“Saturday Night Live ”recap: Ariana Grande and Cher lend their diva power to year-end episode
- - “Saturday Night Live ”recap: Ariana Grande and Cher lend their diva power to year-end episode
Andy HoglundDecember 21, 2025 at 5:50 AM
0
Rosalind O’Connor/NBC
'SNL' musical guest Cher, host Ariana Grande, and cast member Bowen Yang
Welcome dear reader to SNL in Review: holiday edition. That’s right, our favorite late night network comedy is back with its annual holiday show… which means it should be special. The host and musical guest are primed for fun: Ariana Grande is back hosting for a third time. She’s always great. Very funny, talented… an excellent impressionist. And the musical guest is none other than Cher! Outside SNL50, this is her first time appearing as Saturday Night Live's musical guest since season 13! It’s an exciting lineup… I can’t think of a better fit to end 2025.
This week has been shocking, for many reasons. Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found murdered in their home – in addition to directing classic films like This is Spinal Tap, Reiner hosted SNL way back in season one. Also in that episode was future cast member Denny Dillon. Reiner introduced her alongside Mark Hampton in their comedy act “Talent Night in the Convent.” She tells us she recalls him as making “some suggestions” and just being “kind, friendly, relaxed and supportive” throughout the week. “It is heartbreaking.”
In other (wildly different but still surprising) news: Bowen Yang announced he is leaving the show! Denny Dillon says: “What a huge loss. Such a talent… he was so gracious to me and Gail Matthius at the 50th reunion, then mentioned us on the red carpet. We were both so charmed by him and his respect and generosity of spirit.”
Bowen Yang and Ariana Grande on 'Saturday Night Live' on Dec. 20, 2025
Yang’s departure announcement has become national news. In hindsight, it makes sense. He’s provided some continuity during a transition period for the cast, and now gets his own Cecily Strong-style send-off. It’s wild to think, but he quickly outgrew the show in a short amount of time. Good luck to him. We are officially in the Ashley Padilla era!?
Check back for live updates throughout the show!
Cold Open
“We love tree!” President Trump (James Austin Johnson) is giving a holiday message from the White House. He wants to ramble about his administration’s achievements. They have added his name to so many buildings, because they had to take it off so many Epstein documents. He name drops the Hunger Games, Jeopardy and Indigo Girls. “With regard to files, we’re being very transparent,” he claims.
This was a bit abbreviated. I am joined by former cast member Patrick Weathers tonight. He disagrees: “Too long. Too much Epstein, yesterday’s news.”
Monologue
Grande jokes about making unnecessary sequels – not the new Wicked (with Bowen!) but Meet the Parents 4. She sings a fun spoof of Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" about getting the people she barely knows gifts like her cousin’s boyfriend. Weathers says: “She, of course, has an incredible voice.”Bowen Yang comes out and the crowd erupts. They sing. A few other cast members join. Bowen sounds like Elton John (whom he's portrayed on the show before)!(Kind of clunky start to the show. Weathers quips: "Is this the Carol Burnett Show?" He also asks: “Montage is insane. How many cast members?”)
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
"Elf on the Shelf Support Group"
Funny voices discussing holiday trauma! This has high levels of silliness. Group leader Andrew Dismukes is talking through the daily issues of being an Elf on the Shelf this time of year. Everyone has goofy names like Twinkle Butter (Grande). Dismukes assures them it is okay to cry. Mikey Day’s elf Stickynummy lives in a frat house at Arizona State where he is placed in sexual, embarrassing positions. Jane Wickline watched an old man die in front of her, and was forced to smile the entire time.
They are forbidden to have naughty thoughts, leading to some unfortunate outcomes for several elves. Weathers liked this “as a concept. Should have centered support around body type, Elf body awareness.”
Home Alone ending
It’s actual, regular television. Are you okay? We join the final moments of a classic Christmas movie which is on constant syndication this time of year. Ashley Padilla is playing a pitch perfect Catherine O’Hara in Home Alone. Grande is Macaulay Culkin's Kevin. They reunite. This is spot on… as Padilla notes, she’s been awake a very long time, leading to a bloody hallucination. Weathers is a fan of this one! He says Padilla is so talented. I liked Bowen Yang as Kieran Culkin.
So much Colin Jost in actual sketches this season, it’s weirding me out.
"Choreographers"
“And that’s dance.” Oh boy, big showcase for Marcello Hernandez’s, um, range here. Loud! Not sure what is going on here, but it’s fun. The cast and host all seem to be having fun. Denniston (Yang) is great.
Random Duet special
Every year, a new generation finds the clip of David Bowie singing with Bing Crosby. So Peacock is doing that as an entire special. Bob Dylan (Johnson) sings with Katy Perry. In a bit of self-parody, Wickline plays herself opposite Kam Patterson’s Lil Jon.
This sketch is ripe for James Austin Johnson and Ariana Grande especially, right up their alley. “Yoko is his best,” says Patrick Weathers on Bowen Yang.
A few recent musical guests get spoofed, including Bad Bunny and Benson Boone! Patrick Weathers opines: “Too long. But they were good. A long time in hair makeup for a two second failed Dylan joke.” He should know, he once played Dylan on the show!
"Black Santa"
Lamont Brown (Kenan Thompson) is about to be sentenced in a courtroom for home robbery when he makes an unusual request: He wants to make a plea via Christmas song. He’s defending himself and begins channeling Cher’s “Believe.” Do you believe in Black Santa Claus?! Complete in full autotune. Patrick Weathers was afraid of this: "Now they're celebrating pitch correctors," he laments.
Lots of songs tonight!
Cher performs "DJ Play a Christmas Song"
"DJ Play a Christmas Song" was the lead single of Cher's 2023 album Christmas. Back in 1987, she performed "We All Sleep Alone" with Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band and G.E. Smith and "I Found Someone."
For the recent SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, she sang "If I Could Turn Back Time." It was great! Former cast member Melanie Hutsell shares: “Seeing Cher at the SNL 50th reunion this past February was no joke like having an out of body experience. I really wasn’t expecting that and she was beyond amazing.”
Fun performance tonight. Her first ever single, "Ringo, I Love You," was released in early 1964 and she's still at it! “Doesn’t get much better than that. Good timing for Bowen to go out with a bang,” says Denny DIllon.
Weekend Update
Colin Jost starts with Jeffrey Epstein jokes. Other topics: Susie Wiles’ Vanity Fair interview! Michael Che has a funny Michael Jackson-Clinton joke.
Che’s 12-year-old nephew Tyson (Kam Patterson) comes out to discuss what he wants for Christmas. Last year, he was so innocent and good - and did not get the bike he wanted. This year, he is not messing around. “Listen, bitch.” He will visit Santa like John Wick and get what he wants. Including Mrs. Claus. I liked this! Patrick Weathers calls it “tired” comparing it to Eddie Murphy’s Buckwheat.
Che’s nephew stops by the Update desk to share his Christmas wishlist pic.twitter.com/rjqEtF5YtG
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) December 21, 2025
Next: the Joke Swap tradition! Jost is surprised, he did not write any jokes for Che. This was okay — it's been better in the past, honestly. Even the ScarJo stuff feels played after last season.
2025 Christmas Joke Swap! pic.twitter.com/L2GDtgVhGj
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) December 21, 2025
Here’s a fun surprise: Aidy Bryant is back for Trend Forecasters with Bowen! Two fashionable people report data on which holiday trends are what's in and what's out. Fun to see them back, as I believe they last did this when Aidy was leaving. And now Bowen is!
Love Is Blind reunion show
Janelle (Grande) meets her soulmate through a wall… and it is the Grinch! Again played by Mikey Day – he played him just last week for the Variety Actors on Actors spoof. He does not like being called the Grinch; it’s Neil now. Grinch was a name given to him by Whoville, a town that terrorized him. At first, Janelle is repelled…. Especially once he discusses his sex organ situation. (Shoutout when Pete Davidson played the classic Seuss character.)
Cher performs “Run Rudolph Run”
Grande reprises her “Antonio” character from last season to introduce Cher’s “Run Rudolph Run” cover! Awesome on so many levels. Chuck Berry first recorded this back in 1958. “I love it. Chuck and Cher hard to beat. The beat goes on…” comments Patrick Weathers. Pure rock ‘n roll.
I asked Melanie Hutsell about a few of the sketches she appeared in that featured Cher impressions. She recalls: “Christina Applegate hosted SNL [and] when we did the read thru, not gonna lie, I was ever so slightly disappointed Christina got to play Cher in the Focus on Beauty sketch. Then, when I saw her impression, I was like ‘okay perfect’ - she was so good! And at the end of the day, Julia Sweeney and I had a blast being the ‘straight men’ to Christina’s awesome Cher impersonation and the insanity that was Chris Farley. For once, I managed to not break character because of Chris!”
She adds: “Another time, I thought I was maybe gonna get to play Cher in a Whitewater Song spoof we did, but nope, Sarah Silverman got to do it and she did great. I guess we all have a little Cher in us, as we should! Julia and I got to play the Judds which was a total blast.”
Sky Club
It’s the last shift for an elderly worker Ed (Yang) at a Delta Sky airport lounge. He is giving away free egg nog when his wife calls. Pure sentimental metaphor for Yang’s tenure at the show. Another song starts and Yang and Grande duet on “Please Come Home for Christmas.”
It's a very emotional moment. He says he will miss everyone here... including his boss. We see his boss– no, not Lorne Michaels, it’s Cher. Her first time in a sketch since showing up on "Update" back in 1992! History! She nods to his status on the show. Love it.
“He's had a Bob Hope quality about him all night. Seriously expected Thanks For The Memories,” says Weathers.
Final thoughts -
Thank you to Patrick Weathers for the live commentary! Check out his pre-recorded commentary on the Not Ready for Primetime podcast. It’s essential listening for deep cut fans.
Thank you to Denny Dillon! Her book of memoirs Two Tickets to Calamity will be going to publishers via her literary agent next month. So exciting.
Great to hear Melanie Hutsell’s Cher memories too. Happy Holidays everyone!
Nice title card for Rob Reiner before the goodnights. Weathers never knew him, but met Penny Marshall once.
Grande thanks Bowen in the goodnights! Farewell sir.
Whew, vote on tonight’s episode please! How would YOU rate it? See everyone in 2026.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
