Hey all — it’s SNL in Review with our rubber match for the start of season 52. The consensus from the peanut gallery on the past two episodes seems to be focused on weak writing. Which is a problem when you consider the sheer number of people on the writing staff. No one wants to admit it, but there’s something fundamentally off about the modern show. As Alan Sepinwall put it this week, SNL frequently is “at sea when it comes to dealing with political turmoil” in the current Trump 2.0 environment.

Tonight’s show will be an interesting test case to that point: it is the return of Shane Gillis. We do not need to relitigate the controversy beyond to say, this is his third time hosting. As Lorne himself put it to Steve Martin in his recent doc: Gillis is easily one of the most significant and successful stand-up comedians working today. (His thrice gigs as host + Lorne’s POV make me wonder if the members of the fanbase that clutched pearls so, so tightly about his hiring feel silly now? Or no.)

I guess tonight is about threes: third episode of the season, third hosting stint by Gillis. And third appearance overall tonight by musical guest Rosalía. She first appeared on SNL as a guest performer alongside Bad Bunny in 2021, then returned a year later as the featured musical guest when Zoë Kravitz hosted.

Away we go!

Cold Open

USS Lincoln has been gone for over 300 days. Before the brave men and women get to return to their families, they will be hearing from one person: ah yes, Colin Jost’s Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. It’s been seven months of war, and they’re greeted by a bombastic man wearing mini liquor bottles as a belt, who updates them on what has been happening domestically.

He runs through some headlines. “Public executions are back! Kinda like Scrubs!” He has a new logo — it’s an American eagle “with a Nazi vibe.”

Next: Hegseth introduces RFK Jr. (James Austin Johnson). The impression is… solid, leading to a funny punchline wherein Hegseth smacks him on the back, and his voice immaculately returns to normal. I just can’t get into Jost’s delivery — having him croon Linkin Park was never on my bingo card. What are we doing here?

Former cast member Victoria Jackson offers: “Colin is a good Hegseth. RFK impression is funny, but he should’ve had a deep tan. I wish they would skewer the left as mercilessly as they always skewer the right.”

Monologue

Shane is “fine,” he claims; he has a couple things he’s dealing with, like losing weight. He notes he was in a Bud Light commercial this year, and thinks he looked “like a lesbian” seeing himself onscreen.

He discusses going on hikes solo and checking out public gyms in New York. He discusses women’s shorts and kettlebells. His “friend, Joe Rogan” has a sauna in his Texas podcast studio, and mentions Theo Von insulting him (by calling him a “wet egg”). Gillis segues into his sisters raising him, and the psychological impact of their insults. Ouch! “And that was the monologue!” he ends.

Former cast member Jeff Richards comments that Gillis is a clearly “really funny guy, obvious natural. I have been touring with William Montgomery and think he’d be an excellent host. It’s great seeing guys like him, Shane, Kam Patterson get exposure. When people aren’t streaming Pay To Die, I recommend watching Tires and Busboys!”

Victoria Jackson, for her part, says the monologue is “good. Shane looks skinny/handsome! He’s right about gym girls dressing like ‘whores.’ When did ‘camel toe’ become acceptable gym fashion and grocery shopping attire? Did Molly Shannon’s Sally O’Malley make it cool?”

“Cop Talk Show”

It’s the only talk show by police officers, for everyone. Law enforcement wants to show it’s not scary talking to cops. Shane Gillis is the host, and he interrogates his first guest Lawrence Kornfeld (Jeremy Culhane), who is promoting his book. Gillis and his partner/sidekick are very suspicious and hostile to him, like on a traffic stop — he even has a window on the couch to roll down. Next: Ben Marshall gets tased. “Big time scumbag!”

Fun moment: Kam Patterson comes out as a comedian who is performing at Magoobys. (Fun fact: I saw Kam perform at Magoobys outside Baltimore earlier this year.) Kam takes one look at the white cops and immediately leaves the set. Victoria Jackson calls this one “accurate.”

Very active audience so far. I could hear boisterous reception to certain cast members during the opening credits.

“Father-Daughter Song

Tommy Brennan, Andrew Dismukes, and James Austin Johnson play a country western band serenading a wedding, during a couple’s first dance. It’s actually a tribute/inner monologue for the father of the bride. He’s busy reflecting on raising a girl who is now a young woman, which means, well — now her childhood bedroom is his! Her stuff is packed up, and he has a lot of creative ideas of what he will do. Popcorn machine? Video games and pinball?!

“Clever,” says Victoria Jackson.

“Sneakers”

It’s 1920 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Fillmore Footwear has invented a new shoe design. Typically, shoes are leather and loud. But now they’re lighter and more flexible. They’re good for running… walking… and — as Shane Gillis notes — sneaking… yes, it is a “Sneaker”.

Other executives find that term creepy, indeed Gillis has a dark line of thinking… “I’ve always wondered why Sneakers were called sneakers! Runwell’s was clever, historical, and educational! Good ending,” says Victoria Jackson.

“Green Eggs and Ham”

Curse word alert! Shane Gillis drops an obvious F-bomb, as a son irate that his dad (Mikey Day) is being asked repeatedly whether he wants a breakfast order he’s clearly declined, multiple times. Lots of Dr. Seuss references here obviously. it starts with the Sam I Am premise with Andrew Dismukes, and gets broadened to Sarah Sherman in a really fun cameo.

Day saves the day with an adlib, mentioning the “bad word!” I was disappointed Shane Gillis didn’t have a fun quip in the moment to recover. But Day did it! He’s going big this season for sure, very present.

For the record: Day and Kristen Wiig played a married Who couple forced into an uncomfortable Christmas-morning conversation with their children after a sleazy, bisexual Grinch (Pete Davidson) crashes in their bed, following a raucous holiday party. Day later took on the role of the Grinch himself in Love Is Blind: Grinch Edition, a surreal parody of the Netflix dating series in which Ariana Grande’s contestant discovers her mystery pod match is the green holiday icon.

“Upfront Heating & Air Conditioning”

“This whole process is going to be a nightmare,” promises Shane Gillis’ spokesman. After a pleasant demo, the real workers will show up to upgrade a home’s HVAC system… and it will be a disaster. They will save you money, but it will cost you! Fun, little long.

Victoria Jackson calls this one “GREAT.  I recently had a similar experience; a near finger amputation of the repair man, my mailbox knocked down by his truck, and I stepped on a board he left in the grass that had 2 nails sticking straight up that went through my sandal into my foot. I got a tetanus shot and went on antibiotics.”

Rosalía performs “Reliquia”

This has a heavy ballet influence, even incorporating pointe shoes! Very powerful and beautiful. Probably the best musical performance of the season to date.

Victoria Jackson notes, “Rosalia is singing in Spanish, I can’t understand the words. But, I like her tutu a lot. Actually, I can never understand the lyrics of the musical hosts. They mumble. Hey, maybe I’m deaf!”

Weekend Update

Topics this week include President Trump losing the Nobel Peace Prize and the new War Department logo. National No Bra Day gets a Che quip.

Our first commentator tonight is Kevin O’Leary, a.k.a. Mr. Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful, who comes on to discuss massive data centers. James Austin Johnson portrayed O’Leary earlier this season, he’s incredible. He’s building a big data center, with a very evil name, in Utah. Noise and water issues, no matter. This is brilliant, one of my favorite segments of the year.

For some fall family fun, we get tips from a mom whose babysitter just cancelled. Ashley Padilla plays the mom, and her daughter, Coco, is played by Grace Reiter. The crowd gives them a big welcome. “I love you,” justifies Padilla’s mom after shrieking at her child. “My mom kissed a farm,” blurts out Coco, who recounts getting lost in a corn maze. Coco just wants to know who her dad is!

“Hospice”

Grace Reiter is playing an elderly woman on her final days. Hospice nurse Sarah Sherman suggests her son, Fred (Shane Gillis), stick around for the weekend in case she passes. He pauses: could this wait until Monday? He has tickets to see Jelly Roll at the Sphere.

Jelly Roll’s spirit appears to Fred, and tells him to come to the show. Solid character work by Ben Marshall as Jelly! Cool Jesus also gives his approval. A few other visitors appear to him, including Rosalía… and his dead mom! Nice to see Reiter get a few at-bats tonight. “With Teddy Swims!” And a fun hook: Fred will be joining his mom in heaven soon anyway!

Victoria Jackson’s verdict: this was “funny and smart.” I agree.

Rosalía performs “Magnolias”

A rainy, moving performance. Easily strongest guest so far this season.

“Clayton Middle School Chess Semifinals”

It’s Tommy Brennan versus Jeremy Culhane in a quiet chess tournament. Culhane’s character is mortified as his parents have come to cheer him on, and they are white trash and loud. Grace Reiter again gets the call, opposite Shane Gillis as her ex. And we get a Stapleview reunion, with Jane Wickline as Gillis’ current, embarrassed girlfriend. Reiter and Gillis reunite, full of passion, and completely disrupt the chess match. Intense! Can’t overstate the importance of this show for Grace.