Shane Gillis hosted Saturday Night Live on 11 October 2026, seven years after his dismissal from the program in 2019. His opening monologue drew immediate criticism 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 featured an on-air mistake, and Gillis later issued an apology. The Guardian reported the show extended what it called a run of underwhelming episodes for the season.