Sabrina Carpenter Proves She’s ‘SNL’s’ Best Friend

Host and musical guest Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernández during Promos on Thusday, October 16, 2025

Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty Images

Sabrina Carpenter pulled double duty as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. The episode felt like it had been a long time coming.

The singer appeared as a musical guest in 2024, cameoed on the show in 2025 and performed during the 50th anniversary special. The episode was her first time hosting. However, she seemed right at home despite the difficult double-duty task. At points in the show she felt more like a seasoned cast member than a first time host/pop star.

Cold Open

There was no political Cold Open this week, which felt like the first in a very long time. Instead, they revived the “Domingo” sketch. The original Domingo sketch (actually called ‘Bridesmaids’) aired on October 13, 2024, and became a viral hit. In the past year, it has been revived multiple times, and it might be time to retire or at least reinvent it. In this iteration, a set of friends sing about their trip to Nashville to Matt and Kelsey for Matt’s birthday.

The sketch has a few things going against it. First, it felt a bit like just another sketch. This week saw a governmental shutdown and, in New York, a mayoral debate. There was fertile political ground for a Cold Open, and likely this wasn’t what audiences were expecting. This is also the first version of ‘Domingo’ without Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, who were always pitch-perfect in their roles. Finally, the group parodies Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’ and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary.” While they are all popular songs, they don’t feel as ubiquitous as past choices. Overall, this was a bit of a miss.

Monologue

This monologue felt unfortunately short. A delay for a college football game may have eaten into plans, or maybe the busy singer was trying to keep it short and sweet. Either way, it is a cute monologue with classic audience interactions and a discussion of her controversial “Man’s Best Friend” album cover.

Boys Podcast

This sketch starts as a podcast where young boys discuss their Halloween candy preferences. However, there is a twist. They have a special guest on to talk about Ukraine and George Santos (Spoiler: it is James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump.) Without the twist, this would have been a cute enough sketch, but it becomes something more: a timely satire of men’s podcast culture and the politics that often exploit it.

Plans

This horror movie trailer is all about the scariest thing for a late 20-something in a relationship: plans. It is funny, and Ben Marshall and Carpenter really pull off the couple that doesn’t want to take a cousin to dinner.

Shop TV: Pillow

Shop TV is actually a recurring sketch. The premise has Mikey Day horrified by a sexually suggestive object being sold on a QVC-style program. The premise isn’t hugely memorable. This iteration has Carpenter trying to sell a vaginal-looking neck pillow. These are always full of double entendre. The sketch isn’t a standout, but it makes sense to bring back for Carpenters brand. However, hopefully, this one gets retired for at least a while after this one.

Girl Boss Seminar

Two attendees of the “Girl Boss Female Confidence Seminar” are treated to platitudes and dance moves from Queen Lisha, the speaker. This sketch shouldn’t be as funny as it is, and a lot of that has to do with Carpenter’s central performance. While she has been great in other sketches earlier in the night, this is the first time her comedy chops feel fully front and center. She carries this sketch with an impressive ease.

Grind Song

In this original pre-taped song, middle schoolers get ready to do one thing at the school dance: Grind. This will feel nostalgic for the millennial set. It is also lovely to see Carpenter star in a sketch with Bowen Yang, who seemed to be out of the studio this week. It is fun and catchy. While it might not be the strongest of the pre-tapped sketches this week, it is still very much worth watching.

Sabrina Carpenter Performs

Carpenter performed two songs from her latest album, Man’s Best Friend: ‘Manchild’ and ‘Nobody’s Son.” Both performances are great, but if you are going to watch one, make it ‘Manchild.’ In the performance, Carpenter appears in a bedroom to sing her heart out. It feels nostalgic and is elevated by the lighting cues and synchronized moves.

Weekend Update

There is a lot to like about this week’s Weekend Update. It starts with solid jokes about George Santos, the Young Republican group chat, and Austin Powers. It also features the return of Marcello Hernández’s movie guy character and a stand-up style appearance from newcomer Tommy Brennan. However, one bit was cut for time, which was unfortunately better than all of the rest: Johnson as Biohacker Chuck Spyro.

It is a shame this was cut for time because it is one of the funniest bits on Update in recent memory. It is an excellent reminder that Johnson isn’t just Trump. Hopefully, he can showcase more characters this season. Chuck Spyro is really a must-watch.

Appliance Store

As Andrew Dismukes says in this sketch, “The songs are dynamite, and I’m attracted to the machines!” When a couple goes to shop for a new washer-dryer, they consider buying a set of machines that sing songs when the laundry is done. This sketch has a lot of funny lines, and the songs are fun. It might not be a standout of the night, but it’s a solid addition. It is also a good showcase of what newcomer Veronika Slowikowska can do.

Surprise

Coworkers try to do a nice surprise for Ashley Padilla’s birthday; however, the surprise triggers her gut. Padilla really shines and Carpenter blends into the cast seamlessly.

In the end, this is a sketch full of fart jokes, but there is much more going on. It feels less like an SNL sketch and more like an I Think You Should Leave sketch (especially in how Padilla delivers some lines.) That isn’t a bad thing, but Tim Robinson might deserve an apology if they keep running sketches like this.

Social Experiment

This pre-tapped sketch from Please Don’t Destroy alum turned writer Martin Herlihy is the funniest sketch of the night. In it, Herlihy hosts a social experiment to see if people will judge others by the color of their skin (that color? Green because in a great twist, everyone is dressed as Frankenstein’s Monster). This sketch goes in so many weird and wonderful directions, but really works. It also features an excellent performance by Kam Patterson. It is fantastic that they are giving the new cast a chance to shine this episode.

SNL returns November 1, 2025, with host Miles Teller and musical guest Brandi Carlile.