Saturday Night Live has found their political footing and is loving it. The show took a break from featuring Alec Baldwin as the quick-tempered Donald Trump this week, and instead highlighted another acclaimed character actor to join the team.
Bryan Cranston dug up his Breaking Bad memories and resurrected his role as Walter White on this Saturday’s SNL. He was heavily displayed in the cold open, where he announced that he (Walter White) was Donald’s first choice to head the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Deadline reports that Cranston dialed up his AMC show connection, saying, “Donald Trump and I know it’s time to make America cook again. We want to fill this nation with red, white and a whole lot of blue.” Blue, of course, is also referring to Walter White’s signature meth color.
The rest of the sketch poked even more fun at the ludicrous choices we have for Donald’s cabinet picks (including a global warming skeptic for the Environmental Protection Agency and Arby’s CEO for labor secretary). Kate McKinnon, who played Kellyanne Conway, quipped, “They aren’t bad, they’re alt-good.”
When Cranston’s character is introduced, Beck Bennett (who was portraying CNN’s Jake Tapper) jokes that he is a “high school teacher” who is highly recommended by Steve Bannon (another controversial Donald pick).
Although the cold open lasts less than five minutes, the sketch had enough noteworthy lines to draw back on. Cranston even gives the Breaking Bad fans one last thrill as Kate McKinnon inquires about the DEA knocking on Walter White’s door for years, prompting him to say, “I am the one who knocks.”
You can watch the clip here: