SNL Tackles Britney Spears, Ted Cruz, Gina Carano and Andrew Cuomo in a Single Sketch

Saturday Night Live’s latest cold open hit all the current event bases, from Britney Spears, to Ted Cruz, to Gina Carano. Framed as a Spears-hosted talk show where people can come and apologize after embarrassing themselves, “Britney Spears Cold Open” is what happens when you throw a handful of unrelated references into a blender. It’s worth watching, though, because of the performances. Aidy Bryant taps into the distinctive toady shamelessness of Ted Cruz, with slight flashes of the panic within whenever Cruz realizes the public and the media have his number. Pete Davidson, who’s great at playing Pete Davidson but doesn’t usually get to do much else, is a great Andrew Cuomo, a blustery creature of arrogance and contempt who isn’t nearly as smart as he thinks he is. And although there isn’t much for Chloe Fineman to do as Britney Spears, she has the voice and physical mannerisms down. Check it out, and read on for more thoughts below.