NBC’s Saturday Night Live returned on October 4, 2025, with Bad Bunny as host and Doja Cat as musical guest. The episode combined pointed political satire, cultural commentary, and high-energy sketches.
Cold Open Satirizes Trump and Military Fitness
The show opened at Marine Corps Base Quantico with Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) briefing senior officers on new “frat-party” fitness standards: “No overweight participants—unless you’re funny.” Former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) then arrived to “make sure they don’t say anything too mean about me,” lampooning his influence over late-night comedy and conservative media clashes.[1][2]
Monologue Confronts Super Bowl Halftime Debate
Bad Bunny addressed criticism of his selection as headliner for Super Bowl LX’s halftime show in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026. He noted objections to a Spanish-language performance on American television and quipped, “If you didn’t understand me, you have four months to learn.” He dedicated his remarks to Latino audiences, calling the halftime slot “a win for cultural visibility”.[3][4]
Immigration Commentary via Kristi Noem’s Remarks
Clips aired of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem warning on Benny Johnson’s podcast that ICE agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl and “prepared to enforce the law.” Noem asserted that only “law-abiding Americans” should attend, echoing fears Bad Bunny cited for omitting U.S. dates on his recent tour despite his citizenship.[5][6]
Sketch Highlights and Cameos
A recurring “friend reunion” sketch featured animated stars from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters performing their hit “Golden,” which has led the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks.[7][8]
Jon Hamm appeared first as an obsessive Bad Bunny fan and later as Profesor Jirafales in a parody of El Chavo del Ocho. Benicio del Toro joined a medieval skit about the origins of Spanish, humorously proposing an afternoon siesta be added to the alphabet.[2][9]
Season 51 Cast Changes
Under Executive Producer Lorne Michaels, SNL introduced five new featured players, while several veterans departed:
| Joining Season 51 | Departing at End of Season 50 |
|---|---|
| Tommy Brennan (stand-up comedian) | Ego Nwodim |
| Jeremy Culhane (TikTok comedian) | Heidi Gardner |
| Kam Patterson (improviser) | Devon Walker |
| Veronika Slowikowska (sketch comic) | Michael Longfellow |
| Ben Marshall (Please Don’t Destroy) | Emil Wakim |
Doja Cat made her SNL musical debut, delivering performances of “AAAHH MEN!” and “Gorgeous” to open the season.[10][11][2]
The premiere balanced incisive political satire with dynamic musical and celebrity moments. Bad Bunny’s monologue and the cold open reinforced SNL’s enduring role as a barometer of cultural and political discourse.
