Will Ferrell closes ‘SNL’ season with Paul McCartney and doppelganger Chad Smith

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Will Ferrell is so well-known for portraying clueless and self-centered characters – both made-up and based on real individuals – that people often overlook his ability to still be a unifying force on “Saturday Night Live” when needed.

Will Ferrell hosted Saturday Night Live for the sixth time since his departure as a cast member in 2002, and didn’t hold back on the silly characters. One memorable bit featured a dad nicknamed “Nudeman” whose underwear was accidentally visible. Throughout the show, Ferrell fully committed to every role, even during his opening monologue where he joked about being mistaken for Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Smith himself was a good sport, staying for the entire show to play drums with the SNL band, even joining Paul McCartney.

Will Ferrell proved his comedic talent once again by fully committing to every role, no matter how ridiculous. He excelled as a doctor who made a terrible mistake (with Mikey Day barely holding back laughter), a treacherous halfling in a fantasy sketch, a mechanic who only spoke nonsense, and a deliberately mean high school drama teacher (alongside Molly Shannon) who toyed with students waiting for the “Grease” cast list. He even unexpectedly appeared as Jeffrey Epstein in the show’s opening segment.

I’ve really enjoyed watching Will Ferrell finish up Season 51. It’s been great to see the show focusing on newer performers like Ashley Padilla, Jeremy Culhane, and Marcello Hernández, and he fit right in with all of them! He’s still so funny and charming, and it’s amazing how well his style of comedy continues to land with audiences, even after all this time.

Paul McCartney joined Will Ferrell during his opening monologue and a sketch about a mechanic. He then performed three songs: a new track called “Days We Left Behind,” plus classic hits “Band on the Run” and “Coming Up,” while the show’s credits rolled.

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President Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, returned to the show after a few weeks, appearing tired from a trip to China. He offered a half-hearted excuse for not including Vice President J.D. Vance (Culhane) on the trip, then promptly fell asleep on a gold bar. He was soon visited by Will Ferrell as Epstein, who made a series of pointed jokes about their connection. When Trump complained about his low approval ratings (in the 30s), Epstein quipped that was nothing to worry about until they hit 17. Epstein, describing Hell as unbearably hot and listing Joseph Stalin and John Wayne Gacy as residents, then showed Trump a vision of the future. In this future, Kristi Noem (Padilla) is selling vacuum cleaners on TV, while Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) and Kash Patel (Aziz Ansari) co-host a casual podcast and share a massive beer bong. Trump interpreted this as a sign that the war in Iran would be finished, with the US coming in second place. Epstein confirmed this, and the two launched into a duet of “Just the Two of Us” before nearly kissing, ultimately launching into the show’s closing announcement: “Live from New York… It’s ‘Saturday Night!’”

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It took many viewers a full minute to realize the person performing the monologue wasn’t Will Ferrell, but Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Smith has been playfully impersonating Ferrell for over a decade due to their striking resemblance. Ferrell then came on stage, wearing the same suit, and joked that Smith had pushed him backstage, even requiring resuscitation from Lorne Michaels. Ferrell attempted to restart the monologue, but the energy never recovered. He opened the floor to questions, but only Paul McCartney was present, and he still couldn’t tell the difference between Ferrell and Smith. Ferrell playfully listed numerous songs written by McCartney, while also jokingly pointing out that McCartney didn’t write the hit song “Timber” featuring Pitbull.

Best sketch of the night: Did you at least check the sprog box on your Rav4?

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In a sketch titled “What It Feels Like Talking to a Mechanic,” Will Ferrell plays a car expert who intentionally confuses a couple (played by Day and Padilla) by using made-up technical terms like “dong rod gasket” and describing car problems in bizarre ways. Another mechanic (Hernández) arrives and communicates through funny sounds and a mix of English and Spanish, even claiming they need a “new trans person.” He also makes strange requests, like wanting them to return frequently and attend his party. A third mechanic (McCartney) adds to the chaos by pointing out absurd issues, like the steering wheel being on the wrong side and using nonsensical phrases. The sketch perfectly captures the feeling of being talked at by a mechanic who might as well be speaking a foreign language. The only weak point is the ending, which relies on a predictable and uninspired joke.

Also good: That white flag he was carrying around should have been a tip-off

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Some of the pre-recorded sketches this season have been surprisingly well-made, and this one, a “Lord of the Rings” parody called “Bobbin’s Sacrifice,” is a great example. It features impressive costumes and special effects, with a full cast playing orcs, elves, and dwarves during a castle battle. Will Ferrell plays Bobbin, a small, hobbit-like character who volunteers to destroy a bridge to protect the heroes. However, once outside the castle, Bobbin unexpectedly announces he’s joining the orcs – and even offers them the castle’s blueprints and stolen magical items! Bobbin’s decision doesn’t end well for him, but he goes out memorably, singing a song.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: How does one apply to be a Blast Boy?

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The “Update” segment usually features a joke-writing competition between Colin Jost and Michael Che, where each reads jokes written by the other. This time, the jokes were particularly uncomfortable: Jost was forced to read racist jokes referencing Black people and vampires, and Che had to deliver jokes about the molestation allegations against Michael Jackson. The segment fell flat, ending with a playful threat to cut Jost’s hair on air. Surprisingly, the highlight wasn’t the joke-off at all, but the return of Pete Culhane as his character, Mr. On Blast – a comedic commentator known for deliberately bad opinions. He delivered intentionally weak jokes like “AI? More like P.U.” and “Metaverse? Why don’t you go read a Bible verse?”, but made them funny with energetic dance moves and sound effects. This time, Mr. On Blast introduced a new catchphrase, “Devout!”, playing on his character’s claim to both Christian and Jewish faith, and was joined by backup dancers called the Blast Boys. Culhane was a hit and is expected to return next season.

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2026-05-17 10:01