Saturday Night Live kicked off its 52nd season with New York Knicks superstar and NBA champion Jalen Brunson as host and pop sensations KATSEYE as musical guest. While Knicks fans on staff assured me Brunson had the comedic chops to hold his own at Studio 8H, I’m sure I wasn’t the only SNL fan wondering whether he could carry an entire live broadcast, let alone a season premiere. By episode’s end, those doubts felt mostly justified.
Brunson seemed game for whatever the show threw at him, but SNL’s writing staff leaned far too heavily on sports-themed sketches that rarely landed and quickly became repetitive.
The musical side of the episode fared even worse: KATSEYE’s two performances were bogged down by what appeared to be obvious lip-syncing and unimaginative choreography.
Instead, the episode’s few bright spots came from its cast. Ashley Padilla once again proved why she’s SNL’s most valuable player, while newcomer Grace Reiter made an immediate and confident debut. Also, Jeremy Culhane returned as Tucker Carlson to review some of the summer’s biggest blockbusters.
There weren’t many, but check out the highlights from SNL’s Season 52 premiere below.
Men’s Support Group
A group of men commiserate over their partners attending the Usher/Chris Brown tour: “All I’m saying is this kind of stuff doesn’t happen at the Noah Kahan concert.”
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High School Musical
In a sketch themed after Disney Channel’s High School Musical, Brunson dominates a group of singing basketball players.
Dream Academy Season Two
The sketch’s obvious intention was to feature KATSEYE, but in the long run it may be remembered more for the scene-stealing debut of new cast member Grace Reiter.
Airport Massage Chairs
Mikey Day’s standout moment of the episode saw him fully commit to the bit, faking an orgasm in an airport massage chair while Brunson did his best not to laugh.
Jeremy Culhane (as Tucker Carlson) Reviews the Summer Blockbusters
Tucker Carlson is back at the Update desk to chat this summer’s blockbuster hits pic.twitter.com/TimHhJ3SAp
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) September 27, 2026
