‘SNL’ mocks NYC mayoral race and host Miles Teller visits the White House as the Property Brothers

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As we noted when Sabrina Carpenter hosted “Saturday Night Live” recently, a host who really commits to the show makes all the difference.

While he didn’t pull off being both host and musical guest like a previous host, Miles Teller seemed to really enjoy coming back to host for a second time (he first hosted in 2022). The star of “Top Gun: Maverick,” who will soon be in the film “Eternity,” did a great job and was in almost every sketch, including the opening sketch and two pre-recorded segments.

The show began with a sketch featuring a portrayal of former Governor Andrew Cuomo running for mayor of New York City. Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis played his opponents, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, respectively.

Following this, Teller portrayed several characters: a game show contestant nursing a Halloween hangover, a hockey player filming a public service announcement for the Nashville Predators, and both of the Property Brothers in a comedic video about the White House renovations.

Teller appeared in several sketches, including one featuring a TV newsroom showcasing its behind-the-scenes staff. He also participated in a Netflix promotion for a true crime story about missing wives, a sketch where a police press conference went off the rails, and a closing sketch set in a quirky Italian restaurant in Nebraska.

Teller did a great job hosting; he’s skilled at doing different voices and got big laughs from the audience. His performance was particularly strong when playing two roles at once in the ‘Property Brothers’ sketch and his impersonation of Cuomo in the show’s opening segment.

Musical guest Brandi Carlile performed “Church & State” and “Human.”

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This week’s opening sketch was one of the season’s best political parodies, focusing on the New York mayoral race. Hosted by Errol Louis (played by Kenan Thompson, jokingly referred to as the least-impersonated ‘SNL’ figure), the sketch humorously depicted the candidates. Andrew Cuomo (Teller) was portrayed as someone who made light of serious allegations while appealing to Jewish voters. Mamdani (Youssef) came across as a candidate who prioritized appearances and social media over actual policy, and Sliwa (Gillis) was presented as a somewhat eccentric and troubled New Yorker with a series of unbelievable stories. Gillis’s performance as Sliwa, recounting bizarre experiences like being hung by his testicles and attacked by a Times Square Spider-Man impersonator, was a standout. It left viewers wondering why he didn’t bring this energy when he was the show’s host. As usual, the sketch was interrupted by a cameo from Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), who mocked the candidates and ended the segment by singing a song from ‘Phantom of the Opera.’

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Miles Teller’s speech was brief and heartfelt. He explained that growing up, as a child who moved frequently, “Saturday Night Live” was always a source of stability. He showed a childhood photo of himself and his sisters dressed as characters from the show’s “Night at the Roxbury” sketch and then shared a few funny memories, including having his first beer and stumbling around after a couple of drinks in the audience. Teller also mentioned the recent loss of his home in the Los Angeles fires, and jokingly pointed out the fire exits to the audience.

Best sketch of the night: An extreme White House makeover

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Jonathan and Drew Scott, known as the Property Brothers, faced their most challenging clients yet: Donald and Melania Trump (played by Chloe Fineman). The Trumps needed help renovating the White House to add a new ballroom. Melania showed off her unusual decorations—skeletons and a withered tree—explaining they were for Christmas. Despite the White House already having 55,000 square feet and 132 rooms, the couple felt it wasn’t enough space. With a seemingly unlimited budget (starting at $350 million), the brothers began working, assisted by park rangers and astronauts who were on the job during the government shutdown. However, when it came time to get paid, a problem arose. The president questioned if they were from Canada and then threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on them.

Also good: Nobody asked for this much transparency in news

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The sketch comedy show Newspoint features a news discussion between the host, Fineman, and a guest, Thompson. However, the show’s set—an open newsroom full of workers—constantly steals the focus. Background actors like Mikey Day create chaos, accidentally spilling drinks while acknowledging the cameras. Other workers, including Bowen Yang (who gets shocked by a copier) and Teller (whose computer screen displays inappropriate content), add to the distraction. The sketch relies on physical humor, and Mikey Day’s performance, along with the visual gags, are particularly effective.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: George Santos is back, untruthful as ever!

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Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla, who deserves to be a regular cast member, performed a sketch as a couple trying to talk about the government shutdown after making out. However, Bowen Yang as George Santos was the highlight of the show, stealing the show with his portrayal of the infamous politician. Yang had previously missed a chance to play Santos, whose prison sentence was commuted by Trump. In the sketch, Santos falsely claimed to have finished the New York marathon and repeatedly interrupted Colin Jost to take calls from prisoners, using a prop jail window and phone. He pretended to speak with Ghislaine Maxwell, Luigi Mangione, and Sean “Diddy” Combs, then shared a bizarre tip for making prison rice pudding – preheating the toilet to 350 degrees. Santos concluded by revealing a stolen necklace from the Louvre and claiming he’d won the World Series.

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2025-11-02 10:31