Saturday Night Live is currently airing, and there is much buzz around what the show will include for its fiftieth season. With the lineup of hosts and musical guests set, I am excited to see what sketches the writers will bring to the stage this year. One I am particularly excited about is the Nov. 2 episode hosted by John Mulaney with Chappell Roan as the musical guest. His episodes always make me laugh out loud; I love it when comedians host. 

I have watched SNL since I was a kid. My head is constantly swirling with a list of quotes from past sketches that relate to whatever situation I am in. While I no longer watch it live, I love waking up on Sunday mornings to see the previous night’s episode.

Nate Bargatze, a comedian from Nashville, hosted the show on Oct. 5 with Coldplay as the musical guest. This is hot off the heels of his Season 49 appearance that received rave reviews. Before this, I was not familiar with him or his comedy. 

One of his skits, “Washington’s Dream,” has been regarded as a highlight of the 49th Season. Bargatze portrayed George Washington explaining to soldiers at the Revolutionary War campsite his dream system of measurements that would be used in the United States. 

In the comment section of the performance posted on SNL’s YouTube channel, fans asked for similar skits and raved about Bargatze’s performance. Former cast member Seth Meyers said it was the “Perfect Sketch.”

Bargatze reprised his role of Washington in his new episode in “Washington’s Dream 2.” This time instead of measurements he lectured about “doing our own thing” with the English language. 

Words like “dozen” and “dollar” were critiqued, specifically that we only have a word for the number twelve and no other numbers. Also, it can only be used sometimes but is not universal. For example, it cannot be used to describe years of schooling, and “a dozen grades” is incorrect. With “dollar” the critique was that it was a rather silly word and that we do not know why we use that specific term. So was the use of kindergarten as the first year of school, which of course is followed by first grade. Hamburgers being made from beef was another specification Washington pointed out to his soldiers.

In the original skit, longtime (too long, some would argue) cast member, Kenan Thompson, asked, “What plans are there for men of color, such as I?” Which Bargatze (as Washington) completely disregarded, adding to the comedic effect. At the end of the new skit, Thompson asked if the slaves would be freed at the end of the war. He meant the Revolutionary War, but Bargatze told him that the slaves would be freed after “a war.” He did not specify which one. Thompson’s character wondered if it would be the war they were currently in, but Bargetze walked off to close the sketch. The lack of response is meant for comedic purposes but carries a more significant historical connotation.

As a history major with a concentration in U.S. history, this sketch was right up my alley. I love it when SNL has period skits. Some are funnier than others, and despite taking place on a boat, this one really landed.

I found this skit hilarious. Bargatze’s demeanor and comedic timing were perfect, and his delivery of his lines was great. The deadpan response to the soldiers’ (played by Mikey Day, Bowen Yang, and James Austin Johnson) questions made me and the studio audience burst into laughter. 

Bargatze: “I dream that one day, our great nation will have a word for the number 12. We shall call it, a dozen.”

Yang: “And what other numbers will we have a word for?”

Bargatze: “None.”

It is not often we contemplate the complexities of our dialogue and point out the blatant contradictions and humorous elements. So when we do, we can laugh at ourselves. The skit was not only making fun of our language but ourselves and our culture. Of course, George Washington would have no idea about much of what Bargatze’s portrayal of him detailed. Hamburgers were not invented until the late 1800s. 

It does make me think, though. Why do we have a word for 12 but not other numbers? Why does chicken remain the same word when it is alive and when it is on a menu? 

“Nobody knows” would most likely be the answer. It was a line repeated by Bargatze in both versions of “Washington’s Dream.” And maybe we shouldn’t know. Some things should remain a mystery. They keep life fun. We do not need to know what is in a hotdog, why the word “dozen” is only used sometimes, or why we buy mattresses on President’s Day. This skit was part of a great episode and I hope to see Nate Bargatze return in future seasons.