Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) premiered with its first episode featuring host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat on Oct. 4. Returning cast members, such as Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman and Marcello Hernandez, each made strong appearances during this premiere episode, promising a season full of laughter.
The premiere episode does not hold back as it begins with James Austin Johnson’s incredible impression of President Donald Trump, who interrupts Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s (Colin Jost) opening. Trump jokingly fires off a warning to the SNL cast stating, “And remember, daddy’s watching!,” an innuendo referencing Jimmy Kimmel’s recent cancellation.
The episode quickly shifts to Bad Bunny’s introduction. Bad Bunny discussed his recent residency in Puerto Rico, along with his upcoming Superbowl halftime performance announced on Sept. 28. The announcement received backlash online, with many complaining about the lack of English in Bad Bunny’s music.
In his introduction on SNL, Bad Bunny responds with a heartfelt message of gratitude to his fans in Spanish, explaining afterwards that “if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
Bad Bunny performs in various skits throughout the episode, one of which includes a performance alongside Hernandez as they introduce the all new AI guiding tool “ChatGPTío.” Hernandez and Bad Bunny act as your personal “Latino uncle” who can answer all of your questions and offer personal advice. The skit plays on the reliance many people today have on search engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI assistant.
“The first day of it feels like talking to a real Latino uncle. Because nobody keeps it more real than them” Fineman said.
“K-Pop Demon Hunters,” the Netflix film which received an outpouring of praise from the internet this summer, also made an appearance in the premiere. Thomas (Bad Bunny) in this skit, a superfan of the film, makes numerous references to the plot of the film along with its music. Thomas explained to his friends — who are very much confused by his obsession with the film — that in “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” “songs are not just songs, they are weapons” to fight demons.
One of the demons, Jinu (Yang) makes an appearance later in the skit. In order to fight the evil energy the demon brings, the cast of the girl group, HUNTR/X, featured in “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” gave viewers a short live performance, as they do in the film.
Kim Eun Jae (EJAE), Audrey Chu (Audrey Nuna) and Lee Sarah Yeeun (Rei Ami) excited fans of the film, hinting towards their first live performance of “Golden” later that week, in the same studio on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Musical guest Doja Cat performed twice during the premiere, promoting her new album “Vie,” which was released on Sept. 26. Doja presented two of her songs from the album, “Gorgeous” and “AAAHH MEN!,” showcasing her impact on pop culture and music throughout the 2020s. Her new album further attests to her talents as a rapper and performer, and her eccentric performance was fresh, authentic and charismatic — reminding audiences why she remains successful in the performance industry.
“Weekend Update” with anchors Jost and Michael Che returned to the new season, providing satirical commentary on pop culture and current world events. The ongoing government shutdown, the divorce between Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban and Zohran Mamdani’s campaign were just a few of the topics mentioned.
“Weekend Update” also included special guest Dobby the House Elf (Yang) providing commentary on the recent dispute between author J.K. Rowling and actress Emma Watson. In addition, stand-up comedian Kam Patterson made his debut appearance on SNL, adding even more comic relief alongside co-anchor Jost.
The premiere episode of “Saturday Night Live” season 51 instills hope for future episodes. SNL continues to prove to be with the times, producing much needed comic relief and commentary regarding world events. For decades, people have looked forward to SNL every weekend for laughter and relaxation. With ongoing political tensions, never-ending social media trends and a persistent celebrity culture, the American people need laughter now more than ever, and it seems clear that this season of SNL plans to deliver.
Sydney Easterday is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. She can be reached at seasterd@uci.edu.
Edited by Annabelle Aguirre.
