Little surprise “Saturday Night Live” kicked off its Mother’s Day episode by tackling one of the biggest news stories of the year: the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting it is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to abortion.
The sketch opened with a voice-over referring to Justice Samuel Alito making reference to a medieval jurist in his argument to overturn the decision. Cut to Benedict Cumberbatch, in his second time as host, as a 13th-century townsperson with a bowl haircut holding forth with two other simpletons on abortion.
Perhaps a law should be created, muses Andrew Dismukes, “like the one we have against wearing pointy shoes.”
‘SNL’ salutes Mother’s Day: Every parent of teenagers will want to watch this bit
“We should make a law,” says Cumberbatch, “that will stand the test of time so that hundreds and hundreds of years from now, they’ll say, no need to update this at all, they nailed it in 1235.”
You get the gist. Cecily Strong joins in on the fun, saying “I have a couple of questions,” to which Cumberbatch deadpans: “Margaret, don’t make us make another hole in your skull so your brain can breathe.”
Then, Kate McKinnon hovers into view. “An ogre!” the simpletons cry out. “No,” she says, I’m just a woman in her 30s.”
But, on a more serious note, her character lands with a plea: “No matter how many choices they take away from women, we always have the choice to keep fighting.”
The simpletons conclude that she’s a witch and she must be set on fire.
‘SNL’ regular Chloe Fineman: ‘The Understudy’ proves she can impersonate almost every female cast member
