Tom Hanks Returns as David S. Pumpkins. Then Trump Crashes the Ride

Tom Hanks returned as David S. Pumpkins in the opening sketch of the Halloween episode of "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, only for the bit to become a setup for James Austin Johnson's President Trump and a satire of Republican prospects in the coming election.

The broadcast, hosted by Inde Navarrette with Gracie Abrams as musical guest, opened on a theme park ride paying homage to famous murderers such as Lizzie Borden. There stood Hanks as Pumpkins, the cheerful man in a black and orange suit who inexplicably keeps appearing in horror-themed attractions. Mikey Day and "S.N.L." alum Bobby Moynihan flanked him as two dancing men in skeleton costumes.

"I'm going to freak you out!" Hanks promised in his goofy Pumpkins voice.

When asked to explain what he was doing there, he began: "Two words —"

Johnson, in his recurring role as Trump, cut him off with a single word: "Midterms."

What does the sketch actually deliver?

The joke works as a bait and switch. The show lures viewers in with a seemingly familiar premise, then swaps the nostalgic payoff for political satire on the Republicans' dimming hopes in the coming election. Johnson addressed the audience directly:

"Aw, are you sad you don't get to see your third David Pumpkins scene? I'll save you four minutes: He keeps popping up and confusing the people on the ride. The end."

That line compresses the entire gag. The writers count on the audience recognizing Pumpkins, feeling the anticipation of a full sketch, and then watching Johnson deflate it in seconds.

The structure is the treat-and-trick of the episode itself. The treat is Hanks reprising a beloved guest-host role. The trick is the interruption that redirects the sketch toward the midterm elections.

Why David S. Pumpkins still draws an audience

The character has a history with the show. Pumpkins is a cheerful man who inexplicably keeps appearing in horror-themed attractions, accompanied by dancing skeletons, and his previous appearances built the affection this sketch trades on. Moynihan, an "S.N.L." alum, returns to the fold as one of the two skeletons, alongside current cast member Mikey Day.

Hanks, a beloved guest host, gives the premise its star wattage. His "goofy Pumpkins voice" and the promise to "freak you out" signal from the first line that the sketch belongs to the character's established world of non-sequitur spookiness.

What does this change for the season?

For viewers, it signals that "S.N.L." is willing to use its most fondly remembered comic creations as disposable scaffolding for political commentary in an election period. Johnson's Trump has become the show's recurring political voice, and this sketch shows the writers folding even nostalgic Halloween material into that frame.