Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Same-Sex Kiss Mentioned on SNL's Weekend Update

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out in theaters now and fans are still parsing all those complicated feelings about the end of the Skywalker Saga. Saturday Night Live hit it out of the park last night and Weekend Update couldn't resist a couple of references to the movie during the episode. Colin Jost and Michael Che were absolutely on their game as things quickly got strange with Eddie Murphy aboard as Gumby. But, before the SNL veteran commandeered the show, the hosts had to talk about the latest release in the venerated series. Che began, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker surprised fans by featuring the series' first gay kiss. Which seems pretty tame considering the first movie had incest." A sick burn if there ever was one, but very very silly, and the show would only continue to go further and further in that direction. But, for some fans of the sequel trilogy have been waiting for a moment like this over the course of these films, and they got it in small measure right before the finish line.

The Hollywood Reporter shared that the LGBTQ kiss in question ended up getting censored out of the version of the movie shown in the Middle East. This is surprising considering that the scene made it into China, who many were worried would censor the moment out as well. Many audience members shared the censored moment after they experienced it in theaters this weekend. Disney hasn't commented on the censored scene yet and the publication awaits a response. But, the country has shown those sorts of leanings in their entertainment in the past. Moments with the WWE in that part of the world in recent years have drawn some similar criticism for censoring content and not letting the women's division perform in the ways that wrestling fans might have been accustomed to.

For those who might not remember, it was very quick after all, two pilots share a same-sex kiss in the background as the Resistance celebrates their win in the climactic battle. This a far cry from Brokeback Mountain, which was outright banned in the region, or weirdly enough a moment in Black Panther where T'Challa kisses Nakia. Some fans were still holding out hope for a tender moment between Finn and Poe as the tension has been there the entire time, but that was not in the cards for this trilogy.

J.J. Abrams has addressed those seeds laid down in the earlier movies before The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters. "In the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they're being represented in the film," Abrams explained in an earlier interview.."...I will say I'm giving away nothing about what happens in the movie. But I did just say what I just said."