Photo of Alec Baldwin & Kate McKinnon by Will Heath

As the nation trudges toward an election to determine President Barack Obama's successor, Saturday Night Live is scoring premiere ratings it hasn't seen since before he took office.

This past weekend's season 42 premiere, with host Margot Robbie and musical guest The Weeknd, earned a 5.8 metered market rating, an increase of 29% from last year’s 4.5 rating and putting it closer in range of the 2008 season premiere, which featured alum Tina Fey's debut as Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

This year's premiere was likely lifted thanks to a number of factors, including the chaotic election and Alec Baldwin's introduction as SNL's new Donald Trump, with the actor delivering a welcome and more biting parody, using mostly only heightened renditions of the porn actor and alleged billionaire.

Baldwin's Trump and Kate McKinnon's newly Emmy-winning Hillary Clinton in this week's cold open spoofing the first presidential debate can be seen below.