecily appeared alongside other fan favorites like Melissa Villaseñor as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and newcomer James Austin Johnson as President Joe Biden! Other than Cecily’s impression of Sinema, fans were also curious about the newcomer’s take on POTUS! At one point James’ Biden tried to get Democrats to agree on roads. “I want no roads,” Cecily said “No roads, why?” James asked. “Chaos,” Cecily’s senator hilariously responded. Earlier in the sketch she took one of the funniest lines to roast Kyrsten. “What do I want from this bill? I’ll never tell, because I didn’t come to Congress to make friends, and so far, mission: accomplished,” she quipped as her first line.
Fans definitely agreed that the comic’s take on Kyrsten was spot on! “Cecily Strong’s Sinema is just hitting the crazy nail on the head,” one fan wrote. Another said that the sketch actor played the senator “perfectly.” Another person said that they were excited to see Cecily “take down” the senator.
I don't know who this guy is, but he does a pretty good President Biden.
And Cecily Strong's Sinema is just hitting the crazy nail on the head.
Welcome back, #SNL! pic.twitter.com/84Lcl1LlV6
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) October 3, 2021
I think Cecily Strong Krysten captured Sinema perfectly. “Chaos!” #snl pic.twitter.com/Yb0g7fk17y
— rebellegrrl (she/her) (@rebellegrrl) October 3, 2021
I’d pay good money to watch SNL single-handedly take down Kristen Sinema. Bye girl bye! #SNLPremiere #snl pic.twitter.com/1X9LkHq1eY
— Shauna Louise (@shauna_louise0) October 3, 2021
Saturday Night Live is seeing some changes as it heads into its 47th season, including the departure of Beck Bennett, 36. The longtime cast member took to social media to announce the big news after eight seasons. “Love you, SNL Gonna miss you so much Thank you for 8 years of remarkable people and incredible experiences that completely changed my life. I had so much fun,” he wrote on Sept. 28, including a carousel of photos with highlights from his time on the show. Beck originally joined in 2013.
Some popular returning cast members include Kate McKinnon, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, and Kenan Thompson. Others coming back include “Weekend Update” hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che, as well as Chloe Fineman, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, and Heidi Gardner.
Following the season 46 finale, a source told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that SNL show runner Lorne Michaels was keen to keep the cast for another year. “COVID has been tough for many, but has been very tough for SNL,” a source told HL. “The usual auditions and seeing people in comedy clubs for Lorne to [determine] if anyone would be good for the show has had some interesting stumbling blocks, so as next season returns, Lorne has told all the cast from last year that he would like for them all to return,” the insider also said.
Notably, SNL shifted to an SNL At Home model for the final three episodes of season 45. The series returned in-studio for season 46 with stringent COVID-19 rules, including requiring the cast and hosts to follow a quarantine.