Saturday Night Live
Sabrina Carpenter
October 18, 2025
Well, color me surprised, but this is the first time Sabrina Carpenter has actually hosted Saturday Night Live. But, back me up here, it feels like she’s hosted before, right? I guess my confusion comes from a couple of different places: Carpenter was a big part of the 50th Anniversary Special, performing the opening number with Paul Simon and appearing in the “Domingo” sketch of the night; and she had a little cameo in Quinta Brosnon’s episode last May, as well as a cameo when she was Jake Gyllenhaal’s musical guest back in 2024.
But I think the real reason I’m surprised this is her first time to host is that she’s such a natural. She’s cute, has tons of charisma, and, most importantly, she has very good comic timing and is game for anything. And that shouldn’t be a surprise, because, just like some of the other great musical guests turned hosts, like Ariana Grande and Justin Timberlake, Carpenter got her start on a kids’ comedy series, Girl Meets World (a spinoff of Boy Meets World). Apparently, the often abusive pressure chamber that is kids’ television produces the occasional variety show diamond, like Sabrina Carpenter. Is it all worth it? That’s probably a conversation for an entirely different post. THE POINT IS, Carpenter did great, the cast clearly enjoyed working with her, and I won’t be surprised if she’s invited back again and again.
The only thing that was surprising about SNL doing a Domingo sketch when Sabrina Carpenter hosted was that they chose to use it for the cold open. It’s the same routine: Kelsey and her poor husband, Matthew, are celebrating his birthday by listening to her friends sing an off-key song about how Kelsey cheated on him with Domingo. There is literally not a single original beat here, so mileage will vary depending on your tolerance for this played-out recurring sketch. But hey — it wasn’t a political cold open, right?
All that said, this take on Reddit is unintentionally hilarious:
Sabrina in the cold open
byu/mdj8833 inLiveFromNewYork
Friend, that’s part of the joke.
Grade: B-
In her monologue, Sabrina Carpenter jokes about her very sexualized persona and controversial album cover and heads into the audience to flirt with guys. It felt a little rushed — it came in at about three and a half minutes, which is about a minute shorter than the shortest monologues, not that I’m complaining.
Grade: B
This sketch begins as a podcast being run by 12-year-old boys (all played by women), talking about their favorite Halloween candy and vegetables. President Mushroom shows up to join the conversation and discuss Little Debbie snack cakes and whether or not he’ll get into heaven. I genuinely wonder if this was intended to be the cold open and they switched it up because … Domingo.
Also interesting, I originally thought this was intended to make fun of President Dingus doing all those bro podcasts during the campaign last year, the joke being that he even went on this preteen podcast, I guess. But it turns out this is based on an actual podcast:
@mdfoodieboyz No veggies for Picky Pey??
♬ original sound – MDFoodieBoyz – MDFoodieBoyz
Eat your veggies, kids.
Grade: B
This pre-tape bit is a horror movie trailer for the most terrifying thing anyone over thirty can imagine: having a relaxed weekend ruined by remembering that you made plans with someone four months earlier. ~shudder~
Grade: A+
I am not above purile humor, and I know this because I am always amused by a ShopTV sketch. The setup is always the same: TV Shopping hosts Rhett & Bev (and producer Odell) bring on an entrepreneur and their innovative product, only to realize said product is overtly sexual and inappropriate.
Here, Carpenter is hawking a travel pillow that very much looks like something else — especially the deluxe version with the faux fur lining.
Grade: A
Hey — it’s another sketch inspired by some weirdo on TikTok, this time someone named Princess Ayesha, a “girlboss” influencer who says nonsense like “if you have an opp, now’s your opportunity,” as if that means anything.
Here, Carpenter hosts a seminar where she shares such “advice,” except with backup dancers who fling her around and give her a concussion, which would at least explain where this nonsense is coming from. Look for the mishap with Kenan, which, somehow, only makes the bit funnier.
@theprincessayesha1 👑✨ THE PRINCESS AYESHA — THE CEO OF OPP-URTUNITY. 💼💎 THE LONG-AWAITED, MOST VIRAL EPISODE OF THE PRINCESS AYESHA SHOW IS HERE. 💥 They called it an OPP. We call it an OPPORTUNITY. 💎 Because when you’re the main event, even your enemies become your elevation. O → Outshine them. P → Play your power. P → Prove your peace. When someone’s trying to get to you, hating, or bringing bad vibes — find them, get to them, and take them out of the spotlight. 💋 Every bad vibe is just another boost. 💫 Every hater is just hidden hype. 🔥 Every OPP is another open door to your destiny. Find them, face them, and FLOURISH. The real glow-up isn’t revenge — it’s REIGN. 👑 This isn’t just an episode. It’s a declaration. It’s a reign. It’s THE PRINCESS AYESHA SHOW. 👑✨ #PrincessAyeshaShow #CEOofOPPURTUNITY #OPP #AyeshiansUnstoppable #MostViral
♬ original sound – ThePrincessAyesha
Grade: A-
Middle schoolers be awkwardly grinding on each other. But also, is this song … kinda catchy? That doesn’t make me a creep, right?
Grade: A-
“Weekend Update” takes on President Felonious Junk pardoning George Santos, the Young Republican group texts, the Time Magazine cover, the Skims merkins, President Floppy’s neck vagina, and Jost makes a truly underappreciated Argentina Nazi joke. Shame on that audience for not knowing their history.
Grade: A
Marcello’s Movie Guy, who has not seen any of the movies he’s “reviewing,” is back. I don’t know, it’s growing a bit stale. Good thing Hernandez is so charming.
Grade: B-
New kid Tommy Brennan joins the “Weekend Update” desk to do some of his stand-up routine that involves joking about his Midwestern Catholic upbringing. It’s fine, but it probably works better on a stand-up stage.
Grade: B
I suppose when you have a Sabrina Carpenter (or, as mentioned above, an Ariana Grande or a Justin Timberlake) you have to find a way to work in as many singing bits as you can into the episode, which explains this disappointing sketch. A couple, shopping for a new washer and dryer, are shown a set that doesn’t just play a little jingle; it comes complete with women who sing different songs with each setting. Carpenter is paired with new cast member Veronika Slowikowska, who manages to hold her own with a genuine pop star. She wasn’t able to hold her costume together, though.
Grade: C+
A group of coworkers surprises a fellow employee for her birthday, causing her to fart long and hard. And it just devolves from there. I’m seeing a lot of comparisons of this sketch to Tim Robbins’ comedy, which is fair — it’s all about the awkwardness. But I could also see Will Ferrell in Ashley Padilla’s role doing this sketch back in the ’90s, which honestly is high praise for Padilla. It’s not the most original or most clever concept, but Padilla sells it.
Grade: A-
Finally, Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy is back with a pre-taped bit in which he stages a social experiment by filling a movie theater audience with actors dressed as Frankenstein and then accusing people of being racist when they run away. It’s goofy enough on its own in a good way, but I actually found it a lot funnier when I learned it was based on the video below, where, supposedly, a biker gang performed the same experiment and were surprised when people turned around and left a theater when they saw a bunch of scary biker guys glaring at them. WELL, WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN, MY DUDES?
@yagirlgabby_ A biker gang booked the whole cinema, just to see who’d judge them for their looks #viral #fypage #viralvideo #fyp #fypシ
♬ original sound – Gabby
Grade: B+
Cut for Time was this “Weekend Update” visit by a biohacker weirdo played by James Austin Johnson. It’s not terrible, but it’s also no great loss that it was cut.
Grade: –
Final Grade: B+/A-. Right on the edge.
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC and streams on Peacock.