Somebody’s always got it worse than you do, but nobody’s got it worse than Michael Che’s neighbor Willie. It’s the role Kenan Thompson was born to play: The mix of cheerful, oblivious optimism and unspeakable horrors is tailor-made for Thompson’s goofy demeanor. This may have been the most tasteless sketch on Saturday Night Live’s season finale—even with competition that includes a sketch whose punchline is literally rivers of blood—but Thompson’s delivery sells it.
This time around, Willie reminisces about baseball games, a Little Richard concert, and the “Candy Van.” So all the usual summer stuff. But nothing makes him look more disconnected from reality than his shoutout to “All Lives Matter.” Talk about putting a bright face on something terrible!