The final debate sketch wasn’t the only time Tom Hanks and Saturday Night Live decided to roast Donald Trump this week.
S.N.L. hasn’t exactly been gentle on Trump supporters this election season. (Did you miss that fake ad last year where the show unflinchingly compared them to Nazis?) So, even knowing some biting political commentary is coming, it’s surprising to see Tom Hanks—who, earlier in the night, leaned into his gentle, “America’s Dad” persona—put on that red “Make America Great Again” cap for a “Black Jeopardy!” sketch. But either way, it was good to see Hanks behind the old Jeopardy! podium where he made such a splash playing a dumbed down version of himself opposite Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek back in 2009.
This time, instead of playing dumb, Hanks was playing paranoid—and the premise of the sketch revealed that there may not be such a huge difference between Trump’s base and the black community represented by Sasheer Zamata, Leslie Jones, and Kenan Thompson. It’s a cute premise bolstered by Thompson’s cheerful surprise at finding so much common ground. It’s also worth noting that this is a sketch S.N.L. couldn’t have even done in 2009, when Thompson was the sole non-white cast member on the show. Just another way S.N.L.’s diversity push has given it a sharper political edge.
Of course, it’s all fun and games on “Black Jeopardy!” until the final category. But we’ll let you discover that surprise for yourself.
