Will Forte returned to Saturday Night Live, reviving his MacGruber character to tackle the controversy surrounding the Epstein files. SNL is known for its political satire, lampooning the top stories covered by major news outlets, including the Epstein files. To take the subject on, the sketch comedy show welcomed back Forte, whose tenure on the series ran from 2002 to 2010. MacGruber became a recurring character on the show, acting as a parody of the TV series MacGyver, which saw the inept action hero fumbling his way through dire circumstances, with generally explosive results.
The latest episode saw host Glenn Powell on a promotion tour for his adaptation of The Running Man, acting alongside Chloe Fineman in a series of pre-taped bits, the format in which MacGruber originally aired. MacGruber finds himself in the usual struggle, with only seconds before a bomb detonates, with Powell and Fineman struggling with his poor decisions. However, the sketch quickly takes a turn when Powell’s Colton reveals that he has a copy of the Epstein files, which is why they’re in the current predicament. MacGruber wastes no time condemning every name contained inside until he opens it.
As MacGruber attempts to hide that his name may be in the Epstein Files, he goes about shredding them before the bomb goes off. Each recurring segment then sees him attempting to implicate Powell and Fineman, only to reveal that he may have been in the files, with MacGruber trying his best to explain what he was doing. MacGruber ends as it always does, with explosions, but ultimately makes a humorous observation about the current situation surrounding the news-grabbing Epstein Files.
‘MacGruber’ Spawned An ‘SNL’ Film and TV Series
MacGruber was first created for SNL by The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone, who directed many of the pre-taped inserts for the parody character. Taccone developed it with fellow writer John Solomon and Forte, taking a humorous approach to the savvy action-hero type portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver TV show. MacGruber proved to be a popular character, which was made into a recurring sketch, always airing in three short clips.
MacGruber eventually joined the ranks of SNL sketches turned into feature films, like Wayne’s World and A Night at the Roxbury. Forte reprised his role in the 2010 MacGruber movie, alongside fellow SNL alum Kristen Wiig, Powers Boothe, and Val Kilmer. Taccone directed the movie, and while it missed with audiences upon release, it has gained a cult following of fans who love its unique sense of humor.
The love surrounding the character led to MacGruber returning as a short-lived TV series on Peacock in 2021. While the creatives returned, along with Forte and Wiig, the show only had a single 8-episode season. MacGruber may not get another chance in a film or TV series, but the character’s popularity has proven to have staying power with fans, and his recent appearance is likely not his last, thanks to SNL.
- Release Date
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October 11, 1975
- Network
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NBC
- Directors
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Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel
- Writers
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Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Rich, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan
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Andrew Dismukes
Self (archive footage)
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Chloe Fineman
Self / Margaret Jo McCullin / Various
