Martin Short serves as the host for an overloaded episode of 'SNL', featuring musician Hozier

Martin Short served as the host for a star-studded episode of Saturday Night Live, featuring musical guest Hozier.

Martin Short made a comeback to Saturday Night Live, joining the esteemed Five-Timers Club with musical guest Hozier. The festive episode was chock-full of cameos, breaking the record for the most in a single season already packed with such appearances.

Short was a cast member from 1984 to 1985 and served as co-host in December 1986, sharing the spotlight with Chevy Chase and Steve Martin. He returned for solo hosting duties in December 1996, December 2012, and most recently, December 2022. In addition, he has made 11 guest appearances in various roles, with the most recent being on Kristen Wiig's April 6, 2024 episode.

Short teamed up with Hozier for a second time as a musical guest. The Irish singer made his debut during Bill Hader's episode in 2012.

If there was a theme to the night, it would have been cameos and revived sketches. While this wasn't a bad thing, be prepared for numerous pauses for applause and recognizable premises.

Cold Open

The opening act this week was a celebratory cameo spectacle, a common occurrence when someone joins the Five-Timers Club. Short was joined by an impressive lineup of stars, including Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Scarlett Johansson, Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Stone, Paul Rudd, Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, and, of course, Alec Baldwin. This was a delight for dedicated SNL enthusiasts and boasted numerous hilarious moments.

Monologue

The monologue featured a musical number, a perfect fit for the holiday episode. A cornucopia of cameos, including Fallon and Lorne Michaels, added to the festive atmosphere. Short's performance of a comical tune about needing medication to cope with the holidays was uproarious and perfectly suited to the event.

Road Rage Dispute

This sketch focused on Short and Mikey Day engaging in a hand signal-based feud over a parking space. This served as a continuation of a 2023 sketch featuring Day and Quinta Brunson. The sketch did not explore new territory but was amusing due to Short's energetic performance and a brief cameo from McCarthy.

A Random Act of Kindness

It was in this pre-recorded sketch that Heidi Gardner encountered unexpected circumstances after offering aid to a homeless man during the holiday season. While the sketch's ending was humorous, it was criticized for its problematic premise, as it appeared overly reliant on a "punch-down" approach.

Christmas Airport Chaos

Another frequent cameo-filled sketch involved Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim as airline security officers and air traffic controllers at a bustling holiday airport. Among the recognizable faces joining in on the fun was Rudd and, notably, Tom Hanks as Captain Sully. Hanks skillfully stole the show, elevating it from another run-of-the-mill premise.

Weekend Update

Weekend Update delivered laughter with Yang's comedic portrayal of a New Jersey drone. The segment's highlight, however, was the annual joke exchange between Colin Jost and Michael Che, as they attempted to outshine each other by writing and delivering humorous, yet often scandalous, material for their counterparts to perform.

The joke swap usually yielded amusing and viral moments, and this year was no exception. Che's racially insensitive jokes and allusions to Jost's family, particularly his wife, Scarlett Johansson, who was in the studio, provided plenty of entertainment. Jost's revenge came in the form of delivering a questionable rape joke, although some viewers felt that its inclusion was ill-timed and seemed more gratuitous than genuinely humorous. Regardless, Che emerged victorious in their friendly competition.

Sábado Gigante Christmas Special

This cameo-laden sketch brought Marcello Hernández back as Don Francisco, the influential Univision host. A similar premise to an earlier episode, this version was unremarkable, though it still provided a few chuckles and guest appearances from Rudd and Dana Carvey. Conspicuously absent, unfortunately, was Short.

While the sketch did not innovate, devoted fans of the original Sábado Gigante sketch were still entertained, prompting thoughts of revisiting the original episode.

Hozier

Hozier showcased his charming rendition of "Too Sweet." Though beautiful, this performance paled in comparison to his second number, a cover of The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York." Hozier's version of this Somerville-penned, Shane MacGowan-written Irish folk ballad was tender and evoking. The performance was especially poignant following MacGowan's death in 2021.

Charlie Brown's Christmas Pageant

Charlie Brown's role as director of the Christmas pageant was usurped by two unsavory community theater actors, portrayed by Yang and Short. This light-hearted, visually amusing sketch featured adults performing like Peanuts characters, with Yang and Short delivering amusing, slightly snarky commentary.

This illustration is quite extreme. It showcases the Grinch accidentally taking out a few Whos. Yet, justice is served by Lucy Liu Who, dressed in her memorable Kill Bill Vol. 1 attire. It feels a bit unusual that this piece was excluded, considering its significant guest appearance. However, with an episode brimming with appearances, it could have been expected that one would get left out.

Despite no further celebrity confirmations for season 50, it's set to return in the upcoming year, as will this overview.

Martin Short and Lucy Liu both made notable appearances during the Saturday Night Live episode, adding to the star-studded cameo lineup. Liu made a memorable appearance in the illustration of Charlie Brown's Christmas Pageant, channeling her iconic Kill Bill Vol. 1 character.

Tina Fey and Paul Rudd also contributed to the lively monologue, adding to the festive atmosphere with their hilarious antics and performances. The annual joke swap between Colin Jost and Michael Che, featuring Che making racially insensitive jokes about Scarlett Johansson, was a crowd-pleasing highlight, as was Rudd's appearance in the Christmas Airport Chaos sketch, alongside Tom Hanks.

The episode closed with Hozier delivering a moving cover of "Fairytale of New York," paying tribute to the late Shane MacGowan. This emotional performance capped off a night filled with celebrity appearances and memorable sketches.