David S. Pumpkins returned to Saturday Night Live this Halloween, only to have his comeback hijacked by another very loud, very orange, and considerably less entertaining character. Tom Hanks reprised his cult-favorite role during this week’s cold open, appearing in a haunted ride sketch reminiscent of his two previous appearances on the show. Unfortunately, Pumpkins’ return was interrupted by James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump, who proceeded to take over the rest of the sketch.
If there was one takeaway from an otherwise frustrating bit, it was this: Trump has become impossible to escape, inserting himself into every corner of American culture. Some might call SNL’s decision to shoehorn Trump into a David S. Pumpkins sketch lazy, but maybe the fact that he didn’t belong was precisely the point. Fortunately, Election Day is nearing, and the results could finally signal the beginning of the end of a certain someone’s cultural cachet.
If nothing else, vote on behalf of Bobby Moynihan, so his next cameo doesn’t go to waste.