Saturday Night Live: Alec Baldwin on return, Bret Baier sketch
In some ways, this weekend’s Saturday Night Live episode with Michael Keaton was relatively low-key — with one big decision.
We know that the late-night sketch show has welcomed its fair share of controversy over the years; with that, we can’t say that we are shocked by Alec Baldwin appearing at the start of the show. He has remained a constant on the late-night series for decades, but in this particular instance, he did not come on as Donald Trump. Instead, he portrayed Fox News host Bret Baier in an interview with Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph). It was a role that allowed James Austin Johnson to continue to do the Trump role; given that Baier is not someone the show will likely lampoon week-to-week, we tend to think that this is a one-off appearance from Baldwin, at least for now.
Nonetheless, Baldwin took to Instagram after the show to thank everyone involved in the show for making his return happen:
Thank you Lorne, Maya, and everyone at [SNL] for inviting me home for the weekend.
Will this be Baldwin’s only appearance this season?
Well, let’s remember that there is a huge 50th anniversary special happening on NBC next year, and given how many times Alec has hosted this show in addition to all the cameos, there is a good chance that we will see him back. As for whether or not Michaels will care about any backlash at all here, the simple answer is no. This show is no stranger to drama or controversy, and we don’t tend to think that they are about to steer clear of it now.
Most of the reaction overnight to Baldwin’s return has been mixed, with some lauding the show and his performance, and others questioning whether or not it is a great idea with the Rust saga still fresh of mind for many. (Charges against the actor were dropped this past July.)
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What did you think about the Alec Baldwin appearance on Saturday Night Live last night?
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