A few particular news stories dominated this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” season premiere, and one of them was all about one of their own.
Several bits focused on cast member Pete Davidson and his romance and subsequent engagement with glamorous pop star Ariana Grande. In his monologue, host Adam Driver lamented having to hear about everyone’s summer — until Davidson came along. “You’re the one person whose summer I really want to hear about,” Driver said.
Davidson’s reply: a grin and a musical wink.
In a short film, castmate Kyle Mooney played himself envying Davidson’s high-flying life and copying him with dyed hair, a pet pig and a celebrity girlfriend: TV talker Wendy Williams (playing herself). Offended, Davidson demanded a “Gladiator”-style duel that ended in a banana-peel slip and laughter.
Then Davidson himself got his say, marveling about his good fortune in one of his hyperpersonal Weekend Update monologues. “You remember when that whole city pretended that kid was Batman ’cause he was, like, sick? That’s what it feels like,” he said.
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Though reassured often by Grande, David said, he can’t help but take precautions: “Last night, I switched her birth control pills with Tic-Tacs. I believe in us and all, but I just wanna make sure that she can’t go anywhere.”
(Ironically, the man coaxing these disclosures was castmate Colin Jost, whose own superstar romance with actress and resident Ivanka Trump impersonator Scarlett Johansson has never been mentioned on “SNL.”)
Earlier this week, show boss Lorne Michaels said Grande, a past “SNL” host, had been scheduled to perform on this week’s episode but dropped out for “emotional reasons.” Kanye West stepped in as her sub.