SNL's "First Warm Day of the Year Red Carpet" Welcomes New York's Wonderful Weirdos
The sun is out — and so are the "freaks, crazies, and weirdos" of Central Park in this Season 48 cold open.
The return of warm sunshine after months of winter gloom and cold spring rain tends to bring people out in full force — and you really feel the mass excitement over jacket-free weather in the crowded streets of New York City. The cast and writers of Saturday Night Live know this firsthand, which is what likely inspired its "First Warm Day of the Year" cold open from Season 48. Because if you've been to Manhattan as soon as the temperature passes 70, you know it's basically a documentary.
"Well, folks, it's mid April here in New York City, and the temperature hit 90 degrees this week a full two months ahead of schedule," fictional red carpet host Dana Banes (Heidi Gardner). "And while that may be terrifying on a climate level, the warm weather can only mean one thing: All the freaks, crazies, and weirdos are headed to Central Park!"
SNL's Season 48 cast became classic NYC characters in the "First Warm Day of the Year" cold open
"The mood here is electric! The smell of Halal food and horse manure is in the air," her co-host Jace L. Rio (Bowen Yang) raves. And he's ready to introduce the first "absolute icon" of the park: "An older man doing an aggressive power walk."
After the man (Mikey Day) shows off his super-tight outfit and heart rate monitor, he previews his power walk, which includes sharply yelling "Behind you! On your left!" to unsuspecting pedestrians. Next up, "not one but two perverts who came to the park to pleasure themselves!"
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"Nice to be out of the subway," one (Michael Longfellow) tells her, as the other (James Austin Johnson, bringing an incredible "pervert" voice to his character) shows off his modesty blanket and decoy hand.
The gang's all here: Woman Learning to Roller Blade ("I've always wanted to learn, and I thought, 'what better place than on a crowded pathway filled with thousands of people?'"), Grown Man with a Drone Who's Alone, Crazy Man with a Microphone and the woman who engages with him, and an "absolute legend": A Lady Trying to Tell Someone Where She Is (Ego Nwodim).
Watch "First Warm Day of the Year" — in which Nwodim masterfully zooms in front of her cast mates just as they're about to shout "Live from New York" — from Season 48, Episode 18 above. Stream all 50 seasons of Saturday Night Live on Peacock anytime.
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When does SNL come back?
Saturday Night Live returns on May 3 with second-time Host Quinta Brunson and Musical Guest Benson Boone.
