Kenan Thompson and Cecily Strong were not smiling during a cut sketch from James Franco‘s “Saturday Night Live.” The pair starred as co-hosts of a St. Louis-based morning news program with a fun and lively bent, which was incredibly uncomfortable for them under the shadow of the unrest in Ferguson.
Things only got worse as Thompson’s Kip read the phrase “the superior race” off of the teleprompter, while Strong’s Jenny rushed through pronouncing the name of The Black Keys, creating an even more awkward moment.
Trying to change course didn’t work when they welcomed their guest Chef Darrel, played by guest host Franco. When Strong pulled out of him his last name, he revealed that it was Wilson, which was a little too close for comfort (Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted in the shooting death of African-American teen Michael Brown, leading to violence and protests in the St. Louis suburb).
Franco touted that his recipe won the grand jury prize — “And who am I to argue with the grand jury” — and tried to cook with just the “whites of the eggs,” which made Thompson and Strong even more uncomfortable.
“Use the whole damned egg,” Thompson insisted.
Basically, everything that was said only made things even more tense and awkward, until Strong simply decided to end the show immediately.
Watch the whole cut sketch here.
“Saturday Night Live” airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.