Will Ferrell, 52, returned to the Saturday Night Live stage for his fifth time as host and he didn’t disappoint! Just in time for Thanksgiving, Will took us back to the first-ever dinner in 1621 and played the hilarious role of Pocahontas’ grandfather — and we aren’t talking about the Disney version. Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen returned to the stage to reunite with the Anchorman actor, and the trio had the most hilarious moment of the night — right down to Fred and Will’s near-perfect wigs!
In the skit, 12-year-old Pocahontas brings home her 30-year-old boyfriend John Smith for the first time, introducing him to her parents played perfectly by Maya and Fred. Grandpa Will is immediately suspicious of the “pale faced” John Smith — played by Beck Bennett — who he accuses of stealing buffalos, land, and “those blankets that are getting everybody sick” — wait, what? “Who told you the blankets are getting people sick?” Maya asked, as Will quickly interjected, “The Fox” — a not-so-subtle jab at Fox News! “He knows what’s up…since when is it our job to take care of this world’s problems?”
Beck’s John then returns to the table after running to the bathroom multiple times, with a little too much TMI for a family dinner. “I think my stomach is having a hard time digesting this food — I saw some whole kern kernels in my stool and I specifically remember chewing them all.” It turns out he wasn’t alone, as Fred’s character exclaimed “yeah, that happens to me too!”
Breaking the fourth wall, Will then addressed the audience directly. “If you’re anything like me, you know there’s a lot of problems in this crazy, crazy sketch,” he began. “I mean, white actors playing Natives, what is this — 2014? But no matter what year it is, or what color we are — whether we get our news from a fox or a peacock — one thing is for sure: none of us can digest corn.” Perhaps that’s the PSA we all needed before Thanksgiving dinner!
Fans had plenty to say about the not-so-politically correct skit on Twitter, and their comments were on point. “@SNL is hysterical tonight. Will Ferrell is so freakin’ funny, and that Thanksgiving sketch was simply brilliant!” @C_Heckart tweeted, while @kylie_zach posted “Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph’s friendship is so cute!! #SNL.” @hercAICN added “The Thanksgiving sketch with Maya & Armisen killed too, as did the teen party and the pizza commercial. A truly, truly great #SNL. Good luck topping that, Eddie Murphy!!!!” referencing Eddie’s upcoming hosting gig on Dec. 21.
Maya was previously a full-time cast member on SNL from 2000-2007, while Fred was on the series from 2002-2013 — and the pair currently co-star on the Amazon series Forever. Tonight was a milestone for Will — who was a full-time cast member on SNL from 1995 until 2002 — as he joined the coveted five-timers club! The elite group, which refers to those who have hosted the show five times, also includes actors Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, and Jonah Hill, to name a few. The Elf actor last appeared on the popular NBC series on Jan. 27, 2018.