The ‘SNL’ cold open featured a gathering of US government officials at a local tavern, including Matt Damon playing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Saturday Night Live, the United States edition, has been hit-and-miss in its 51st season.

Of course, Damon memorably cameoed as impending Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanugh back at the peak of the show’s untrained all-star approach to the first Trump administration—peak both in the sense...