'SNL' Cold Open: Dana Carvey's Church Lady Returns Along With Another Ex-Cast Member

After a long string of relatively straightforward election-focused cold opens, Saturday Night Live took a different approach this week when it brought back one of the sketch show’s most beloved and recognizable characters: the Church Lady. Arguably Dana Carvey’s most famous contribution to the show, the Chruch Lady first appeared on an episode in 1986 and has made multiple appearances since then, but hasn’t been seen since 2016. But why would she return in 2024? Because it’s been “the most satanic year in history” of course.

Carvey (who has become a regular fixture on the show this season) dons his signature short-cropped wig and purple skirt suit to condemn a series of sinful celebrity guests who have found themselves in the news this week. First on the docket is Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman) who recently stepped down from Congress and withdrew from being Trump’s attorney general pick. Sherman’s portrayal of the controversial politician continues to be a knockout, played with an uncanny skeevy-ness that matches her  prosthetic eyebrows. The Church Lady remarks, “It looks like your forehead is trying to go to heaven without you.”

🤩 📺 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩🎥

MLB star Juan Soto (Marcello Hernandez), who is poised to sign one of the most lucrative contracts in the league’s history, stopped by to talk about which team he’ll choose to sign with. After confessing he hopes to play with the Yankees, Soto is reminded that money is the root of all evil, and with an impressive $700 Million contract on the line, there’s a lot of room for the devil to take hold. “Why not spend your time and money helping the needy and less fortunate?” the Church Lady asks. Soto has an apparent change of heart, “You’re right. Maybe I sign with the Mets.”

The most notable guest to sit at the Church Lady’s desk was the President’s son, Hunter Biden, played by former SNL cast member David Spade. Spade (who has not been back on the show since 2005) returned to the Studio 8H stage to a rowdy round of applause and proved his comedic skills have stayed sharp. After being corrected for mistakenly calling Carvey’s character “Church Woman,” Spade’s Hunter Biden replies, “Pardon me,” earning a smug and knowing look from the Church Lady. “Who do you think I am?” Cavey asks, “Your daddy?” Hunter tries to explain that he’s being treated unfairly because of who he is. “Much like Trump, they went after me because of my last name… and all of the illegal things I did,” he explained, which earned the Chruch Lady’s signature response: “Well isn’t that special!”

Related: Meet the Cast of 'SNL' Season 50

You can watch this week’s cold open here:

Related: 'SNL' Reveals Next Three Hosts and Musical Guests for Season 50