‘SNL’ Cold Open Calls on Justice Department to Investigate Memphis Police Killing of Tire Nichols; “Damn right,” says Kenan Thompson about the need for justice

“I may look like I was born in a library, but one thing you should know: Merrick Garland doesn’t act.” Saturday night live‘s Mikey Day proclaimed the almost SCOTUS justice.

But it wasn’t all fun and political games SNL tonight – as you can see in the video above.

At the end of a week with Facebook’s return of Donald Trump, more GOP SNAFUs with Rep. George Santos (R-NY) and other clown cars, more old classified documents that are in Joe Biden’s personal possessions and now found in the home of former Vice President Mike Pence, the publication of the complaint-filled memoir of the former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Lake, SNL once again had ample material for satire.

Tonight’s kicker, however, was a line that hit harder than any comedy when Kenan Thompson’s FBI special agent returned to the stage earlier this month to discuss the horrors of the Memphis Police Department’s killing of Tire Nichols.

“Hey boss, when we’re done with your papers we’ll go to Memphis and get justice there too, right?” Thompson asked without a hint of humor. “I sincerely hope so,” Day’s Garland replied. “Yeah, you’re damn right, I just want to make sure,” Thompson said to a standing ovation from the 30 Rock studio audience.

Nichols died at the hospital on Jan. 10, three days after five Memphis police officers arrested the 29-year-old African-American man for a traffic violation and a violent altercation broke out. The black police officers were each charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and abuse of office. Under Tennessee law, a second-degree manslaughter charge carries a sentence of 15 to 60 years in prison.

A series of malicious police body cam and surveillance videos were released late Friday showing Nichols being punched and beaten just yards from his parents’ home. The real Garland and the DOJ are investigating what happened, as well as various local and state law enforcement agencies.

You might not have imagined the suave attorney general as a kickass action hero, but in his second show of the new year, the long-running hit SNL putting America’s top agents in that role tonight — along with several former and current vice presidents and POTUS 44. “Now he’s looking for classified documents and coming for whoever has them,” the offensive voice snapped. – Above here. “Democrat, Republican or whatever Trump is.”

Before that very serious moment, in which he referenced the murder of Nichols (which salvaged an otherwise poor opening), he turned for emphasis, is it cake Host Day’s Garland praised Biden and Pence for their “cooperation” with DOJ investigations. He also attacked lawyers for the former famous apprentice Godfather-style hosts “put a horse’s head in my bed.”

“I am the law!” cried the wrong cliff, which doesn’t quite sound right. Judge Dredd (who used the phrase as his mantra in comics and movies) as a pair of digital sunglasses appeared on screen and DEAL WITH IT in the old school Amiga 64 font. A briefing followed by FBI Special Agent Conrad Nance, played by Thompson, detailing Pence’s quest — and as the sketch certainly ran out of steam, there were details.

“When I walked into Mr. Pence’s Indiana home, I knew right away that this guy needed a friend,” the longtime SNL cast member joked about the troubled ex-VP, who was met by longtime friend Trump and about everyone from the MAGA audience was thrown off. he’s looking forward to his own presidential bid in 2024. “When he opened the door, he said, ‘You’ve come,’ with a big smile on his face, and offered to make us pancakes,” the fictional FBI agent added.

A joke about Pence having a “tax stuff” file full of photos of Shania Twain cut from various magazines was poorly rendered SNL more than pennies to be honest. A sideline that “Mr. Pence, when confronted, said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m disgusted'” only made matters worse, even with tag succession.

While she remained in the front row for the presidency, the chills then shifted to current deputy host Kamala Harris and whether she had secret documents at home — which really shouldn’t be a thing, since she is literally the vice president and lives in the Navy DC Observatory. “Shut up, Joe Biden isn’t even going to give this woman a pen. Do you think she has secret documents?” said a tired FBI agent Kasey Combs, played by SNL‘s MVP pending Ego Nwodim. “You are welcome!”

Special Agent Derek Kay, played by the ever-accurate Bowen Yang, was next with details of Barack Obama’s fictional house search.

“I don’t want to brag, but I was at Barack Obama’s house,” Kay van Yang boasted to applause. “It was a deal, but it was really fun,” he added, giving a taste of the ex-POTUS and the extensive correspondence between Obama and the US president Hamilton Creator Lin Manuel Miranda.

Fun ends up being more than can be said from this cold open, again with so much potential but a low tension delivery.

“We asked him for classified documents and he said he’s out of the government game and doing the Hollywood thing,” Kay added about the skit that came across a Beyoncé case that was quite a difficult one.

Then there was Thompson’s Nichols moment, which left the previous parts of the sketch as old news at best.

First moderated by Michael B. Jordan, 11th^e point from SNLis 48^e Lil Baby is also a musical guest for the first time this season. A little over two months and soon after the world sensation Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Jordan’s premiere Creed IIIwhich he stars in and directs, debuts on March 3.

Will see next week SNL become a minor hit The last of us and The Mandalorian Star Pedro Pascal takes on the role of host for the first time. Coldplay is the musical guest.