When warm weather hits New York City, it is different than literally everywhere else in the United States. Not because New York is special, but because you can find everyone in the city at the parks.Since there are only a few, everyone typically finds their spot at Central Park and tries to explain to their friends where they are. That's the beauty of warm weather in the city and Saturday Night Live really nailed the characters you'll see and...well how hard it is to tell someone where you're sitting. Thanks Ego Nwodim.
The cold open had two reporters (Bowen Yang and Heidi Gardner) out first for the news, talking to everyone we love (or hate) to see at the park. Featuring the man in too-tight shorts power-walking behind you (played by Mikey Day) and the two guys with binoculars you maybe want to avoid, it was just a perfect glimpse into what it is like to try and walk through Central Park on a nice day. No, really. The only person missing from this sketch is that guy who wears a suit and a rat head and runs around the city making videos like his life depends on it.
But it is a testament to the spring. Recently, the weather in New York City has gotten to summertime levels, with Gardner points out in the sketch. It was nearly 90 degrees nearly two months too early and as the sketch jokes, the implications for that on the climate is horrifying but that doesn't stop the New Yorkers we know and love from going to the park to get their sun time in, and without a doubt, you will see all of these people the cold open parodies at the park if you decide to head to Central Park on a warm day.
SNL's Cold Open Perfectly Captures the New York State of Mind
There's no place quite like Central Park, and because it is so big, Nwodim's character represented so many experiences in the park: Screaming at your friends that you're by the tree by the field and expecting them to know which one you're talking about. That is the Central Park experience for you. Overall, it was a great and simple cold open because even if it was uniquely a New York thing, you can understand the warm day mentality. Check out the cold open below: