Saturday Night Live returned for its 52nd season on September 26, 2026, with NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson making his hosting debut and global girl group KATSEYE as the musical guest. The premiere delivered a politically charged cold open, a sports-heavy monologue featuring Brunson’s Knicks teammates, and two performances from KATSEYE. New cast members Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter also joined the show, while Chloe Fineman departed after seven seasons.
Jalen Brunson Opens With Knicks and Stephen A. Smith
Brunson opened his monologue by joking that he would approach hosting the same way he approached the NBA Finals. “The first three quarters of the show are going to be god awful,” he said. “The last sketch is going to be amazing.” The line referenced the Knicks’ tendency to trail early before mounting late comebacks during their championship run.
He also addressed his summer, which included leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973. “This summer, I helped the Knicks win the NBA championship,” Brunson said. “By now, you’ve all heard me talk about it, but you haven’t heard me sing about it. And obviously I’m not going to.”
Brunson then brought out Kenan Thompson as ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, a well-known Knicks fan who had questioned Brunson’s abilities in the past. “I would say the most satisfying part of winning the title is thinking about all the people who doubted me along the way,” Brunson said. “And tonight I finally get some closure. I invited one of my biggest doubters out here to apologize to my face.”
Thompson’s Smith admitted he was wrong. “I am man enough to admit that I was wrong when the New York Knickerbockers signed you and I did not think that you were the answer,” he said. “Nor did I believe that you could deliver the team’s first championship since 1973, when I was only 5 years old.” Brunson then asked, “Sorry Stephen, how long’s this gonna go?” Thompson replied, “About another seven minutes.” Brunson pushed him off stage.
The monologue’s highlight came when Brunson took questions from his Knicks teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart in the audience. Towns asked if a player could foul out of SNL. Bridges asked about his wingspan. Anunoby reminded Brunson of a missed shot in Game 4 that Anunoby tipped in. Hart asked about the $113 million Brunson left on the table when signing with the Knicks. Brunson then brought all four teammates on stage for a final ovation.
Trump and Mamdani Cold Open
The cold open spoofed the unlikely friendship between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Ramy Youssef returned as Mamdani, filming a storm warning video at Gracie Mansion during a nor’easter. James Austin Johnson appeared as Trump, telling Mamdani, “For some reason that no one can figure out, I really, really like you.”
Trump referenced his week, including banning reporters from three major news outlets, meeting with China’s President Xi, and his hair color change. “And yeah, I went brunet. It’s fall!” he said. The sketch also included a joke about Trump’s AI consultations, with Johnson’s Trump saying, “It made me think, wow, RFK Jr’s probably right about those vaccines.”
Ashley Padilla made her debut as White House aide Natalie Harp, portrayed as unstable and infatuated with Trump. Trump described her as “like the girl from ‘Obsession,’ but blonde.” Harp warned Mamdani, “If you hurt him, I will end you.” The sketch ended with Trump agreeing to give $21 billion for a Queens housing project in exchange for following Mamdani on Instagram.
Sketches Include High School Musical and Dream Academy
The episode featured several pre-taped and live sketches. In “High School Musical: The New Generation,” Brunson played a new student at North High School who joins the basketball team and repeatedly blocks and dunks on Jeremy Culhane’s character Jake, the Troy Bolton stand-in. Brunson also steals Jake’s love interest, played by Veronika Slowikowska.
“Dream Academy: Season 2” parodied the reality competition that formed KATSEYE. The sketch introduced new cast members Saidah Belo-Osagie as Neelsa Boyce and Grace Reiter as Margle, an eccentric contestant who thought Dream Academy was a show about controlling dreams. The sketch culminated with KATSEYE performing “Newton’s Cradle” alongside the new contestants.
Other sketches included “Chris Brown and Usher Support Group,” where Brunson played a man whose wife was “grinded on” at the singers’ tour. In a “Shark Tank” parody, Brunson appeared as judge Daymond John, asking if the “Respectacles” invention “works for ass.” The final sketch, “Layover,” featured Mikey Day and Brunson as passengers using airport massage chairs.
Katseye Makes SNL Debut
KATSEYE performed two songs from their EP Wild: “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti.” Four of the group’s six members performed, as Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza are currently on hiatus. The group formed through Dream Academy, a joint venture between HYBE and Geffen Records. Their EP Wild debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August 2026, and “Animal” was co-written by Ed Sheeran.
Reviews of the performance were mixed. Consequence wrote that KATSEYE’s performances were “bogged down by what appeared to be obvious lip-syncing and unimaginative choreography.” Billboard noted the appearance marked another mainstream U.S. television milestone for the group, following performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the Today summer concert series.
You May Also Like:
New Cast and What Comes Next
Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter joined the cast as featured players for Season 52. Chloe Fineman exited in July after seven seasons and has landed a role in “Myron Bolitar,” a Netflix drama series based on Harlan Coben’s novels. Writer-performer Martin Herlihy also departed.
SNL continues with three back-to-back episodes. Dakota Johnson hosts on October 3 with musical guest Turnstile. Shane Gillis hosts on October 10 with Rosalía. The show returns on October 31 for a Halloween episode hosted by Inde Navarrette with musical guest Gracie Abrams.
Also Read: SNL Loses Another Please Don’t Destroy Member as Martin Herlihy Exits After 5 Seasons
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on Saturday Night Live and your favorite entertainment news.
Leave a Reply