Beloved comedic actor Melissa McCarthy made her highly anticipated return to Studio 8H this weekend, hosting Saturday Night Live for the sixth time. The festive episode, however, proved to be a mixed bag, delivering sharp political satire in its cold open but struggling to maintain consistent laughs throughout McCarthy's signature physical comedy sketches.
A Strong Start with Political Satire
The broadcast kicked off with a pointed cold open parodying C-Span coverage of the US defence department. Colin Jost portrayed an embattled and belligerent Secretary Pete Hegseth, chugging an energy drink and unilaterally declaring war on Venezuela. The sketch didn't pull punches, with Jost's Hegseth making a dark joke about craving a drink for every Venezuelan killed and the show directly accusing the administration of using the war on drugs as a smokescreen for regime change.
The scene also featured Sarah Sherman as a disgraced Matt Gaetz and James Austin Johnson as a drowsy Donald Trump, who dreamily muttered about New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani before offering Hegseth damning, conditional support.
McCarthy's Physical Comedy and a Muted Monologue
McCarthy's hosting monologue leaned heavily into holiday cheer and her famed slapstick talents. Excited to be in New York for the holidays, she attempted to set the mood with Christmas music—joining the band to play "mouth horn"—and doused the stage with excessive fake snow. A violent tug-of-war over a piano with show elf Marcello Hernández showcased her commitment to physical comedy, though the segment felt loose and some of her lines were hard to discern, suggesting she may have strained her voice.
Hit-and-Miss Sketch Comedy
The episode's sketches provided variable returns. In Village Market, McCarthy played an awkward shopper who misinterpreted a free cheese sample as a profound act of kindness, clinging to a nervous clerk and even pushing away a baby stroller for a big, isolated laugh.
A darker holiday short film saw McCarthy's elderly neighbour repaying a young boy's kindness with wildly inappropriate gifts, including a gun and hired sex workers. The concept had potential but failed to leave a lasting mark.
The standout sketch for McCarthy's talents was set at UPS corporate offices, where her delivery driver was confronted with security footage of her epic meltdown on a customer's porch. The evidence was irrefutable: she was seen throwing packages, releasing a live bat into a home, and taking a lengthy dump in the bushes. Her response—to pretend to faint and slowly wheel herself out of the room—was a solid showcase, with the biggest laugh coming from her lament about being fired after giving the company "the best 17 days of my life".
Weekend Update and a Viral Raccoon
The Weekend Update segment featured Ben Marshall as a severely sunburned holidaymaker named Lance, who later revealed his "hell red" burns were acquired not on a beach but under an airplane's overhead light, prompting a stream of ginger jokes.
The desk was then famously trashed by Sarah Sherman, appearing as the viral Virginia raccoon that got drunk and passed out in a liquor store bathroom. In a chaotic and welcome return to form, Sherman, as the trash-eating varmint, gobbled up Jost's scripted jokes.
Flat Notes and Missed Opportunities
Not all sketches landed. A scene where southern homemakers escalate a truth-or-dare game into a series of risqué dares felt flat due to its casual execution. Another sketch, where Andrew Dismukes as a host dramatically runs away after friends reject his "Sunday supper" plan, created genuine audience awkwardness, feeling like a missed opportunity for a more adept alumnus like Tim Robinson.
The night concluded on a weak note with a local news bit about Yonkers' most decorated home, featuring McCarthy and Bowen Yang as a bickering couple. The sketch was largely laugh-free, save for a cheap Minions reference.
Verdict: A Festive but Forgettable Outing
While the sharp cold open and a few standout moments prevented the episode from being instantly forgettable, this was not one of Melissa McCarthy's strongest SNL showings. The episode lacked the go-for-broke slapstick energy she is known for, and the show's leaning into Christmas spirit felt more pronounced than its comedic punch. With two more episodes scheduled before the holidays, viewers can likely expect some big-name guest stars to pop up in the coming weeks.
