Saturday Night Live tackled the issue of Roe v Wade, which the leaked Supreme Court document indicates will be overturned, in the latest cold open. 

The NBC show decided to take viewers back in time to 1235, where a discussion on abortion takes place. Benedict Cumberbatch is then seen as the host along with Andrew Dismukes and James Austin Johnson as the noblemen. 

Cumberbatch’s character says “While I was cleaning the hole on the side of the castle where we poop and it falls through the sky into a moat of human faeces, I started to think about abortion”, adding, “Don’t you think we should make a law against it?” 

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The British actor, who most recently appeared in Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ then notes the court should make a law that “stands the test of time, so hundreds and hundreds of years from now they’ll look back and say, ‘no need to update this one at all! They nailed it back in 1235!'”

Cecily Strong soon joins the conversation as a townswoman. She points out that women should have the right to choose since there is a 50% risk of death in having a baby. She adds, “I just don’t understand why you are so obsessed with this issue”, continuing, “Like, what about the fact that no one can read or write, and everyone’s dying of plague!?” 

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To this, Dismukes’ character responds, “Oh, you think just because I have active plague that means that I need to wear a mask? It’s my body, my choice.” 

Kate McKinnon soon barges in playing a clairvoyant woman. She says, “These barbaric laws will someday be overturned by something called progress”, adding, “Then about 50 years after the progress, they’ll be like, ‘maybe we should undo the progress.'” 

McKinnon continues, “Seems like all of the power comes from a place called Florida. And if you think our customs are weird, you should watch the trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.” 

The episode also addresses situations where women might get pregnant and seek an abortion, like an accidental pregnancy, or pregnancy from rape. 

Also Read | Roe v Wade: What is in the leaked SCOTUS opinion draft?

McKinnon ends her speech, saying irrespective of the number of choices taken away from women, they can continue fighting. 

Arcade Fire was the musical guest for the night. While Cumberbatch and others wore tee-shirts with ‘1973’ printed on them, to signify the year the Supreme Court made the Roe v Wade decision, Arcade Fire ended their performance by saying “Women’s right to choose forever and ever and ever, amen”. Lead singer Win Butler’s guitar also sported a 1973 sticker in a show of support.