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 misogynistic. Critics at Variety and Vulture described the monologue as a bomb.

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