Sudeikis, the “Ted Lasso” star and “S.N.L.” alum, revisited some of the characters and sketch formats he popularized as a cast member on the show.
Was there “What Up With That?” There was indeed “What Up With That?,” but we’ll get to that in just a moment. It was inevitable that, in his first go-round as host of “Saturday Night Live,” Jason Sudeikis, the Emmy-winning “Ted Lasso” star, would revisit a few of the characters and sketch formats he helped make popular during his time as an “S.N.L.” cast member. That started right away in this weekend’s opening sketch, in which Sudeikis returned to his recurring role as Joseph R. Biden — whom he portrayed back when Biden was still vice president under President Obama, before the role was handed down to a series of other actors. The sketch opened on the White House, where President Biden ( now played by the rookie cast member James Austin Johnson) was with his press secretary, Jen Psaki (Chloe Fineman), lamenting his declining approval ratings. Left alone onstage, Johnson said: “I don’t understand. People used to like me. The press would call me Uncle Joe. I miss the old me. Where the hell did that guy go?” Enter Sudeikis as his energetic version of Biden, wearing a baseball cap, a windbreaker and aviator-frame eyeglasses. When Johnson said he didn’t recognize him, Sudeikis reacted with shock. “What do you mean, who am I?” Sudeikis said. “I’m you. I’m you from eight years ago, man. The ghost of Biden past.” “How can you be me?” Johnson asked him. “You seem so happy. So carefree. So… what’s the word I’m looking for?” Sudeikis answered, “Lucid.
