Saturday evening live entered the debate on Saturday with Bowen Yang’s JD Vance and Jim Gaffigan’s Tim Walz.

The final episode was a spoof of the vice presidential debate from earlier this week, pitting an awkward Vance and crazy Walz against each other in a somewhat cordial debate. And SNL‘s cold opening brought that same energy.

The sketch started with Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris and Andy Samberg’s Douglas Emhoff watching the debate. “I feel good tonight,” Rudolph says. “We have momentum. Liz Cheney is about to support me and Bruce Springsteen. ‘Cause baby, I was born to run (referring to his song ‘Born To Run’).”

The debate begins with moderators Heidi Gardner’s Norah O’Donnell and Chloe Fineman’s Margaret Brennan asking about the candidates for their opening statements.

‘Thanks for having me. I want to start with something that will appeal to women voters. I understand that both moderators tonight are mothers and I like that,” Yang’s Vance says awkwardly.

The moderators then turn to a seemingly panicked Walz, who is scribbling on a stack of paper: “Are you preparing your answers?” asks Brennan.

“No, I have to grade these papers,” says Gaffigan’s Walz. “I have a pile of midterms.”

The moderators continued answering their questions, with the first focusing on how the candidates would resolve the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

“That’s such an important question,” Vance says, avoiding a direct answer. “Margaret, a question that deserves an answer because it is important and it is a question you asked me tonight.”

As for Walz, he doesn’t know the answer either: “So I’m just going to say the word fundamental, because debating is 30 percent fun and 70 percent demented.”

Rudolph’s Harris begins to worry after hearing her running mate’s reactions, but her husband assuages ​​her concerns, saying, “It’s not like he’s going to say anything crazy.”

But Emhoff van Samberg spoke too early. “I’ve become friends with school shooters,” Gaffigan’s Walz shouts, referring to a moment when the Democratic candidate made a mistake during the debate.

“As a crazy white man, this really puts my fellow human beings down,” responds Emhoff van Samberg. “I’m in a group chat with Josh Gad and Jason Kelsey and the mood is somber.”

There was also a moment during the skit where the two VP candidates found surprising “common ground” and took a moment to stare into each other’s eyes. But the moderators quickly got them back on track with the debate, asking Vance if he would certify the results of the upcoming election since Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election.

“It is sophisticated to say that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy when he peacefully surrendered power – without fact checking – and willingly – don’t check – boarded his plane without incident right after saving Obamacare – don’t check that” , says one fact check out of fear for Vance.

Dana Carvey’s Joe Biden later visits Harris’ home to emphasize that Walz should highlight “all the great things we’ve done in the White House over the last four years” during the debate.

“Gas prices down, border crossings down and Emmys for ‘The Bear’ down,” he says. “Everyone down… tonight.”