Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 5, 2025
Cold Open — The Cold Open sees Colin Jost, of all people, play Pete Hegseth giving the Warrior Ethos speech in front of a bunch of generals. “Our military is gay as hell!” he complains. And as an audience of generals looks on, Hegseth yells, “No fuggos. No fatties, no facial hair, no body hair. Just hot, shredded, hairless men who are definitely not gay.” And then James Austin Johnson comes out as Trump to basically answer the question: Will SNL still be mocking Trump this season? Yes. Yes, they will. “I’m just here keeping an eye on SNL, making sure they don’t do anything to mean about me.” And they made fun of the Riyadh Comedy Festival to boot, and did a little self-mocking, too. Good open, more for the content than the substance of it. We’re back! Unfortunately, the Cold Open is the highlight of the show. (Score: 7 out of 10)
Bad Bunny Monologue — I should note, from the credits, that it’s a real meat factory this season. More than double the men than women this season (and of course, no Black women after Ego’s departure). Bad Bunny gives a short but amusing monologue, mentioning the Super Bowl (and the controversy) with a brief cameo from Jon Hamm. (Score: 6 out of 10)
Jeopardy — Bad Bunny plays a character deep in the hole because while he knows all the answers, he does not understand how to phrase them in the form of a question. And that’s the whole sketch. Huh. (Watch Here) (Score: 3.5 out of 10)
ChatGPT Ad — Newbie Veronika Slowikowska has been in the first two skits! Anyway, basically the idea behind the ad is this: ChatGPT is too chatty, loud, and opinionated, like a middle-aged Latino uncle. For lack of a better choice, this is the Mat sketch of the week? (Score: 6.5 out of 10)
The Donor — A lesbian couple asks their friend if he will be their donor, and a character played by Bad Bunny enthusiastically volunteers. Another very short mid, one-idea sketch to start the show. (Watch Here) (Score: 4.5 out of 10)
KPop Demon Hunters — A group of friends hang out, and Bad Bunny plays a guy completely obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters, who insists that it’s not just a kids’ movie. And the people who sing in the movie (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami) also make appearances. Um, OK! (Score: 5 out of 10)
Weekend Update — Che and Jost are back, and while I do appreciate that they’re still making fun of Trump, there’s clearly some rust, though the Cuomo joke was good. But there are also several groaners, just like old times. Newbie Kam Patterson ostensibly appears to talk about the Diddy sentencing, but what he really wants to talk about is when he’s allowed to say the N word. “I’m a stand-up comedian from Florida. This is what I do. Saying that word is what Jimmy Kimmel fought for.” Basically, he’s making fun of all of us who said that he wouldn’t be able to constrain himself on the show. Touche! And Bowen’s Dobby the House Elf weighs in on JK Rowling’s position on trans issues (and also the one Asian character on Potter). (Score: 6.5 out of 10)
The Origins of Spanish — Back in the day, they decided to make Spanish more difficult by making every word a male or a female word, and then they discussed which words are boys and which are girls. And Benicio Del Toro makes a cameo. Um, OK! (Watch Here) (Score: 4.5 out of 10)
Principal’s Office — A Dad brings his teen into the office for a disciplinary hearing, but the Principal is disarmed by how attracted she is to the father (Bad Bunny) and reinterprets the violent drawings about her in a flattering light. Not great! (Watch Here) (Score: 2.5 out of 10)
El Chavo Del Ocho Sitcom Parody — It’s a parody of a real Mexican television sitcom series from the ’70s. Very exaggerated, everyone hits each other. Jon Hamm briefly appears. I dunno, man. I’m too white to understand this one. (Score: N/A out of 10)
Final Verdict — My excitement for the return of SNL outweighed the actual episode itself. Good cold open, I’m glad that it’s still going to be political (or at least as much as it has been), and I love Bad Bunny. But as is honestly often the case, the first episode back leaves a lot to be desired (the same thing happened with last year’s season opener with Jean Smart). I can’t believe they hired seven new writers and this is the best they could come up with. Better luck next week. (Overall Score: 5 out of 10)
