SNL’s cold open took on the fan base that suspected murderer United HealthCare CEO Luigi Mangione has amassed since his arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania last week — to a mixed reception from fans.
The show did this with a sketch in which Sarah Sherman played a particularly ruthless, bizarre Nancy Grace, making fun of the True Crime Talking Head’s Crime Stories in the process.
“The Masked CEO Shooter Has Been Unmasked, And Guess What? It’s game over, Luigi,” Sherman, as Gracys, says in a heightened Southern accent at the beginning of the sketch.
“And of course, everyone online celebrated the hard work of law enforcement in apprehending this dangerous criminal,” she continues – before quickly switching gears. “Just kidding, you idiots turned him into a sex symbol.”
Sherman’s Grace continues to ridicule the American public for their fascination – seen on social media since Mangione’s mugshot was revealed to the public.
“That’s right, Luigi Mangione, a healthcare killer, has excited and troubled women and gays alike,” Sherman continued, creating a cartoonish version of Grace, honed in on her Georgia roots, that some disapproved of.
“I mean, seriously? This guy looks like Dave Franco with Eugene Levy’s eyebrows. I mean, what’s going on in this country?
“Y’all, this guy is not a sex icon, okay? This man is, and I can’t say it more plainly, a MURDERER!’ The last word is essentially indecipherable, thanks to a stereotypical Southern accent.
Scroll down for video:
This week’s SNL cold open featured Sarah Sherman as a particularly ruthless Nancy Grace, reporting on suspected United Healthcare killer Luigi Mangione
Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday in eastern Pennsylvania after an employee spotted him at a local McDonald’s. The show joked about the positive attention he has received since then – whether it was for his perceived motive or his good looks
The court of public opinion, seen on X, formerly Twitter, was somewhat divided afterward.
“I didn’t care if the impression was exaggerated,” one X user wrote of his disapproval. “Trying a little too hard.”
“Sarah Sherman is doing really well, Nancy Grace,” someone else said, tickled by what could be a new returning character from the cast.
Another gushed: “Sarah Sherman is a STAR.”
Veteran cast member Kenan Thompson also joined in, later appearing as a man at the now infamous Altoona McDonald’s where the alleged killer was caught.
Sherman’s Grace then asks Thompson’s character, “Can you believe people were attracted to this sexy killer?” To which Thompson replies, “Women like bad boys.”
The Good Burger star further refers to the alleged manifesto that was allegedly taken from the suspect’s person: ‘You used to be able to impress women with a small poem. Now you have to write a manifesto.’
The handwritten document reportedly contained lines critical of the U.S. healthcare industry, including “These parasites expected it.” I apologize for any conflict or trauma, but it had to be done.”
Veteran cast member Kenan Thompson also joined in, later appearing as a man at the now infamous Altoona McDonald’s where the alleged killer was caught.
The court of public opinion, seen on X, formerly Twitter, was somewhat divided afterward
With a stereotypical Southern accent, Sherman hit the town for Grace’s Crime Stories while using it as a lens to look at the strange reception the suspected killer receives.
Some praised Sherman’s Grace, along with the fact that the show seemed to mock those talking about the alleged killer in recent days
He was arrested at this McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania after a tip from an employee
The bigger, grimmer connotations of that joke and others were not lost on some audience members, one of whom tweeted, “SNL glorifies cold-blooded murder. Gross. PS: not hot.’
Another simply called the skit “flat,” while another said it was just “not good.”
Someone else – seemingly unconvinced by the comedy, but happy to see the recent internet frenzy embraced with the alleged killer – admitted: ‘At least you didn’t praise the man.’
Meanwhile, the sketch presented as part of Grace’s long-running show Crime Stories didn’t stop there.
It continued with Grace’s final guest – a “man who looks like Luigi Mangione” – played by cast member Emil Wakim, who many online had predicted would take on the suspect’s likeness.
Showrunners seemed to shy away from going that far, while still giving Wakim time to get involved in the action – thanks to his surprising resemblance to the alleged killer.
“This whole thing has been a roller coaster for me,” Wakim’s Mangione lookalike – himself joking at a fan-organized event held in New York after the murder – tells Grace
‘ On the one hand, I keep getting tackled by bounty hunters, but on the other hand, I’ve gotten some of the hottest DMs of my life.
It continued with Grace’s final guest – a “guy who looks like Luigi Mangione” – played by cast member Emil Wakim, who many online had predicted would play the suspect. Showrunners seemed to shy away from going that far, while still giving Wakim time to shine
Mangione was arrested Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after customers and staff said they recognized him from NYPD footage
Footage captured the moment a masked gunman, believed to be Mangione, shot Briand Thompson on December 4
“I mean, I haven’t paid for a meal in Brooklyn in days,” he jokes — while the skit also mocked true crime YouTubers like Grace with an ad that played abruptly mid-sentence.
Onlookers online, unaffected by the tongue-in-cheek statements, ripped into showrunners for joking about the murder of 50-year-old Brian Thompson — not to mention his suspected killer.
“Normalizing the thug will never be funny,” wrote one viewer, who reacted positively to Chris Rock’s return to the show as host before expressing his general disapproval.
‘Please tell me why this is a comedy? Murder is supposed to be funny?’ another asked out loud.
“Emil as a Luigi lookalike was everything,” added someone approving the sketch. Sniped another: “SNL will be over soon. This was a blow.’
Rock, meanwhile, also mentioned the high-profile murder during his monologue, before Jost brought it up again during the Weekend Update.
‘We have Luigi. You know, and that’s a good thing,” Rock told the live audience at the beginning of his story. ‘I really feel sorry for the family. Everyone is fixated on how handsome this man looks.”
“If he looked like Jonah Hill, no one would care. They would have already given him the chair, he would be dead.’
Prodigal son Chris Rock also mentioned the high-profile murder during his monologue, drawing gasps from some in the studio audience
Rock continued, “But he actually killed a man – a man with a family, a man with children. I have condolences. I have sincere condolences for the healthcare CEO. This is a real person, you know?’
The star added, “But you also have to say, ‘You know, sometimes drug dealers get shot.'”
After a few immediate gasps from the audience, the audience began to applaud and laugh after the wild joke.
Mangione is currently being held in Pennsylvania and awaiting extradition.