After years of being heckled by Statler and Waldorf, the Muppets officially stepped up their security on “Saturday Night Live” this week, recruiting Kenan Thompson and host Keegan-Michael Key to safeguard the show. And by the end of the night, the hecklers founds some allies in their verbal abuse.
Kermit the Frog began by introducing the show’s guest star — in this case, “Lily Tomlin,” played by Melissa Villasenor. Before he can even get to her, hecklers Statler and Waldorf chime in from the balcony, saying they were having a good time until Kermit came out.
Ever the professional, Kermit carried on and ignored the old men, er, Muppets. But when things got a little too explosive — because according to Statler and Waldorf, the show was already a “bomb” — a t-shirt-clad “Muppet Show” security team showed up to restore order.
“Hey! Shut up!” Thompson called out. Of course, that only eggs the hecklers on.
“What happens next is up to you!” Key warned before they exited the stage. Naturally, the hecklers carry on, prompting the guards to re-enter a few more times (they work for the venue, not “The Muppet Show,” they explain, so they’ll interrupt things as much as they have to).
“You are more than welcome to leave!” Key angrily tells the men. Eventually, Key heads up to Statler and Waldorf’s box directly. “Y’all gonna learn,” he says, before straight up punching Waldorf in the face.
Thompson manages to break things up — though he definitely has to hold back laughter in the process, one of the few times he’s ever broken during the show — but not before Waldorf’s eyes appear purple and swollen shut. While Key takes a break, Statler provokes Thompson, and the cycle begins all over again. The hecklers get two proper beatings, and nearly thrown out, before the security team realizes they don’t have legs.
“We didn’t know that y’all was veterans,” Thompson jokes as they apologize. Burying the hatchet, the security team joins in with Statler and Waldorf in heckling the Muppets on stage — and calling Kermit “Kramer.”
Honestly, this is “The Muppet Show” that Disney+ needs. You can watch the full sketch above.