SNL Cold Open: Thompson's Charles Barkley Tackles Bondi, Noem, More
· BCPosted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL Cold Open: Thompson's Charles Barkley Tackles Bondi, Noem & More
SNL Cold Open: NCAA "March Madness" coverage saw Charles Barkley (Kenan Thompson) going off-script, taking on Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem & more.
Published Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:13:07 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- SNL opens with Kenan Thompson's Charles Barkley hilariously hijacking NCAA March Madness coverage.
- Barkley targets Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, and Trump’s immigration policy with sharp, topical humor.
- Ashley Padilla appears as Pam Bondi, poking fun at her firing and current political headlines.
- Jack Black hosts as a Five-Timer, joined by musical guest Jack White for Easter Weekend on SNL.
NBC's Saturday Night Live returned just in time for Easter Weekend, with actor, comedian, and musician Jack Black being joined by musical guest Jack White. Being a return episode would be more than enough to make tonight's show a big deal, but we've also got Black receiving his SNL "Five-Timers" jacket. Of course, none of that can get underway with the SNL Cold Open – and once again, there's a whole lot going on that the writers could target. Would we get James Austin Johnson's Trump interrupting another Easter presentation? Can we expect Colin Jost's dudebro Pete Hegseth to make an appearance? With U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi getting the boot from Trump, could we see an appearance from Amy Poehler?
Interesting. SNL is kicking off with a take-off on "March Madness" coverage with the iconic team of Ernie Johnson (Johnson) and Charles Barkley (Kenan Thompson), along with Jeremy Culhane (Coach Bruce Pearl) and Kam Patterson (Kenny "The Jet" Smith). The focus of the sketch was how Barkley spoke out against Trump's immigration policy, and kept interrupting the NCAA "March Madness" coverage to offer takes (after choosing his words "very carefully"). Barkley kept the topics coming, even going at "freckle-chested dragon lady" Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem, who got hits with a joke about her husband and "Big Momma's House 4."
Though it wasn't Poehler, we did get an appearance from Bondi (played by Ashley Padilla: "They threw my headshot in the trash like the Epstein files!"), who wanted to push back on Barkley's comments by proudly proclaiming that she was the first woman ever to be fired as U.S. Attorney General. Why was she there? FCC "equal time," of course. But after she had a breakdown, Barkley consoles Bondi by telling her that she has a future as a women's basketball coach who pulls on players' hair (possibly a reference to this).
NBC's Saturday Night Live is the most Emmy-winning show in history and holds 113 Emmy wins (including awards for its specials and short-form series). SNL has been honored four times with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms.
Since its inception in 1975, SNL has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. SNL makes headlines with topical humor reflecting politics and current events, features an array of characters with a perspective on pop culture that remains unparalleled, and offers sharp political commentary through its signature "Weekend Update" segment. A variety show that is truly one of a kind, SNL also attracts the biggest stars of music to its stage for innovative viral performances.
The SNL Season 51 cast includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang, along with current featured players Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline. Joining them are newcomers Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.
New writers for this season include actor-writer Jack Bensinger (Rap World), stand-up comedian Jo Sunday (Just for Laughs), comic Maddie Wiener (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), actor and writer Rachel Pegram (Harley Quinn), writer-comedian Claire McFadden (Second City), Maxwell Gay (The Harvard Lampoon), and Tucker Flodman (The Harvard Lampoon). NBC's Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, and broadcasts live from NBC's famed Studio 8H in New York City's Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.
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