Saturday Night Live Recap: Melissa McCarthy

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Watching Melissa McCarthy host Saturday Night Live again, it’s easy to imagine her as a regular cast member – she’s that good! This was her sixth time hosting, putting her in impressive company – only Drew Barrymore, Tina Fey, and Scarlett Johansson have hosted more than five times. She fits right in with the SNL cast, shining whether she’s the star of a sketch, like in “Free Sample,” or playing a supporting role, as she did in “Cousin Planet.”

Melissa McCarthy’s characters are instantly recognizable – they’re always larger than life, wildly unpredictable, and physically hilarious, often making even the most stoic audience member laugh. Her natural comfort and presence on the Saturday Night Live stage – a quality that earned her an Emmy in 2017 – feels genuine and effortless.

The show opened with a parody of a Pentagon press briefing. Colin Jost played Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, answering questions about a possible conflict with Venezuela. Jost’s impression of Hegseth has gotten better since the first time he did it, and while he’s not known for impressions, it works because Hegseth isn’t that distinctive to begin with. Other funny moments included Sarah Sherman’s scary take on Matt Gaetz and James Austin Johnson’s Trump having a bizarre dream about New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani.

The show moved smoothly into Melissa McCarthy’s monologue, where she was playfully covered in a huge amount of fake snow while playfully fighting with Marcello Hernández, who was dressed as a Christmas elf. The monologue showed how comfortable and confident McCarthy was hosting SNL, and it was a promising sign of a strong episode to come.

Here are the highlights:

Free Sample

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=BJdy6-q1twE

Melissa McCarthy plays a grocery shopper who hilariously misinterprets a free sample offered by Jeremy Culhane as a romantic gesture. The sketch is full of funny details – McCarthy’s character was abandoned as a baby and brings her six dogs to the store, tying them up outside. A standout moment is when her character playfully pushes Ashley Padilla’s baby stroller off-screen. Culhane is great as the bewildered sample giver who, predictably, falls for McCarthy’s character, delivering a particularly funny line, “I don’t know you.”

A Helping Hand

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=8HPm_4_Dtqo

This funny digital short features a 12-year-old boy who unexpectedly gets caught up in the antics of his eccentric elderly neighbor, portrayed by Melissa McCarthy with very little dialogue. The sketch builds momentum perfectly. After McCarthy’s character ties up the boy’s bully, you might think it’s reached its peak—but then, after he’s rejected by a girl he likes, two escorts and their pimp (played by Kenan Thompson) unexpectedly arrive. It’s a great addition to the growing tradition of slightly unsettling, but hilarious, Christmas neighbor sketches on SNL.

UPS Delivery Driver

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=WWqKyqe_SNQ

Okay, so Melissa McCarthy is just amazing in this sketch. She plays a UPS driver who’s getting reprimanded, and her physical comedy is on point – seriously, I was laughing so hard! It’s classic McCarthy: she goes from zero to furious in a second, and those fake faints? Genius. Mikey Day and Heidi Gardner, as her managers, are struggling to keep it together while trying to get her to sign something. The whole thing builds to this incredible moment where her character declares she’s given the company the best 17 days of her life. Honestly, it’s just a really, really funny sketch – a total highlight!

Sunday Supper

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=8SHrVeanC-U

In one of the funniest moments from the episode, Andrew Dismukes delivers a performance reminiscent of Tim Robinson – playing a guy desperately hoping his friends will join him for Sunday dinner. He nails the character, and when he appears carrying a hobo bundle, you get a good idea of where the sketch is headed – and it’s hilarious.

Christopher and Guillaume

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=xaUcYmVoYsU

This sketch, featuring Melissa McCarthy and Bowen Yang as a surprisingly straight couple, is a highlight of their character work. They’re interviewed by local news about their Christmas decorations, and while the sketch doesn’t fully develop a strong premise, McCarthy and Yang’s chemistry and comedic timing make it thoroughly enjoyable – their playful back-and-forth is a standout. Hopefully, we’ll see more of their characters, Christopher and Guillaume, in the future.

Cut for Time

Dijon’s musical performance was fantastic, as expected, and he was supported by a band that included the renowned Justin Vernon.

The sketch ‘Cousin Planet’ almost made the cut for this week’s show. I particularly liked the dynamic between Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska – their performance reminded me a lot of Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney’s style of comedy.

Jeremy Culhane made a great impression in this week’s episode, appearing in both the opening sketch and the “Free Sample” segment. Hopefully, he’ll be back for more episodes this season!

The comedy “Truth or Dare,” featuring Melissa McCarthy, Chloe Fineman, and others, is a lighthearted film about a group of seemingly proper Southern women—it feels a bit like a nod to the show Hunting Wives. While enjoyable, the humor is somewhat repetitive.

• “Head of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, seen here watching the end of Marley and Me.”

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2025-12-07 21:55