'Saturday Night Live' pokes fun at Jeff Sessions, Kellyanne Conway's 'couchgate' photo controversy

— -- Following this past week's headline-grabbing revelation that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. in 2016 after he started supporting Donald Trump's presidential bid -- and then failed to disclose the interactions during his confirmation hearing -- it comes as no surprise that this week's episode of "Saturday Night Live" kicked off with a Sessions-focused cold open.

Cast member Kate McKinnon reprised her role as Sessions -- Southern drawl and all -- in a cold open that spoofed the 1994 film "Forrest Gump." Similar to the character Tom Hanks played in the film, McKinnon's Sessions spends the cold open sitting at a bus stop eating a box of chocolates and chatting up those who come and sit next to him.

VIDEO

The cold open poked fun at a controversial series of photos released this past week showing President Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway perched on her knees on an Oval Office couch with her feet behind her and her shoes on. The photos ignited a debate about decorum in the White House, and Conway's respect for the office of the president.

Speaking to a woman (played by cast member Leslie Jones) sitting on the bus stop's bench, McKinnon's Sessions, holding up one of the aforementioned photos, says, "Being in the government in so fun. Have you ever been in it? You meet so many nice people, like this: this is my best good friend Kellyanne -- shes ain't got no legs. Why you got no legs Kellyanne? We're about as close as peas and carrots. She's the best talker you ever heard. They say she could sell stink to a skunk. But they don't let her talk anymore. I miss you Kelly.

Guest host Octavia Spencer also appears in the cold open, spoofing her character from the 2011 film "The Help," strong-willed main Minnie Jackson.

VIDEO:

In "The Help," Spencer's character makes a chocolate pie in which she bakes her own feces and gives it to her employer in a fake act of contrition -- and the cold open spoofs that, to a roar of laughter from the audience.

Sitting next to McKinnon's Sessions, Spencer's Jackson says,"Hello. Are you Jeff Sessions? The one Coretta King Scott wrote that letter about?"

"Wow well that was 40 years ago," responds McKinnon's Sessions. "You still remember that?"

"Oh, a lot of people in Alabama remember that," says Spencer's character. "My name is Minnie, You don't know me. I'm from a different movie, and I have a pie that is especially for you."

Biting into the pie, McKinnon's Sessions says, "That is a mighty kind gesture. It looks delicious. Hey, is this what I think it is"

"It is," responds Spencer's grinning character.

The cold open also pokes fun at Sessions' purported relationship with Russian officials, when Vladimir Putin (played by cast member Beck Bennett) sits briefly on the bench next to McKinnon's Sessions.

"This meeting never happened," says Bennett's Putin.

"I wasn't going to remember it anyway," says McKinnon's Session, fist-pumping the Russian leader.

And in a nod to the famous line from "Forest Gump" -- and in a nod to accusations that Sessions has harbored racist views -- McKinnon's Sessions says to someone sitting next to her, "I always say life is like a box of chocolates. There sure are a lot of brown ones in there!"

Later in the show, during the "Weekend Update" segment, "SNL" cast members Mikey Day and Alex Moffat played the president's sons Donald Jr. and Eric, portraying them as a pair of bumbling brothers.

Also during "Weekend Update," McKinnon's Conway makes cameos, where she's spotted sitting on the desk, similar to how she did in the aforementioned controversial photos.