The "Britney Spears Talk Show" cold open didn't lead off with the biggest political story of last week. "It’s still a landmark moment in television history, because if 'a Republican with a pompadour goes on Fox News and does such a horrible job of denying sex trafficking allegations that Tucker Carlson gets mad at him' is no longer a shoo-in for a dedicated cold open, then SNL really has changed since the election," says Matthew Dessem, noting that Gaetz, played by Pete Davidson, didn't show up until the end of the sketch. He adds: "As nice as it is to see SNL switching their formula up a little bit, there’s always the danger of overcorrection. Imagine how quickly the country would collapse if Republicans came to believe that the only way to get an SNL cold open all to themselves was to be more of a disaster than Matt Gaetz!"
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Daniel Kaluuya proved on SNL he's a formidable comedic talent: The Oscar-nominated actor and former writer and actor on Britain's teen series Skins had a successful debut on Saturday Night Live. "In his opening monologue and skits throughout the episode, he showcased a remarkable range that buoyed the entire show—no small feat on a series that consistently struggles with topical humor," says Hannah Giorgis. She adds: "For the most part, Kaluuya’s skits deviated from SNL’s usual staid political humor. And like some earlier SNL episodes in this season, Kaluuya’s monologue took more earnest turns, too. He credited Fred Hampton with developing strategies for free education, free health care, and free breakfast for children. He also admitted that as a 9-year-old, he’d written a play based on the ’90s sitcom Kenan & Kel, then took 'this moment, in front of Kenan (Thompson) and the whole world, to say thank you, Mum; thank you, God, and thank you, Kel' for making his own career possible. It was especially satisfying, then, to see him play opposite Thompson."