'SNL' Opens With Osama Bin Laden's Last Will & Testament

It's been a week since the world learned of the death of Osama bin Laden, and "Saturday Night Live" got it's first crack at the story this weekend. As is often the case, the burden the show faces is in finding a different way to approach a subject that has been in the hands of the late night shows all week.
The cold open presented a pitch-perfect parody of C-SPAN introducing a tape found during the raid on Osama's compound, which turned out to be the deceased's last will and testament. Fred Armisen appeared as Osama and revealed, with the help of a translator and subtitles, his final wishes as well as how he would like his estate to be divvied up amongst his extensive progeny.
It's a darker sketch then one first realizes, in that it makes no apologies for holding bin Laden up as a worthy object of ridicule. There's been a lot of discussion as the days have passed about whether or not it's humane (or American) to satirize and celebrate a death, no matter whose it is. "SNL" seems to come up on the "it is indeed ok" side.
The jokes range from cheap but funny (bin Laden wants a 12-year-old Dakota Fanning to be one of his pallbearers) to sharply relevant (a reference to bin Laden's dear friends at the Pakistani Intelligence Services). Watch the entire opening sketch below and let us know what you think. Did this go too far or was it right on the money? Is there something to be gained from continuing to chip away at the legacy of bin Laden, turning him into more and more of a joke in our collective consciousness? Or by making light of his death do we lose something of our humanity?

SNL: Tina Fey reprises role as Sarah Palin on 'Saturday Night Live'

With guest host Tina Fey back playing her famous doppelganger, this weekend’s "Saturday Night Live" portrayed the debate that wasn’t this week – featuring not just Sarah Palin but also would-be White House hopeful Donald Trump.

The faux Fox News debate also pitted Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann in the “GOP 2012 Undeclared Candidates Debate,” adding 2010 New York governor candidate Jimmy McMillan of the Rent is Too Damn High party for good measure.The sketch represented one of the first attempts by the comedy show to spoof the 2012 presidential campaign. It followed a real debate Thursday night featuring a B-cast of declared Republican candidates, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

This second debate was introduced as featuring the “candidates you wish you knew less about.”

Romney, played by Jason Sudeikis, is shown as a bumbling candidate struggling in the spotlight.

“People say a lot of things about Mitt Romney. They say I’m rich and disconnected. They say I’m a dead fish. They say I look like a villain in a Lifetime movie,” he says, before worriedly finishing: “What am I doing?! Why do they let me talk?!”

Bobby Moynihan plays Newt Gingrich, who decides to bow out before even answering a question. Kristen Wiig again portrays Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman and "tea party" favorite. She challenges the nation to a staring contest.

Then we come to Palin, happy to be on Fox News Channel which “both pays me and shows me the questions ahead of time.”

“First I want to acknowledge that this week we finally vanquished one of he world’s great villains. And I for one am thrilled to say good riddance to Katie Couric,” Fey as Palin says.

The former Alaska governor claims she’s "bonin' up on experience” by filming a “Hangover 3” cameo in the Middle East, and studying her “Rosetta Stone English.”

“The important thing for people to know is that I’m gonna be runnin’ for president every four years for the rest of my life,” Fey as Palin says. “It’s my Olympics and I intend to win a whole bunch of silvers.”

Former cast member Darrell Hammond returns to play Trump, calling himself a modern-day Citizen Kane. He plugs “Celebrity Apprentice” and turns to Palin to say she can be his running mate in 2012.

“All you have to do is sell more chili than Ne Ne Leakes over the course of a hot summer day in Times Square,” he says, referring to one of the cast members of the reality show this season.

The contest ends with Sheppard Smith congratulating President Obama on his likely re-election.