Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: nate bargatze, saturday night live, snl

SNL 50 Rewind: "Washington's Dream" Roasts U.S. History the Right Way

In this edition of SNL 50 Rewind: Nate Bargatze and the two "Washington's Dream" sketches should be mandatory history lessons for everyone.

Last week was one of those rare Saturday nights during an active season of NBC's Saturday Night Live when a repeat episode of SNL didn't air – so we took a break, too. But with Nate Bargatze's recent hosting gig getting an encore showing tonight (and SNL 50 resuming next Saturday with host Paul Mescal and musical guest Shaboozey), we're getting a chance to blow the dust off "SNL Rewind" for a look back at two of SNL most impactful sketches in quite some time – the kind that hit on a whole number of levels and should be required viewing in every history class. Kicking off in Season 49 (October 28, 2023 – with musical guests Foo Fighters) and continuing in Season 50 (October 5, 2024 – with musical guest Coldplay), we're talking about "Washington's Dream" and "Washington's Dream 2."

Over the course of his two shows (we're expecting him to be a "Five-Timer" in no time), Bargatze demonstrated his comedic range in both live and filmed sketches that showed he, the writers, and the cast have a strong understanding of one another. When he's in a sketch, Bargatze has the kind of presence that reminds us that he's in the mix while also allowing the ensemble to shine – and that respectful, creative appreciation has paid off in some very big ways for both SNL and Bargatze. But as great as Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson were in support, "Washington's Dream" and "Washington's Dream 2" worked because of Bargatze's ability to sound sincere in a way that makes the absurdities he's rolling out even that much more absurd.

As George Washington (Bargatze) shares his dreams of a new nation with his soldiers (Thompson, Yang, Day, and Johnson), Bargatze actually finds a way to sell our historical (and very current) absurdities in a twistedly endearing way. Being able to pull that off once is impressive – but to knock out a killer follow-up is a testament to everyone involved on both sides of the camera. But beyond the in-the-moment comedic factor, the sketches also sparked some very interesting discussions on social media and news shows the following day. Whether it was Washington's uncomfortable reaction to Thompson's soldier asking if Washington was talking about freedom for all men or Washington forcing Day's soldier to jump out of the boat because no real American would ever want to know what is really in a hot dog, there was a little something for everyone in terms of roasting this nation's history. That's why if I was teaching a freshman year History class, I would break the ice with both sketches and start the conversation going from there.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!