The Saturday Night Live team is wrapping up 2024 in style—or at least in a whirlwind of sketches, celebrity cameos, and moments that’ll have Twitter (sorry, X?) buzzing well into the new year. And who better to steer the ship than comedy legends Chris Rock and Martin Short?
ICYMI (because honestly, who’s keeping track of dates during holiday madness), SNL already spilled the tea on its December 7th host: Normal People heartthrob Paul Mescal, paired with musical guest Shaboozey. But the final two episodes of the year? Oh, they’ve turned up the star wattage to 11.
On December 14, Chris Rock—a man who has roasted everyone from Eddie Murphy to the Oscars—returns to the SNL stage for his fourth hosting gig. Accompanying him is musical guest Gracie Abrams, who’ll be making her SNL debut. (We assume she’s already Googling, “How not to laugh when the cast breaks character.”)
Fast forward to December 21, and it’s Martin Short’s turn to close out 2024. This marks his fifth go-round as host, proving once again that the man can juggle sketch comedy, physical comedy, and, let’s face it, just plain weird comedy. Sharing the stage is none other than Hozier, who last graced the SNL set in 2014. Expect him to belt out Take Me to Church like it’s 2014 all over again (but with more gray hairs in the audience).
And, oh, in case you’re wondering if this SNL stint is building up to something big—spoiler alert: it is. The show’s gearing up for its 50th anniversary (because apparently, the fountain of youth exists in sketch comedy). The milestone celebration airs in primetime on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Will there be classic sketches? Wild cameos? Lorne Michaels roasting the cast? Only time will tell.
Bottom line: December’s SNL episodes are shaping up to be the comedy equivalent of a New Year’s Eve party—you know, the kind where someone spills champagne, someone tells a story that’s way too long, and someone (Martin or Chris?) takes things hilariously over the top. Don’t miss it.
