An “SNL” sketch that didn’t make it to air last night posed the questioned that every “Star Wars” viewer has wondered at one point or another: How does everyone speak so many languages in a galaxy far, far away?
The sketch posted on the show’s YouTube site imagines a new spin-off called “The Mos Eisley Five: A Star Wars Story,” in which a group of five smugglers set out to help the Rebel Alliance establish its secret base on Hoth in “The Empire Strikes Back.”
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” director JJ Abrams introduces the sketch, which he couches as an exclusive scene from the new movie. You can watch it above.
The smugglers include Mikey Day, Kate McKinnon, a Wookiee, an R2-D2-like droid and a very confused Charles Barkley, who hosted the “SNL” episode. They’re tasked with rescuing a rebel pilot from a slug-like alien, played by Keenan Thompson.
As the smugglers approach the alien to bid for the pilot’s life, Barkley finds himself completely lost. While everyone else speaks a bunch of alien languages, he doesn’t understand anything at all.
Barkley soon finds that everyone else understands both the droid that beeps and the Wookiee, who he calls “the dog guy” and didn’t even realize could talk.
“Man, I’ve said a lot of stuff in front of him,” Barkley says. “Private stuff.”
Negotiations for the Rebel pilot continue, but Barkley finds he has no idea what’s going on. “Guys, include me!” he begs.
Things get worse when an Imperial officer, played by Alex Moffat, shows up with a band of stormtroopers to arrest the smugglers. The smugglers quickly make a plan to fight their way out — except for Barkley, who still has no idea what anybody is saying. As both sides trade laser fire, he’s stuck standing in the middle, freaking out.
Apart from goofing on “Star Wars,” Barkley’s turn as host on “SNL” saw quite a few good sketches. The episode included Barkley dunking on the National Rifle Association in a sketch about arming cockroaches with tiny AR-15 rifles, spoofed the Oscars with the sexual harassment-focused “Grabbies,” and saw Alec Baldwin reprise the role of Donald Trump in a cold open presidential address about gun control.