Saturday Night Live veteran Rachel Dratch brought back one of her most iconic characters, Debbie Downer, for this week’s episode. SNL has been a television staple since it premiered in 1975 under a different name. Not only has it become a regular part of many American households, it’s also launched the careers of many of the best comedy performers out there. Legends like Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, and Tina Fey either appeared or got their start on the series. Many of SNL‘s strongest performers have created classic characters who have become household names, like Dratch’s Debbie Downer.

Dratch was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1999-2006. Her tenure overlapped with standouts like Jimmy Fallon, Ana Gasteyer, and Amy Poehler. Dratch had a host of recurring characters, but Debbie Downer was perhaps her most popular. This is especially impressive considering she didn’t debut Debbie until 2004, fairly late in her run as a cast member. Her first sketch is a particular favorite, as it saw Debbie unable to enjoy a family trip to Disney World, rendering Dratch and others, including host Lindsay Lohan, nearly unable to get through the sketch.

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In this week’s episode, Dratch, who has appeared several times this season as Senator Amy Klobuchar, broke out the character once again. In the new sketch, Debbie appears as a guest at a wedding who’s paranoid about the coronavirus. She even takes it to the point of wearing an elaborate mask, leading to questions from other wedding guests, including host Daniel Craig’s character. Check out the new Debbie Downer sketch, via Saturday Night Live‘s YouTube channel, below:

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In addition to Dratch’s surprise appearance, the episode was also notable for Craig’s hosting performance. Typically, hosts appear on SNL to promote a project. In this case, Craig was on hand for James Bond movie No Time to Die, which was supposed to release next month. However, due to the coronavirus, it was recently postponed seven months, pushing it back to November. No Time to Die was a big focus of the episode, from Craig’s Saturday Night Live promo to a sketch devoted to his Bond performance. The movie’s delay also got a mention during “Weekend Update,” with Colin Jost cracking a joke at its expense.

Considering how nervous many are about the coronavirus, it’s impressive that SNL was able to make light of it without seeming disrespectful. It helps that Rachel Dratch is so familiar with the character of Debbie Downer and is such an adept comedy performer. With the coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down in the United States, Saturday Night Live may be dealing with the topic for the rest of its season. However, it may be hard to top Dratch’s appearance as Debbie Downer.

Source: Saturday Night Live

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Rebecca VanAcker
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Rebecca VanAcker is a trainer and news editor at Screen Rant. In the past, she’s written TV recaps for Screen Picks and reviews for Yahoo. She enjoys covering all things superhero, especially the MCU and Arrowverse.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Rebecca got her teaching certificate before falling in love with writing and the entertainment industry. She has a B.A. in English and can often be found ignoring everyone in favor of a good book. Her other hobbies include baking, anything Disney, and exploring with her dog, Beckett.

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