You’ve seen the clip. Everyone has. It’s that one where Nate Bargatze, dressed in a surprisingly high-quality Continental Army uniform, stares blankly into the distance and explains why America needs to measure weight in "pounds" but specifically call 2,000 of them a "ton."
It’s hilarious. It’s also kind of a miracle it exists.
Most people think a viral hit like Washington’s Dream is a calculated strike by a room full of Harvard-grad comedy writers. In reality? This sketch was on the "maybe" list. It almost didn't happen. It was actually the "deadest" part of the Wednesday night table read, and if it weren't for a rare moment of a host speaking up to Lorne Michaels, it would have been tossed in the trash bin of TV history.
The Sketch That Refused to Die
When Nate Bargatze hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time on October 28, 2023, he wasn't a household name for the "average" SNL viewer. He was the "clean comic" from Nashville. The guy who talks about his wife and his dad.
But he had a secret weapon: a script written by Mikey Day, Streeter Seidell, and Auguste White.
The premise is basically a history-themed stand-up set. General George Washington is at Valley Forge, rallying his freezing, starving troops. But instead of inspiring them to fight for liberty, he’s obsessing over the metric system. Or rather, the lack of it.
Why it bombed at first
At the Wednesday table read, the room was silent. If you’ve ever seen behind-the-scenes footage of SNL, you know the table read is a brutal gauntlet. People are tired. The jokes are raw.
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Because Nate's comedy is all about pacing and deadpan timing, it didn't translate to a room full of writers reading off paper. It needs the "pregnant pause." It needs the visual of him looking like he just woke up from a nap.
By Friday, the sketch was relegated to the "maybe" column. It was also a nightmare for the wardrobe department—five actors in full 1700s gear. Cutting it would have made everyone's life easier.
The "Studio 60" Moment
Nate later told the Good One podcast that he was sitting in Lorne Michaels’ office, looking at the board. He remembered watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip—that short-lived Aaron Sorkin show about a fake SNL. He felt like he was in a movie.
Lorne asked him: "What do you like?"
Nate, who is usually the most soft-spoken guy in the room, said, "I like that Washington sketch."
Lorne moved it to the very last slot of the dress rehearsal. That’s the "death slot." Usually, if a sketch is last, it’s about to be cut. But when Nate stepped out in front of the live audience, something shifted.
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The crowd didn't just laugh. They erupted.
The bit about "2,000 pounds is a ton" and the sudden, confusing pivot to "milliliters for soda but gallons for milk" tapped into a universal American frustration we didn't know we had. By the time the live show aired, Lorne didn't just keep it; he moved it up to the second slot of the night.
What Makes the "Washington's Dream" Sketches Work?
There are two of them now. The second one, Washington’s Dream 2, aired in October 2024. It’s rare for a sequel to hit as hard as the original, but this one did.
The brilliance isn't just in the writing. It’s in the contrast. You have James Austin Johnson, Bowen Yang, and Kenan Thompson playing these desperate, sincere soldiers. They want to know about freedom. They want to know if Black men will be free (Washington’s response: "After a war... not this one, but a war").
And then there's Nate.
He plays Washington not as a hero, but as a guy who is weirdly fixated on the most boring details of nation-building.
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The Logic of "Nobody Knows"
The catchphrase of the sketch—"Nobody knows"—is the ultimate answer to why we do anything in America.
- Why do we have a word for the number 12 (a dozen) but no other number? Nobody knows.
- Why is a buffalo wing made of chicken? Nobody knows.
- How many liters are in a gallon? Nobody knows.
It’s funny because it’s true. We live in a country where we measure temperature in Fahrenheit (which Washington describes as "super random") and play a sport called "football" where you barely use your feet.
The Impact of the Sequel
When Nate returned to host Season 50, the pressure was on. He actually had a friend tell him, "Do not do another one. You'll ruin the first one."
But Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell had already started writing the follow-up over the summer. They realized the "Washington" character wasn't just a one-hit wonder; he was a vessel for all the linguistic and cultural nonsense we deal with every day.
In the second installment, they tackled the English language.
- The "Jeff" Debate: Washington explains that we will spell names two ways. The short way with a J, and the "stupid way" with a G.
- The Food Names: We call a cow "beef" when we eat it, but a chicken stays "chicken."
It hit 7 million views on YouTube almost immediately. It proved that Nate Bargatze isn't just a stand-up; he's one of the few hosts in recent SNL history to create a character that feels like a "legacy" bit, right up there with David S. Pumpkins.
Actionable Insights for Comedy Fans
If you're looking to understand why this specific brand of humor works so well—or if you just want to appreciate the "Nate Bargatze effect"—keep these things in mind:
- Watch the pauses. Nate’s strength isn't the words; it's the silence between them. If he delivered those lines fast, the sketch would fail.
- Look at the "Straight Man" roles. Notice how Kenan Thompson’s character constantly tries to bring the conversation back to serious topics like slavery and human rights, only to be ignored. That "high-stakes vs. low-stakes" tension is what makes the absurdity pop.
- Check out the writers. If you like these sketches, look for other work by Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. They are the kings of "concept" sketches that take one weird idea and drive it into the ground until it becomes legendary.
The next time you’re buying a "dozen" eggs or wondering why we use "pints" for beer but "liters" for Pepsi, just remember: George Washington dreamed it that way. And Nate Bargatze made sure we never forget it.