Hannibal Lector Rolled Out As Potential Trump VP Choice In Short & Sharp ‘SNL’ Season Finale Cold Open
NBC
“I’m not afraid to testify at all, I’m just not going to out of fear,” said James Austin Johnson ‘s Donald Trump from the hall of a Manhattan courthouse in the cold open tonight of the final show of SNL’s 49th season.
“And finally, my last and favorite choice is a man I can’t stop talking about in my rallies, It’s the late great Hannibal Lector,” Johnson’s near pitch perfect Trump announced as a very wide eyed SNL featured player Michael Longfellow was wheeled in as the Silence of the Lambs killer played to Oscar winning glory by Anthony Hopkins. “There he is, I keep calling his late, great even though he’s not dead, he’s not great and he’s not real, but I think you’d really scare everybody at the border right?”
Of course, part of Johnson’s genius at nailing Trump is how he captures the 77-year-old Art of the Deal author’s insecurities as much as his bravado. A dual impression snagged in its totality with the near throwaway lines of “get him out of here, he’s giving me Pence vibes. I don’t like this.”
With the testimony of former Trump fixer Michael Cohen in the ex-president’s ongoing hush money trial, the announcement of double debates between the former Celebrity Apprentice host and incumbent Biden, and the Congressional committee dust-up between always mockery giving Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), the long running NBC late night show once again certainly wasn’t lacking for material for the cold open.
After a season of more misses that hits with the cold open, SNL choose well with Johnson’s Trump and the VP walk of shame. The sharp just over five-minute intro was even more on the ball with the sheer nuttiness, even for the much-indicted Donald, of the past and potentially future POTUS’ belabored references to Hannibal the Cannibal at a New Jersey rally last weekend – stuff you literally could not make up.
Fresh off the news this week of a Road House sequel coming from Prime Video, Jake Gyllenhaal is hosting SNL’s Season 49 finale tonight. This is the third time the 2006 Oscar nominee has fronted the Lorne Michaels run show. He previously hosted in 2007 and 2022. Musical guest Sabrina Carpenter makes her SNL debut tonight.
Saturday Night Live will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year with a three-hour NBC primetime special on February 16 that finishes off a weekend salute on the network. Dovetailing into NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage this summer, SNL also has a Radio City Music Hall extravaganza planned.