Ep 22. Alec Baldwin / Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

In Saturday Night Live season 35 episode 22, Alec Baldwin takes the hosting duties in his twelfth appearance on the show. Baldwin has seen a recent resurgence in his career thanks to his portrayal of President Donald Trump on SNL, and he doesn’t disappoint in this episode.

The opening sketch sees Baldwin’s Trump delivering a graduation speech to the class of 2010 – a nod to the COVID-19 pandemic that halted many graduation ceremonies in 2020. The sketch pokes fun at Trump’s handling of the crisis, with Baldwin’s character suggesting that a “tiny little flu” was nothing to worry about.

The episode also features several other topical sketches, including a parody of the popular true-crime series Tiger King. In the sketch, SNL cast member Mikey Day plays Joe Exotic, the eccentric zookeeper at the center of the real-life documentary. Baldwin appears as Jeff Lowe, Exotic’s business partner, and the sketch also features several appearances by other members of the SNL cast.

Musical guest Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers also make an appearance on the episode, performing two songs. The iconic rock band delivers their hits “I Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down A Dream” to an enthusiastic audience.

In addition to political and pop-culture sketches, the episode also features several recurring characters and sketches. Weekend Update – the show’s parody of a news program – sees hosts Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler delivering their usual mix of jokes and political commentary. The recurring character of Nicolas Fehn – a pretentious movie critic played by Fred Armisen – also makes an appearance, reviewing the then-recently released film Robin Hood.

Overall, the Alec Baldwin / Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers episode of Saturday Night Live season 35 makes for an entertaining hour of comedy and music. The episode’s mix of topical humor, recurring sketches, and iconic musical performances make it a must-watch for fans of the long-running comedy series.