Dave Chappelle tackled a wide range of topics, from the Los Angeles wildfires to the upcoming Trump inauguration

Dave Chappelle returned to Saturday Night Live for the first episode after Season 50’s winter break, delivering a 15-minute opening monologue that covered a variety of timely and bold topics. With his signature laid-back style, which included smoking a cigarette, Chappelle tackled everything from wildfires in Los Angeles to the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump, as well as the legal troubles of rapper Sean Combs.

The comedian started by joking about how SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels had asked him to host an episode after the election, but he initially declined. “The moment I said yes, L.A. burst into flames,” he quipped, poking fun at the devastating wildfires that had ravaged the city. He continued with a joke about the cost of natural disasters in California, saying, “Because people in L.A. have nice stuff. I could burn 40,000 acres in Mississippi for like 6 to 700 dollars.” Chappelle also threw in a jab at conspiracy theories surrounding the fires, sarcastically suggesting that “God hates these people” before lightening the mood by remarking, “West Hollywood was unscathed. How can you burn what is already flaming?”

The comedian then shifted to politics, commenting on the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump. He offered a message to the new president, saying, “Whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you… The whole world is counting on you. I mean this when I say this, good luck, please, do better next time. Please, all of us, do better next time.”

Next, Chappelle made light of the legal troubles surrounding Sean Combs, particularly the allegations of wild, drug-fueled parties that lasted for days. Chappelle joked about feeling left out of the Hollywood scene: “Can you imagine if you were me, reading the newspaper and finding out everyone in Hollywood had an orgy behind your back and nobody called me? Boy, that really hurts.”

Chappelle ended the monologue on a more serious note, paying tribute to former President Jimmy Carter. He shared a personal story from his time in the Middle East when Carter was visiting Palestinian territories. Chappelle reflected on how moved he was by seeing Carter walking through the crowd with minimal security, surrounded by cheering Palestinians. “I said, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good president, but that right there, I am sure, is a great man,’” Chappelle said, concluding the monologue with a respectful nod to the former president’s legacy.

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