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Saturday Night Live returned with its May 10, 2025 episode, featuring a surprise appearance by former cast member Cecily Strong. In the cold open, Strong reprised her role as Jeanine Pirro, joining James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump and Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth for a politically themed sketch.
The episode was hosted by Walton Goggins, making his SNL hosting debut, with musical guest Arcade Fire. The cold open began with a Mother's Day message, which was quickly interrupted by Johnson’s Trump character announcing Jeanine Pirro as the acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.
This set the tone for a parody centered on Trump’s media-driven administration and its connections to Fox News. Strong’s over-the-top portrayal of Pirro delivered exaggerated commentary, including a line about joining a team “full of Russian assets, booze hounds, and people famous for the little baby animals they’ve killed.”
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The sketch continued with Colin Jost entering as Pete Hegseth, adding further comedic chaos and a running joke about his drinking habits. The episode also touched on recent headlines, including the election of the new pope and ongoing references to Trump’s campaign.
Strong’s return sets the tone for political parody in Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong’s reappearance as Jeanine Pirro brought a familiar energy back to the Saturday Night Live stage. Her character was introduced after Johnson’s Trump announced, “Jeanine will be the newest addition to my incredible team in my administration.” Strong’s Pirro jumped in with her usual flair:
“I’m so proud to be part of this group full of Russian assets, booze hounds and people famous for the little baby animals they’ve killed.”
The sketch mocked the media-centric nature of Trump’s administration, with Trump stating, “She’s on The Five, which is a show on Fox, kind of like The View,” to which Pirro responded, “I’m the Whoopi!” Later in the segment, she added:
“I don’t have any reservations about sending things back. My friends know I’ve sent back every salad I’ve ever ordered at a restaurant.”
Colin Jost then entered as Pete Hegseth, Pirro’s “old drinking buddy.” His character delivered a wine-related gag when Strong’s Pirro did a spit-take directly onto him. The sketch ended with jokes about Hegseth’s drinking and a mishap involving a group chat with Kim Jong Un, maintaining the show’s tradition of using parody to reflect current events.
Walton Goggins’ Saturday Night Live monologue includes heartfelt tribute to his mother
Following the cold open, first-time host Walton Goggins took the stage for his monologue on Saturday Night Live. The White Lotus and Fallout star reflected on his newfound status as a s*x symbol at 53, joking about online headlines, including one that called him a “greasy, depressing little man whom no one saw coming.”
“The part of that headline that offends me the most is the word ‘whom.’ It just sounds pretentious,” he said.
Transitioning to a more emotional tone, Goggins introduced his mother in the audience and spoke about her influence on his life.
“We’ve come a really long way, haven’t we, mom?” he shared.
She responded with a proud “Absolutely,” prompting Goggins to invite her onstage for a Mother’s Day dance. Their slow dance closed out the monologue, adding a heartfelt moment to the episode. This personal tribute contrasted with the satirical sketches and offered a softer highlight in the episode.
Goggins and Arcade Fire are among the final guest lineups for Saturday Night Live’s 50th season, with Scarlett Johansson and Bad Bunny set to close the season next Saturday as host and musical guest, respectively.
Saturday Night Live episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
