Shane Gillis hosts SNL for the third time, and the night’s biggest standout turned out to be a new face in the cast. Spanish singer Rosalía was the musical guest for the third episode of Season 52, which aired live on NBC and Peacock Saturday.
Gillis opened with a stand-up monologue about his Bud Light commercials and his workouts with friends Joe Rogan and Theo Von. The comedian’s trademark everyman humor carried most of the night, according to Deadline’s review, though the outlet noted the episode produced no clear water-cooler moments.
How the Shane Gillis hosts SNL episode played out
The sketches leaned on familiar Gillis territory. He played the host of a cop talk show who arrests his own guests, the father of a bride in a country music video, and a defensive son in a Green Eggs and Ham parody opposite Mikey Day’s Cat in the Hat. A heating and air-conditioning commercial and a History Channel spoof about the invention of the sneaker rounded out the lineup.
Newcomer Grace Reiter made the strongest impression. She played a bratty child in a Weekend Update segment alongside Ashley Padilla, then appeared in two sketches with Gillis, including a closing scene set at a kids’ chess tournament. Deadline called her a bright spot in an otherwise dull episode.
The show also featured a cameo from Ben Marshall as Jelly Roll, with Marcello Hernandez as Jesus and Rosalía joining a sketch as a flirtatious divorcee. Pre-show coverage from NBC and USA Today had flagged Gillis’s return and Rosalía’s slot as musical guest.
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock.
