Adam Sandler returned to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for the first time in 24 years, paying tribute to friend and former cast-member Chris Farley and taking potshots at politicians. Reviving his famous “Opera Man” character, Sandler recapped the day’s news. WATCH: After addressing a few of the other stories of the day — from “Game of Thrones” to the Kentucky Derby — Opera Man turned to politics. “Kamala, Gillibrand, Klobuchar, Warren,” he sang. “They have slim chance-o, they no wear pants-o.” “Cory, Pete and Beto, will have to wait-o … here we go again! 70-year-old men,” he ended with an image showing Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. He then focused in on Biden and recent complaints about him respecting peoples’ personal space, singing, “gropa, gropa, sniffa, sniffa, young or old-a, makes no diffa.” The actor and comedian didn’t stop with the Democrats — he did take a few shots at the Trump administration as well. (RELATED: Adam Sandler To Host ‘SNL’ For The First Time) “Trumpa-dumpa, Trumpa-dumpa, I make-a the wall. I play-a da golf, and they take-a da fall,” Opera Man sang as an image flashed showing indicted former Trump associates Roger Stone, Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort. Opera Man also suggested that when Attorney General William Barr failed to show up to the House Judiciary Committee hearing that was scheduled earlier in the week, they should have looked for him at Wendy’s. Sandler also sang a song about that time NBC fired him and delivered an emotional tribute to the late Chris Farley. Follow Virginia on Twitter<doc-sep>By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>A returning Saturday Night Live initially opens with live C-Span coverage of Capitol Hill, but since the attorney general, William Barr, disobeyed congressional Democrats and refused to give testimony last week, we cut to Celebrity Family Feud: Avengers v Game of Thrones edition. The Marvel team comprises “Scientologist” Thor (Alex Moffat), “swole Grimace” Thanos (Beck Bennett), Okoye (or as host Steve Harvey calls her, “Okee-Dokee”), and Groot (Leslie Jones, wearing a simple tree trunk hat and a brown long-sleeve shirt), while the Thrones faction includes an awkward Brienne of Tarth (Kate McKinnon), a high-strung Tormund Giantsbane (Mikey Day), new Maybelline cover girl Melisandre (Cecily Strong), “weird brother” Bran (Kyle Mooney), and a horny Arya Stark (Melissa Villaseñor). It’s little more than a rundown of basic reference with no real point, which means it’s in keeping with most of this season’s other cold opens, despite the switch from politics to pop culture. That said, props to the prop department – the costuming was on point, especially Bennet’s ridiculous, but impressive, Thanos getup. Adam Sandler makes his return to SNL 23 years after he left the show, hosting for the very first time. He reminisces about his days as a fresh-faced twentysomething just starting out with his soon-to-be famous friends (getting in a killer joke at Norm MacDonald’s expense), before recounting his surprise sacking via song. He’s joined briefly by his buddy and alumnus Chris Rock, who was similarly fired, as well as Pete Davidson, who everyone agrees is likely to be fired soon enough. The monologue signals what will be a music-heavy episode. CNN Breaking News kicks off with live coverage of widespread fighting in Tripoli. Brian, the network’s foreign correspondent on the ground, is only able to connect with the studio via Snapchat. His harrowing account turns instantly ridiculous as the app renders him through a series of ridiculous filters, including a talking meerkat and hot dog. Simple and effective. Clothes (Holes) is a gauzily lit music video by a theatrical rock duo called Von Bonjour (Beckett and Mooney and featuring Sandler as a Slash-like guitarist), a catchy tune all about how clothes are just holes that “we get inside to cover the holes of our bodies”. In Sandler Family Reunion, the host discovers his various relations are a little put out with him for basing his most famous characters – Billy Madison, Little Nicky, the guy from Big Daddy – on them. It’s an easy excuse for the cast (including musical guest Shawn Mendes, as well as guest stars Kristen Wiig and Jimmy Fallon) to do their best Sandler impressions. Like the similar Carrey Family Reunion sketch from five years ago, it’s certainly memorable and meme-worthy … but also a bit grating. Next is a commercial for Rectix – a large suppository for erectile disfunction that’s really just a butt-plug. Sandler’s turn as a milquetoast senior casually describing how it works to his disgusted son is a welcome change of pace, character-wise, and this short, gross, hilarious parody is an early candidate for sketch of the night. Mendes takes to the stage and performs his new single, If I Can’t Have You. Weekend Update opens with coverage of AG Barr’s refusal to comply with Congress, “because”, as Jost puts it, “apparently our country doesn’t have rules any more”. He and Michael Che harp on Democrats’ dumb stunt responses and dismiss their empty threats to hold Barr in contempt, since the list of people they’ve held responsible so far is limited to “Scott Pruitt (sort of) … Roseanne Barr … That’s it!” Senator Elizabeth Warren (McKinnon) shows up to discuss her campaign’s “crackpot idea” of “talking about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it” and to run down the “clown car” that is her fellow primary candidates – Beto “O’Dork”, Mayor Pete “But-Judge-a-Judy-Jutes”, and Joe “Amtrak Masseuse” Joe Biden. Those hoping Sandler would reprise his popular Opera Man character for Weekend Update get their wish. He sings about the week’s headlines, including Game of Thrones, the Kentucky Derby, and the suspiciously Sandler-esque romcom Long Shot. Eventually, he gets around to politics, mocking Biden and Trump’s combined history of indiscretions (“Gropa gropa, sniffa sniffa / Young or olda, make no diffa /Joe for this you, won’t go far-o /To win White House you need to bang porn star-o!”). Sandler hasn’t lost a step when it comes to this character. He receives a big – and much-deserved – ovation at the song’s end. Next up is a new entry in the recurring Last Call series. McKinnon’s promiscuous walking health hazard Sheila Sovage hits it off an equally sleazy couple, played by a combover-sporting Sandler and a bronze-burnt Kristen Wiig. Within a couple of minutes all three of them are making out while scarfing down garbage spaghetti (their version of Lady and the Tramp), as Thompson’s long-suffering barkeep contemplates suicide, before eventually calling in a drone strike. Mendes returns and performs In My Blood. Sandler closes out the night with his musical Chris Farley Tribute (from his 2018 Netflix special 100% Fresh), while photos and clips of the much-missed comic icon scroll by on a screen next to him. You’d be hard-pressed to find as moving a segment – let alone conclusion – in SNL’s history, and it’s by far the best moment of the last several seasons. Sandler’s return met and even exceeded most expectations, with the episode serving as a reminder that when his heart is in it, the man is a great performer.<doc-sep>
Comedian and filmmaker Adam Sandler returned to to the stage that launched his career, NBC's Studio 8H, to host "Saturday Night Live" after parting ways with the show nearly 25 years ago. Although Sandler has become a hit-movie maker both as a star and producer with his Happy Madison Productions, he said during his opening monologue that people often ask him why he ever left "SNL," and he sang a song to answer the question. "I was fired," he sang. Comedian Chris Rock joined and answered the same question the same way: "I was fired." 🎶 I WAS FIRED 🎶 🎶 I WAS FIRED 🎶 – @AdamSandler pic.twitter.com/JcwOfdYhhq — Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) May 5, 2019 Current cast member Pete Davidson, who's seen more headlines for his love life and mental health than for his performance on the show, tried to join in, but Sandler informed him he has not, in fact, been fired. "I wasn’t ... how’s that even possible?" Davidson said. "I don’t know," Sandler said. "Be patient, 'cause it’s coming soon." Sandler wrapped up the segment explaining why he was back. "NBC said that I was done," he sang. "Then I made over four billion at the box office, so you could say I won." "SNL" avoided playing off the headlines for its cold open, but news segment "Weekend Update" offered a comedic summary of political events, including a visit from presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, played by Kate McKinnon. Adam Sandler on "Saturday Night Live." NBC She called the Democratic field of candidates a "friggin' clown car" and criticized her colleagues in Congress for so far failing to move forward with impeachment of President Donald Trump. "It's like the Titanic is sinking and we are politely waiting in line for the bathroom," she said. Sandler, who started as a writer on "SNL" in 1990 and left as a cast member in 1995, brought his character Opera Man to "Weekend Update." He had some lines for Attorney General William Barr, who did not show up Thursday for a day of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. "Where did Barr go?" Sandler sang. "He did not show. Check every single Wendy’s." Pop star Shawn Mendes was the night's musical guest. Former cast member Kristen Wiig also stopped by to perform in a few sketches. At the end of the show, Sandler sang an ode to comedian Chris Farley, a fellow "SNL" cast member who died in 1997 of an accidental drug overdose. “On Saturday night my man would always deliver,” Sandler sang, strumming a guitar. “Whether he was the Bumblebee Girl or livin’ in a van down by the river.” “Give it up for the great Chris Farley.”