Sitting at a piano, McKinnon delivered a graceful, impassioned rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ – in added tribute to the recent passing of the cultural icon.
The cold open saw a notable absence from Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump, though questions will now arise as to whether the actor will continue playing the character into the future, considering his appearance was intended only to last the length of the election.
Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of curiosity surrounding Saturday Night Live’s first post-election cold open, specifically when the weekly sketch show has engaged so fully with the election’s various debates and controversies.
McKinnon then ended the song visibly moved; looking straight into the camera and tearfully uttering, “I’m not giving up, and neither should you.”