Shane Gillis hosted Saturday Night Live on 11 October 2026, seven years after getting let go from the cast in 2019. His opening monologue sparked quick backlash from viewers who called jokes about women offensive and sexist. 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 noted the episode continued what it called a disappointing stretch of shows for the season.