Forget the World Series! This past weekend, while baseball fans were glued to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, “Saturday Night Live” turned its attention to a different kind of fierce competition: the New York City mayoral race. After all, what’s more captivating than political satire in the world’s greatest city?
The episode, hosted by Miles Teller with musical guest Brandi Carlile, kicked off with a brilliant, biting satirical debate. Teller himself portrayed one of the three major mayoral candidates, joined by two familiar faces from SNL’s past.
Miles Teller perfectly embodied Andrew M. Cuomo, the former New York governor now running as an independent. His opening statement was classic Cuomo: “I got us through Covid and then, yada yada yada, honk honk, squeeze squeeze” (complete with exaggerated hand gestures). He confidently declared his deep knowledge of the city: “I know this city like the back of a woman’s back. Mamma mia!”
Comedian and actor Ramy Youssef took on the role of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic front-runner. Youssef, as Mamdani, expressed his delight, humorously noting he was “ready to spend the next hour hearing my opponents pronounce my name in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine.”
Youssef’s Mamdani then vowed to reassure voters wary of a socialist Muslim by “smiling after every answer in a way that physically hurts my face.” True to his word, he punctuated each point with a painfully wide, exaggerated grin that became a running gag.
Shane Gillis, the not-quite-“S.N.L.”-cast-member turned standup and actor, portrayed Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Gillis’s Sliwa proclaimed he was “thrilled to be here and not getting shot in the back of a Yellow Cab five times by the Gottis and Gambinos, as I was, famously, in 1992, 1993 and ’94.”
Gillis’s character confidently asserted his superiority, offering a mock apology to “Mr. Cuomo and — I believe I’m saying this right — Zoltar Rob Zombie.”
Kenan Thompson, playing moderator Errol Louis, posed the pertinent question: why would anyone want “the worst job in the world?”
Cuomo, played by Teller, quipped, “As soon as you are elected mayor, everyone in the city immediately hates you. And in that way, I am already one step ahead of the game.”
Youssef’s Mamdani outlined an ambitious vision for a better New York, promising affordable housing, free healthcare, and Wi-Fi. “Can I make that happen?” he questioned. “I’m not sure yet. But together we’re going to find out. That the answer is no.”
When asked for their preferred bagel orders, Gillis’s Sliwa delivered a truly bizarre response: “As you know, in 1982 I had my penis cut off in front of me by the yakuza. So, obviously, blueberry bagel, toasted, strawberry cream cheese, eaten over a garbage can.”
Following a humorous rejection of a sarcastic endorsement from Mayor Eric Adams (portrayed by SNL cast member Kam Patterson), Youssef’s character directly addressed the camera. He launched into a theatrical appeal to female voters, specifically targeting those who might harbor “white guilt” over gentrifying historically Spanish neighborhoods.
“Why don’t you vote for me?” Youssef proposed. “You’ll feel a little less bad about that chicken and rice shop getting turned into a Sweetgreen.”
But before the candidates could answer a question about the biggest problem they would have to confront as mayor, James Austin Johnson burst in, reprising his popular impression of President Trump. His triumphant entrance was marked by the signature declaration, “It’s me!”
After playfully mocking the mayoral hopefuls and revealing his unconventional bagel preference (“Big Mac with a hole in the middle”), Johnson’s Trump reminded everyone that even away from New York, he’s “always watching — lurking in the shadows, much like the late, great Phantom of the Opera.”
The segment concluded with Trump dramatically donning a “Phantom” mask and delivering a surprisingly melodic rendition of “The Music of the Night.”
[Video: This section of the show featured James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump singing “The Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”.]
Double Act of the Week
Watch out, Michael B. Jordan! When “SNL” needed a pair of hosts for a “Property Brothers” parody, they turned to Miles Teller, who played both Drew and Jonathan Scott. This pre-recorded segment also allowed for a second appearance by James Austin Johnson as Trump, alongside Chloe Fineman as Melania Trump. The duo comically botched the demolition and rebuilding of the White House’s East Wing. As Teller’s character explained, “The Trumps have already made a few subtle changes to the house.” Fineman’s Melania added, “Donald got rid of the portrait of F.D.R., and he put a painting of himself as a soldier from Halo.”
[Video: A sketch featuring Miles Teller playing both Property Brothers with James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump.]
Weekend Update Jokes of the Week
Over at the Weekend Update desk, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che delivered their usual sharp commentary, this time focusing on a White House Halloween event and the Trump administration’s efforts regarding SNAP benefits.
Jost kicked off the segment:
President Trump and the First Lady hosted a trick-or-treat event at what’s left of the White House. And this is one of my favorite things that the president does because it’s so clear he never trick-or-treated once in his life. In his first term, here’s how he gave candy to a kid dressed as a Minion. [He plays video from 2019 of President Trump and the First Lady putting candy on the top of a trick-or-treater’s costume]. Melania’s just like, “I guess that is how it’s done.” And then again this year he did it to a kid dressed as D.J. Marshmello. [He played video from this week of President Trump again putting candy on top of a trick-or-treater’s costume] Just put it in the bag. Why is he so weird? Even the kid is like, “This is not right.” It’s kind of an embodiment of his entire presidency, because it’s just a violation of norms that no other president or person has ever conceived of. Like, who’s ever thought, “I should put the candy on the kid’s head?”
My favorite part, though, was when Trump and Melania made a grand entrance to this song. [playing video of President Trump and the First Lady entering to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”] Just the perfect soundtrack to lure kids to a famous mansion.
Che followed up:
Due to the government shutdown, SNAP food benefits ran out of funds today. But the government still provides needy families with free food through the Second Amendment. Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said during a press conference that she is nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. And I can’t believe I get to say this, but thank God nobody listens to women.
[Video: Colin Jost and Michael Che’s “Weekend Update” segment, including jokes about White House Halloween and SNAP benefits.]
Weekend Update Desk Segments of the Week
Two weeks prior, Bowen Yang’s absence meant missing his anticipated return as George Santos, the former congressman recently pardoned by President Trump. However, this week, when Colin Jost announced “the world’s No. 1 marathoner,” everyone knew Yang was about to appear. Yang, claiming to have already won the not-yet-happened New York City Marathon, also shared details of prison calls with his “close friends” Ghislaine, Luigi, and Diddy, and proudly displayed a jeweled necklace he insisted was stolen from the Louvre and rightfully belonged to his ancestors — “the Zales.”
[Video: Bowen Yang as George Santos on “Weekend Update.”]
Finally, Ashley Padilla and Andrew Dismukes charmed the audience with their portrayal of a somewhat disheveled post-hookup couple. Their awkward yet amusing exchanges served as a surprisingly apt metaphor for the ongoing, stalled negotiations between Republicans and Democrats during the government shutdown.