Saturday Night Live's Cut for Time Sketch Is All About The Queen's Gambit

So hey: Saturday Night Live was pretty good tonight. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve already written, like, four pieces about it tonight, which is basically unheard of the last few years. But tonight’s episode, as hosted by Anya Taylor-Joy, was a perfectly fine episode that had a few legitimately hilarious sketches. Good job, show!

One of its best sketches didn’t even air on the show itself. “Backstage Pitch” is the latest cut-for-time sketch—meaning it was written and shot for tonight’s episode, but due to either timing issues or the personal proclivities of Lorne Michaels, it didn’t actually air on TV. That’s honestly surprising—it’s not the funniest sketch, but it does double down on the Queen’s Gambit references, while also making fun of SNL and its own decisions and tendencies. Seriously, when Aidy Bryant dejectedly refers to their work as “skits,” anybody who’s ever seriously covered this show or sketch comedy probably had to stifle a particularly loud kneejerk response.

You didn’t see it on TV tonight, so hey, maybe you should check it out on the internet right now? Here’s the full sketch, which is basically required viewing for fans of The Queen’s Gambit or anybody who cares too much about SNL’s backstage politics.

Oh, and yes: this sketch totally makes fun of Elon Musk hosting the show, just two weeks after the fact. You knew it was coming.

Saturday Night Live‘s Cut for Time Sketch Is All About The Queen’s Gambit