If Looper, Avengers: Endgame, and countless other science fictions movies have taught viewers anything, it’s that meeting our future selves is not always ideal. However, this week's Saturday Night Live sketch with Please Don’t Destroy provides an especially bleak, realistically grounded, and hilarious entry into this trope.
In their latest sketch, Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy–members of the Please Don’t Destroy comedy troupe–are visited by their future selves who attempt to warn them about the havoc climate change has had on the world rendering it uninhabitable, and perhaps offer a world-saving solution. However, the present trio is far more interested in how their lives turn out instead. A bad wig, an exaggerated Italian accent, and bleak love life prove too much for Marshall, Higgins, and Herlihy, respectively.
Seeing the future they are working towards, the comedy troupe, quite understandably, have no interest in saving the future world. Jared Leto, unfortunately, gets caught in the crossfire when Herlihy questions why his future self over-accessorizes and has begun dressing like Leto. Ed Sheeran is hilariously dragged into this kerfuffle when Marshall points out that his future self looks like the ghost of Sheeran. Real-life celebrities are not the only ones dragged into the battle of selves as, Higgins also questions why his future self talks like Peter Paul ‘Paulie Walnuts’ Gualtieri, a fictional character portrayed by Tony Sirico on the hit TV show The Sopranos.
The sketch ends when the future trio finally leaves without giving their plan to save the world, stating “Fine, let the planet burn.” However, not before they shout the iconic SNL introduction, “Live From New York, it’s Saturday Night,” absolutely disappointing their younger selves even further in the process
This latest sketch from the comedy trio is well-received addition to their already impressive SNL catalog which includes their viral hit with Taylor Swift and Pete Davidson, Three Sad Virgins. The sketch was one of many highlights of the latest SNL episode which was hosted by Billie Eilish, who was also this week’s musical guest.
Watch the full Please Don’t Destroy sketch below: