“Middle-Aged Mutant Ninja Turtles” Accurately Reflects Our Decline on SNL

Here’s something that hits a little too close to home: during tonight’s quarantine episode of Saturday Night Live, we got a glimpse at how life has turned out for Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael in the animated short “Middle-Aged Mutant Ninja Turtles.” And no, it ain’t pretty.

I have a job. My wife seemingly still loves me. I don’t have kids. I basically feel the same way I did at 20, despite the gray hair and extra pounds. Still, I feel this way too much. Despite my (still relatively successful) attempts to retain my youth, I recognize this struggle from my friends, my siblings, and even myself, when I’m at my most honest. This is the natural course of life, even if you’re a turtle mutated into a ninja vigilante by radioactive sludge. You can’t beat up time, no matter how many nunchucks you swing at it.

This cartoon aired during what will go down as one of the most memorable episodes of SNL ever. As per the social distancing and shelter at home regulations in place throughout most of the country, the episode was produced entirely using footage shot at each cast member’s homes, with only a few sketches featuring more than one of them. I’m not sure if it was more consistently funny than a typical SNL in its 45th season, but it was such a thorough break from the show’s hidebound formula that it definitely felt fresher.

Find out what happened to Raphael and the dudes below, and check Paste for more coverage of SNL’s “at home” edition.