The real-life raccoon that got wasted in a Virginia liquor store got more time in the spotlight via Sherman’s portrayal.

Saturday Night Live alum Adam Sandler recalled his bittersweet departure from the Lorne Michaels-helmed show, saying he couldn’t watch the late-night institution for a year after he left. “When I left the show, the first year I couldn’t watch it,” he told Timothée Chalamet in front of a crowd of fans at a recent Vanity …

Sarah Sherman dressed up as the viral drunk raccoon who broke into a Virginia liquor store in a “Saturday Night Live” skit. “Here to explain their actions is that drunk raccoon,” comedian Colin Jost said during the “Weekend Update” segment.

Colin Jost impersonated the defense secretary in a Pentagon press conference about the U.S. military strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats.

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From a drunk raccoon to "Cousin Planet" and more, there was a whole lot to like about SNL's return this weekend. Here's a look at what worked.

After a two-week hiatus and a Thanksgiving celebration, Saturday Night Live finally returned in the first week of December with a bang. The cold open .

The cold open then pivoted, as they almost always do, to Donald Trump. The president was shown sleeping side-stage, mumbling sweet nothings to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. He defended Hegseth’s recent comments about the “fog of war,” saying he would stick by his Cabinet official “unless, of course, it could hurt me in any way.”

As for the rest of the season, SNL has two more episodes left in 2025. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery star Josh O’Connor will host on December 13 with Lily Allen as musical guest. The year wraps on December 20 when Ariana Grande hosts and Cher returns to the show for the first time since 1987.

Back after a Thanksgiving break, SNL scored tonight with the literal bombs being dropped by Trump & Secretary of War Hegseth

And in a broadly holiday-themed episode, SNL kicked off in a familiar place: a news conference with a member of the Trump administration. “Weekend Update” co-host Colin Jost played Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as if he were headlining a metal show,