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SNL last night delivered biting political satire with a timely cold open tackling the Iran strikes and Supreme Leader Khamenei killing. Connor Storrie, the breakout star of HBO Max’s hockey romance series, made his hosting debut on February 28 with star power and surprise celebrity guests.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Host: Connor Storrie, 26, making his SNL hosting debut after breakout success in Heated Rivalry
- Cold Open: James Austin Johnson’s Trump declares ‘Happy World War III,’ jokes Board of Peace got bored of peace
- Surprise Guest: Hudson Williams, Storrie’s Heated Rivalry co-star, made cameo appearance during 30 Rock skating rink sketch
- Musical Guest: Mumford & Sons performed alongside Storrie’s monologue with Olympic hockey players
Political Satire Goes Dark With Iran War Cold Open
SNL last night opened with a Trump sketch that didn’t hold back, featuring James Austin Johnson as the president delivering a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. Johnson’s Trump greeted viewers with, ‘Happy World War III to all who celebrate,’ setting the tone for the episode’s sharp satirical edge.
The sketch revealed that Trump’s “Board of Peace decided we were bored of peace,” justifying military strikes against Iran launched hours before SNL aired. Johnson’s character explained the timing was strategic: hitting targets before the stock market could react on Saturday, and disrupting the NBC sketch writers’ prepared material about the State of the Union address.
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Connor Storrie Stuns in Hosting Debut With Olympic Stars
The 26-year-old actor entered for his monologue to thunderous applause, immediately referencing his wildly successful Heated Rivalry series. ‘It’s taught a lot of people about hockey, and it’s taught a lot of straight women that their sexuality is actually gay men,’ he quipped to the audience.
Storrie admitted to crying when he booked the show, describing himself as born to host SNL. He brought out real hockey players from both the US men’s team (Quinn and Jack Hughes) and the US women’s team (Hilary Knight and Megan Keller), who joked about the Trump administration’s controversial White House moment and their superior winning streak.
Behind-the-Scenes Magic and Ice Rink Surprises
| Episode Element | Details |
| Host | Connor Storrie, Heated Rivalry breakout star |
| Musical Guest | Mumford & Sons |
| Surprise Appearance | Hudson Williams during skating rink sketch |
| Cold Open Focus | Iran strikes, Trump administration satire |
Hudson Williams, Storrie’s co-star from Heated Rivalry, made a shock appearance during a sketch set on the 30 Rock skating rink. The 25-year-old Canadian actor slid onto the ice in a romantic comedy scene, met with massive cheers. Williams later joined Storrie in announcing Mumford & Sons as the musical guest, delighting fans who had been speculating all week about a potential appearance.
Defense Secretary Says ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Doing’
Colin Jost entered the cold open as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, admitting genuine fear and confusion about the military operations. ‘When he said we were going to blow up the leader of Iran, I thought he was kidding,’ Jost’s character confessed, adding real tension to the satirical sketch.
The sketch masterfully balanced comedy with current events, showing how SNL writers scrambled overnight to scrap their prepared material about the State of the Union address. Trump’s character even bragged about the timing, knowing it would ’cause immeasurable fear, rage and chaos’ in the writers’ room.
What Makes This Episode Worth Watching Tonight?
Connor Storrie’s debut marks a pivotal moment for the actor , who skyrocketed to fame with Heated Rivalry. Between his monologue featuring real Olympic hockey players, the shock appearance of Hudson Williams, timely political commentary, and Mumford & Sons performing live, SNL last night delivered the entertainment value viewers crave.
The episode represents SNL’s strength in crafting rapid-response comedy to major news events, all while launching a new hosting talent. Fans can relive the best moments on NBC’s streaming platform and YouTube, where the cold open alone has already sparked intense conversations across social media about both the satire and the underlying political tensions it addresses.
‘To all my MAGA followers who are upset and saying this is not what I voted for: well, you did! Don’t you know who I am? I’m me! Even I don’t know what I’m going to do next.’
— James Austin Johnson, as Trump in the SNL Cold Open
Sources
- USA Today – Coverage of SNL cold open addressing Iran strikes and Khamenei killing
- The Hollywood Reporter – Connor Storrie’s SNL hosting debut with Hudson Williams cameo appearance
- Rolling Stone – Analysis of Trump character’s monologue and Iran war satire on SNL
I’m an old guy not familiar with Storrie so I enjoyed the review.
I will say that the crack about MAGA voters being upset because this isn’t what they voted for fell a little flat because the MAGA people that I’m in touch with are cheering this.