We’ve known that MacGruber, the MacGyver-based Saturday Night Live character played by Will Forte, is a little problematic for some time now. During a 2022 SNL sketch, his controversial views on vaccines, the Covid-19 pandemic, and January 6 came to light, and he had to undergo sensitivity training years before that. In his three-part return during Glen Powell‘s November 15 episode, MacGruber dealt with some explosive new info: He may or may not be in the Epstein files client list.
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Glen Powell and Chloe Fineman Step In for MacGruber’s Team
In the November 15 episode, MacGruber finds himself yet again in a classic scenario: locked in a room with a ticking bomb, this time alongside Powell and cast member Chloe Fineman, who take on the roles typically filled by Ryan Phillippe and Kristen Wiig. The sketch opens with an air of urgency as Powell’s character confesses, “I think I know why, and I feel awful. See, I have a document in my possession that I was gonna leak to the press. Something so sensitive, something so powerful that people would go to any lengths to stop me,” referring to the unredacted Epstein files.
MacGruber is quick to snatch the list, humorously remarking, “Let’s take a look at these bottom feeders… oop. Heh-heh.” The tension rises as Fineman’s character warns, “15 seconds, MacGruber!” He frantically seeks a tool that’s not present and ends up shredding the documents. “This list is too important to have all in one place for some bad guy to steal,” he reassures them, denying his involvement as the bomb inevitably goes off.
In a comedic twist, as they are reborn in the second part of the sketch, Powell’s character innocently provides a second copy, which MacGruber dismissively labels “that radical-left-wing hoax list.” The humor escalates as he demands to “make a few redactions” and scribbles in names before yet another explosion occurs.
MacGruber’s Humorous Confession
In the third segment of the sketch, confronting a new bomb, MacGruber’s character admits he’s on the documents because “I worked on the ground crew servicing the aircraft. I knew nothing about what was going on, but I saw a lot of very important people getting on that plane.” He goes on to humorously disclose, “I also sold them illegal substances.” This bizarre yet humorous moment escalates as he attempts to beatbox a song about how “the only people who don’t want that list out are people who have done something wrong.”
Powell’s character chimes in, emphasizing the stakes: “Yeah, ’cause there are a lot of very powerful people who would do just about anything to keep your mouth shut. Offer you money, pardons…” At this point, MacGruber’s interest piques, humorously concluding, “Wait. Backtrack a little bit. Money and pardons, you’re saying?”
The Creative Minds Behind MacGruber
MacGruber has been a beloved character on SNL since his introduction in 2007, thanks to writer and director Jorma Taccone. Alongside Forte and co-writer John Solomon, Taccone crafted the initial sketches, taking the lead as director and later helming the 2010 feature film as well as the 2021 MacGruber mini-series on Peacock.
However, Taccone faced personal challenges when he suffered a serious injury in the summer of 2025 after a 20-foot fall from a ladder at his Connecticut farm, which left him with a shattered pelvis. This incident hindered his mobility for several months, but fans were thrilled to see his name in the writing credits for the November 15 episode, confirming his ongoing involvement with the beloved character.