'SNL' opened on a solemn note with a moving Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performance

There was no reason to cringe at Saturday Night Live's tone-deaf opening while the nation of Ukraine is fighting for its existence.

The live sketch comedy series returned from a month-long hiatus on Saturday with its typical cold open and frequently political sketch that airs before the credits. A performance from Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York kicked things off, with the group singing a moving rendition of Prayer for Ukraine.

The segment ended with stars Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong, who introduced the group. In our last view of the scene, the camera tracks in close to a small wooden table holding a cluster of memorial candles, some of which are positioned to spell out the name of the capital city of Ukraine.

SNL did a great job of navigating this tricky moment. The show's writers and producers created space for an expression of solidarity in the most high-profile moment of any episode, because there is nothing to laugh at in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The rest of the show went back to the business of laughs, but didn't open.