Shane Gillis hosted Saturday Night Live on 11 October 2026, seven years after getting let go from the cast in 2019. His opening monologue prompted sharp reactions from viewers who called jokes about women demeaning toward women. Critics at Variety and Vulture said the monologue fell flat.

A Dr. Seuss-inspired sketch during the episode contained an unscripted broadcast error, and Gillis later said sorry for the slip. The Guardian noted the episode continued what it called a run of underwhelming episodes for the season.