Overview
- The Nov. 15 Season 51 episode aired live on NBC with Olivia Dean as musical guest and streams the next day on Peacock.
- During his monologue, Powell said a 2021 hosting offer tied to Top Gun: Maverick was pulled, then brought “Mitch,” the UPS driver from that day, onstage for a new selfie.
- Will Forte returned as MacGruber in three segments, with the character confronting being named in the Epstein files.
- Recaps praised Powell’s range in sketches including a glitchy AI photo bit, a Norwegian film send-up, a Sebastian Maniscalco bachelor-party sketch, and a rare Weekend Update with no guest segments.
- The hosting turn aligned with Powell’s promotion for The Running Man and followed his brief SNL cameo during Sydney Sweeney’s 2024 episode.