Ariana Grande made a triumphant return to Saturday Night Live, hosting the iconic sketch show for the third time and delivering one of the season’s most memorable episodes. The night was packed with big laughs, musical moments.
As expected, Grande did not leave the stage without singing. She wrapped up her opening monologue with a clever parody of Mariah Carey’s holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Instead of longing for romance, Grande hilariously lamented the universal holiday struggle of buying a gift for a near-stranger, singing lines like, “I don’t know what to get for Christmas / For my cousin’s boyfriend Steve,” and bluntly asking, “Is a gift card rude?”
Beyond the music, Grande showcased her comedic range across several sketches. In a darkly funny Home Alone parody, she stepped into the role of Kevin McCallister, finally reunited with his family, only to realize he forgot to deactivate his elaborate booby traps, with predictably chaotic results.
Another highlight was a spoof of Love Is Blind, where Grande’s character falls in love without seeing her partner, who turns out to be the actual Grinch. The reunion episode finds the unlikely couple attempting to make their relationship work while leaning fully into absurdity.
Grande also teamed up with cast member Marcello Hernández in “Dancing 101,” playing eccentric dance instructors whose questionable views on vaccination added an extra layer of satire.
