Watch Hillary Clinton Mock Trump (and Herself) on SNL

Beyond the actual appearance, in fact, it’s safe to assume the Clinton campaign directly or indirectly negotiated her appearance as part of a de facto package deal with NBC to showcase the candidate.

Hillary Clinton made a special appearance on the season opener of the Saturday Night Live, but was seen doing something that got fans into fits of laughter.

“I don’t think she’s been from Montana for a long time”, the sketch joked, once again reminding us that Hannah Montana is way, way, way, way gone. While the 2016 presidential election is still over a year away, the media circus around it feels like it’s started earlier than ever.

Her first performance highlighted the viral icons that did summer “their way”, Cyrus said before crooning Frank Sinatra’s big hit. In 2008, she appeared alongside Amy Poehler, who played her on the show then. Nor did it deal with her main rival for the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders, or Vice President Joe Biden’s potential entry into the race. The seeming moral of the punchlines: Can anyone sane really vote for anyone but Hillary? The skit took place in a pub where McKinnon, as Clinton, meets the real Clinton-only she’s a bartender named Val. Kate McKinnon’s impersonation of the Presidential candidate is uncanny and the former first lady come senator is more than happy to make fun of herself. Her line readings were natural, especially for someone so often accused of being robotic. I wouldn’t mind if that happened, if for no other reason than Jones is a comic presence unlike no other and deserves more opportunities to anchor sketches in the future. It was a smart play to agree to play a character rather than do the old “come out to applause as yourself and make a few jabs at your opponents” routine, especially since Clinton commits. I’m going to go ahead and call it a promising first show back and hope for the best.

“SNL” needled real Hillary about her slowness in supporting gay marriage and opposing the Keystone pipeline.

“This has been so nice”, McKinnon’s Clinton said.

Was Miley Cyrus hilarious or awful on the SNL Season 41 premiere? But SNL also tends to apply kid gloves to anyone that actually appears on the show.

“He must”, McKinnon says, her voice tense and serious. It looked like McKinnon had to work hard to keep it together.

Clinton wasn’t the only person impersonating Donald Trump on Saturday night. McKinnon seemed confident in her answer.

Hillary Clinton plays Val, a Trump-imitating bartender, on SNL. “Me too!” Clinton replied. Clinton will also be seen on quite a popular show “Today” being viewed by 4.2 million people. Here, the take is much more apocalyptic. I knew Father Guido Sarducci, sir, and you are no Father Guido Sarducci. “Donald Trump? Isn’t he the one that’s like ‘Ugh, you’re all losers, ‘” Clinton said.

Beyond that, the two even sparred playfully over Clinton’s approval of gay marriage.

But perhaps the peak of all this was Fey’s sermon from the Weekend Update pulpit demanding atonement from those who sexistly conflated Clinton’s get-shit-done demeanor with bitchiness.

“Saturday Night Live” has delved into politics in its own humorous manner.