Melissa McCarthy shows why she’s a repeat ‘SNL’ host, and Pete Hegseth returns in cold open

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Melissa McCarthy, like Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, has appeared on “Saturday Night Live” so often – either hosting or as a standout guest – that many people assume she was a regular cast member, even though she wasn’t.

Melissa McCarthy proved once again why she’s a fantastic host – this was her sixth time! She consistently goes all-in on her comedy, creating memorable sketches. She’s great at taking funny situations and making them even more hilarious, and she populates them with a wonderfully quirky cast of characters – from lonely oddballs to sneaky, self-assured plotters. Even when she’s just being a more exaggerated version of herself, like in this episode’s opening monologue, she’s willing to throw herself into the bit – literally, over a piano – and even showcase surprising talents, like her impressive “mouth horn” playing (we’ll get to that!).

Melissa McCarthy is usually a hilarious presence, but sometimes weak scripts hold her back. This episode, however, was a standout. She followed a strong opening sketch with Colin Jost and a funny monologue, and then delivered three sketches that were among her best work on the show, even with a few minor sound issues.

She portrayed three distinct characters: a woman who becomes overly attached to a supermarket worker offering cheese samples, a well-meaning but overbearing elderly neighbor who tries too hard to befriend a young boy, and a mischievous UPS worker caught on a security camera acting inappropriately.

The show hit a bit of a rough patch after the “Weekend Update” segment. Sketches started relying on Jenny McCarthy less, putting her in supporting roles. For example, one sketch featured Andrew Dismukes as an overly sensitive host at a family dinner, and another involved moms playing a risqué game of truth or dare. While these sketches weren’t bad, they didn’t really showcase McCarthy’s talents and felt unremarkable – like something you could see on any given episode.

Things got better for McCarthy when she appeared as the mayor in a humorous music video created by Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska. She also played one half of a couple, alongside Bowen Yang, showcasing their quirky holiday decorations on Spectrum News NY1.

Jenny McCarthy is a truly gifted comedic performer, and when she’s given the chance to shine on “Saturday Night Live,” as she did in several sketches this week, the results are hilarious and unforgettable.

Dijon performed his songs “HIGHER!” and “Baby!/Another Baby!” on the show. Before the credits rolled, a tribute appeared for Craig Kellem, a producer from the first season of “Saturday Night Live,” who recently passed away.

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This week’s opening sketch on Saturday Night Live featured Pete Davidson as Sean Hannity impersonating Brian Kilmeade, acting like a childish and aggressive bully during a mock White House press conference. He began by rudely asking the reporters present about anyone considered overweight. Referencing recent events involving Venezuela, he jokingly told them to treat him like a boat and ask their questions. Sarah Sherman played Matt Gaetz, a reporter who questioned whether the U.S. was stopping all illegal imports, or just drugs. The character made several pop culture references, including a shout-out to “6-7” and a snippet of the “Animaniacs” song listing countries. Meanwhile, a drowsy Donald Trump (played by James Austin Johnson) briefly woke up from a dream about New York’s mayor-elect to mention that talk of the “fog of war” usually means someone’s covering up war crimes, before falling asleep again. The character playing Hegseth then quipped, “We gotta get him to another MRI before he wakes up.”

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Melissa McCarthy launched the Christmas season on “SNL” with an impressive performance of “mouth horn” – a unique humming, blowing, and beatboxing technique she used to play songs like “Carol of the Bells.” The bit involved a lot of fake snow and a playful struggle with Marcello Hernández, who attempted to move a piano across the stage. After a humorous defeat, Kenan Thompson joined her, earning the nickname “Santa Kenan,” and the whole cast came together to finish the sketch with a performance of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” with McCarthy providing the music using her mouth horn.

Best sketch of the night: Firing of the worst UPS employee is USPS’s gain

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Melissa McCarthy is hilarious as Donna, a UPS driver caught on security cameras throwing packages, opening them, and even using a customer’s porch as a restroom. Her performance – including denying everything, trying to leave a meeting with her managers (Mikey Day and Ashley Padilla), pretending to faint, and stubbornly chewing on paper – was fantastic. It was so funny that Mikey Day, who has a long history working with McCarthy, struggled to keep a straight face – a very unusual occurrence for him.

Also good: Cousins don’t even exist in July

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While some of McCarthy’s other videos might be more polished, this simple, charming video about what happens to cousins you haven’t seen in a while really resonates. It imagines a place called Cousin Planet, where family history comes out and everyone just checks in on each other. There’s a rule against cousins dating, but it’s not strictly enforced. It’s a funny, quirky video and a great way to highlight the talents of Wickline and Slowikowska.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: That’s it, drunk raccoon, you’re cut off

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Ben Sherman’s performance as Lance, a severely sunburned vacationer (complete with a choir of redheaded boys), was funny, but Sarah Sherman stole the show. Her chaotic portrayal of a raccoon – the same one that went viral after being found drunk in a Virginia liquor store – was unforgettable. During the bit, Sherman playfully flirted with and teased co-host Michael Jost, even suggesting she’d “ride his head like a Davy Crockett hat” while also playfully scolding him. The sketch was enhanced by clever editing, showing Sherman as the raccoon through footage styled like a Ring camera recording.

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2025-12-07 11:01