Overview
- The Season 51 finale, which aired Saturday, featured Will Ferrell as host and Paul McCartney as musical guest.
- Ferrell played a ghostly Jeffrey Epstein who visited President Donald Trump in the cold open, ending with a duet of Just the Two of Us after future-vision gags featuring Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel.
- Ferrell’s monologue opened with a prank as Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith posed as the host, with McCartney chiming in from the audience to extend the bit.
- Weekend Update brought back its Joke Swap, with Colin Jost nearly shaving his head on air before Michael Che stopped the stunt.
- Newer cast members got prime moments, with Ashley Padilla’s Kristi Noem impression standing out, and SNL now breaks for the summer before Season 52 in the fall as coverage notes strong reactions to the darker opening.