Ariana Grande's Funny and Heartfelt SNL Return

Trump's Chimney Immigrants and Fake Achievements

The last Saturday Night Live of 2025 kicked off with a bang. Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, warned about "arctic immigrants" sneaking in through chimneys. He also boasted about made-up achievements, like renaming the Kennedy Center and invading "Venezuelar" alone. Johnson's portrayal was spot on, humorously highlighting Trump's cognitive decline. However, the sketch missed the chance to address Trump's recent offensive comments about Rob and Michele Reiner.

Ariana Grande's Hosting Highlights

Ariana Grande hosted the show for the third time. She started with a song about Christmas gifts, joined by cast members suggesting terrible gift ideas. Grande's singing was the highlight, but the sketch itself was lackluster.

Next, she starred in a sketch about traumatized elves from Elf on the Shelf. Grande earned laughs by crying gumdrop tears. In another sketch, she played Kevin McCallister from Home Alone, but with a bloody twist—the family got hurt by Kevin's booby traps, which was funny yet excessive. Grande also danced in a Dance 101 class sketch, impressive but confusing.

Random Duet Christmas Spectacular

A standout segment was the Random Duet Christmas Spectacular, featuring famous pairs singing together. Grande nailed impersonations of Katy Perry and Celine Dion, while James Austin Johnson shone as Bob Dylan, Cameron Winter, and Andrea Bocelli.

Cher's Musical Performance

The musical guest was Cher, who performed a Christmas dance song. However, the performance was marred by autotune and obvious lip-syncing.

Weekend Update & Bowen Yang's Farewell

On Weekend Update, Michael Che brought on his nephew to share his Christmas wish list, which was both funny and shocking. Che and Colin Jost also did their yearly tradition of exchanging mean jokes, which was short but biting.

Bowen Yang made his final appearance as a cast member, starring in a sketch with Aidy Bryant as the Trend Forecasters, discussing what's "in" and "out" this year. Yang also had an emotional goodbye sketch, which was heartfelt but perhaps overdone.

A Tribute to Rob Reiner

The show ended with a tribute to the late Rob Reiner.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the episode had a big show feel with lots of musical numbers, but some parts were forgettable.