The first “Saturday Night Live” Since Donald Trump’s electoral victory began in the most somber tone as a group of simply dressed actors, mostly women and minorities, described their new reality.

“For many people, including many watching right now, the results were shocking and even horrifying,” Ego Nwodim said soberly.

“Donald Trump, who forcibly attempted to overturn the results of the last election, has been returned to power,” said Heidi Gardner.

“And now,” added Bowen Yang, “thanks to the Supreme Court, there are no more guardrails.”

Then came the departure from the liberal-leaning show.

“That’s why we at SNL would like to tell Donald Trump that we’ve always been with you,” Keenan Thompson said.

Yang added: “We never wavered in our support for you, even when others doubted you. »

“Everyone on stage believed in you,” Sarah Sherman said.

Marcello Hernández added: “Every single person on this stage voted for you. »

The cast then effusively declared their respect and obedience to the former and future president, introducing a new character, “Hot, Jacked Trump.”

Actor James Austin Johnson, who plays a flawless Trump and was virtually guaranteed long-term employment by the election, presented himself as a president-elect to Adonis’ body.

“From now on, we’re going to paint a very flattering portrait of Trump, because frankly, he’s my hero,” Johnson said in his Trump voice but speaking on his own behalf. “He’s going to make an incredible president and eventually a king.”

The episode, hosted by comedian and actor Bill Burr, was the first all season that did not begin with a former cast member. Maya Rudolphwho played Vice President Kamala Harris during a dizzying five-week run culminating with an appearance last week by Harris herself that began the show’s 50th season and led to a ratings surge.

Burr, host after stand-up Dave Chappelle hosted the last two post-presidential election episodes, did his own feint in his monologue, saying, “I don’t watch politics” and doing standard stand-up , including a piece of an airplane before returning to the elephant. in the studio, the election.

“Alright, let’s move on to what you all want to talk about. Alright ladies, you’re 0-2 against this guy,” he said. “But you learn more from your losses than from your victories. So let’s move on to the game tape. Ladies, enough pantsuits. Okay, that doesn’t work. Stop trying to respect yourself.

He suggested candidates who were at least a little more scantily clad, saying, “I know a lot of ugly women — feminists, I mean — who don’t want to hear that message.” »

Burr was “so excited that this stupid election is finally over.” Four years ago, everyone knew who they were going to vote for. Then they put us through all this for a year and a half,” he said.

After Trump’s first election victory in 2016, the show’s opening was serious and remained so with Kate McKinnonwho played Hillary Clinton on the show, appearing as the losing candidate sitting at the piano and singing a somber version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” changing only one verse from the better-known versions of the song.

“And even though it all went wrong, I’ll stand before the lord of song with nothing on my tongue but ‘Hallelujah,'” McKinnon sang in what became a national moment of catharsis for those on the side of losers.

After he finished, McKinnon said in a shaky voice, “I’m not giving up and neither should you” before uttering the obligatory “live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Rudolph made no appearance as Harris this Saturday night, but former actor Dana Carvey, who has played President Joe Biden all season, showed up as a leaping Elon Musk after the cast said that they loved him too.

After the opening, the sketches were demoted to standard non-election “SNL” fare, except of course for the fake news “Weekend Update.”

“On Tuesday, we learned that Democrats don’t really know how to rig an election,” said fake co-anchor Colin Jost.

He later added: “If I know the Democrats, they are going to take a long look in the mirror, learn from their mistakes and lead Biden again in 2028.”

Co-anchor Michael Che, who is black, drank throughout the segment, saying he couldn’t believe people had convinced him that Harris could win over rural Pennsylvanians.

“Obviously I have spent too much time with you white liberals and your idiotic optimism,” Che said.