After an off-season full of unexpected cast shake-ups and a decree from Lorne Michaels that this would be a “year of change,†Saturday Night Live poked some good-natured fun at itself in the first few minutes of its 48th season premiere. Miles Teller, making a rare appearance as a host in the cold open, along with repertory player Andrew Dismukes, channeled Peyton and Eli Manning, respectively, giving running commentary on the episode’s opening sketch. (Jon Hamm also briefly pops in to deliver some choice remarks.) The show got in a few mild digs at itself — “Oh, good. Trump skit. Way to mix it up,†Teller’s Peyton says as James Austin Johnson reprises his Trump impression — as well as a couple genuinely cutting ones, like the sports graphic that pops up reporting “14 Attempted Jokes, 1 Mild Laugh, 3 Chuckles,†at the end of the sketch-within-a-sketch. Watch the full cold open above, and see if you can spot the appearances of all four new cast members.
SNL Gets Self-Aware in Season-Premiere Cold Open
