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 December 17, 2022
 Season 48 episode
Austin 48
Lizzo 48
 Episode 939
 Season Episode 9
 Host Austin Butler
 Musical Guest(s) Lizzo
 Song(s) performed by
 Musical Guest(s)
"Break Up Twice"
"Someday at Christmas"
Previous Episode
December 10, 2022
Next Episode
January 21, 2023

The 939th episode and 9th episode of Saturday Night Live's 48th season premiered on December 17, 2022. It was hosted by actor Austin Butler, star of the hit films Elvis and The Bikeriders, with musical guest Lizzo. Austin Butler is the 18th first-time host in SNL history to host the Christmas show during their debut. This is also the 3rd musical guest appearance on SNL for Lizzo.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a rock band, were originally booked as this episode’s musical guest but had to cancel the week prior due to guitarist Nick Zinner’s hospitalization for pneumonia.

This is Cecily Strong's 212th credited episode of Saturday Night Live, making her the show's longest-running female cast member in the show's history, passing the record held by her former castmate Kate McKinnon (who did 211 episodes).

This is also marked the final episode for Strong (a cast member since 2012). She departed the show mid-season following this episode, after being on the show for 10½ years. This makes her the first cast member to leave mid-season since Seth Meyers in 2014 and the first female cast member to leave mid-season since Amy Poehler in 2008.

The goodnights speech for Austin Butler is "Thank You So Much Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank You to All of the Amazing Cast Members Who Welcome Me So Warmly, You Guys Are All Amazing, I Um..., I'm So Grateful to Be Here, Thank You Lizzo, (Cheers and applause), Thank You (He hugged her), Cecily, I'm Just So Glad I Got to Be Here with You (for a goodbye hug), Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays". (Long Cheers and applause again).

Cast[]

Repertory Players[]

Featured Players[]

Sketches and Music Performances[]

 Cold Open   Sketch   Pre-recorded   Weekend Update   Music Performance   Other 

Title Image Summary
Trump NFT Cold Opening   Former President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) talks about his recent NFT sales amongst other topics. Includes appearances by Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day) and his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle (Cecily Strong).
Opening Montage   Cecily Strong's final time being credited as an SNL cast member. Also, the musical guests/hosts introductions clips of the opening montage were changed to two again, only for this episode (two for musical guest Lizzo and host Austin Butler).
Monologue by Austin Butler   Hosting for the first time, actor Austin Butler talks how his voice has always sounded like it has (since people say he actually sounds like Elvis), and about the tribute to his deceased mother, who he says would be proud that he is hosting SNL.
The Phrase That Pays   Three game show contestants (Austin Butler, Punkie Johnson, and Heidi Gardner) compete while Butler's character magically knows all the answers. James Austin Johnson plays the game show host Dan Smatter.
A Christmas Epiphany   A man named Rich (Austin Butler) is seen by a family (Heidi Gardner, Andrew Dismukes, Sarah Sherman, and Marcello Hernandez). With Mikey Day as Jimbo the angel and Chloe Fineman as Denise. A spoof of the classic holiday film "It's a Wonderful Life".
Marzipan   An advertisement reveals the real sweet treat children (Austin Butler, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, Sarah Sherman, and Bowen Yang) yearn for during the holidays. With Kenan Thompson as the spokesperson and Michael Longfellow as the chef.
Jewish Elvis   Jewish Elvis (Sarah Sherman); with elderly citizens (Austin Butler, Cecily Strong, Ego Nwodim), and one of their grandchildren (Chloe Fineman) watching. With Bowen Yang as Burt.
Lizzo performs "Break Up Twice"   During her first performance, Lizzo honored late artist Annie Lee's painting, Blue Monday, by appearing in a white dress in front of a blue background.
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Marjorie Taylor Greene complaining that people can buy sex toys at Target and a humpback whale traveling 3,000 miles with a broken spine. With guests, Krampus (Bowen Yang), a mythological demon that kidnaps bad children, Colin's Great Aunt Pat (Heidi Gardner), and Mikey Day is her butler, and Cathy Anne (Cecily Strong), which was a sendoff to Strong, as there were references to her former castmates Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon, she then slightly breaks character and delivers a goodbye message to the audience, as well as when Cecily and Colin started Weekend Update together. She then sings a quick parody of "My Way" (likely a reference to the fact that she did that a year-and-a-half earlier and was assumed to be leaving then) and she finally light a cigarette.
White Elephant Gift Exchange   Things don't go as expected during a white elephant gift exchange at a holiday party. With Austin Butler, Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Andrew Dismukes, Ego Nwodim, Devon Walker, and Mikey Day (who plays Santa Claus).
Jennifer Coolidge Is Impressed by Christmas Stuff   Jennifer Coolidge (Chloe Fineman) talks about Christmas. With Michael Longfellow as the pianist and Punkie Johnson as the bartender.
Lizzo covers Stevie Wonder's song "Someday at Christmas"
Please Don't Destroy Film - Plirts   The boys create a shirt made of plastic, pitching the idea to first-time host Austin Butler. New cast members Devon Walker and Marcello Hernandez join in on the fun, as so does musical guest Lizzo.
Blue Christmas   Sung by Austin Butler and several members of the cast (Kenan Thompson, Colin Jost, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker) in tribute to the departing longtime cast member Cecily Strong. Final SNL sketch appearance of Cecily Strong as a cast member.
Goodbyes and Closing Credits   Austin Butler thanked the amazing cast members who welcome him so warmly and they were all amazing, he's so grateful to be here, as well as musical guest Lizzo. Butler also mentions Cecily, since this is her final SNL show, and he wishes everyone "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays". Also, the cast and everyone say goodbye to her and they all give her a goodbye hug.

Cut for Time[]

Cut for Time[]

 Cold Open   Sketch   Pre-recorded   Weekend Update   Music Performance   Other 

Title Image Summary
Fusion Scientist   In this Cut for Time skit, a family (James Austin Johnson, Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Sarah Sherman) gushes over their son (Austin Butler) after he helped with a huge scientific breakthrough, while the brother (Marcello Hernandez) gets a little jealous of him.

Trivia[]

  • This marked the final SNL episode of 2022.
  • During her first performance, Lizzo honored late artist Annie Lee's painting, Blue Monday, by appearing in a white dress in front of a blue background.


Trivia/Notes[]

  • This is the 11th and final appearance of Cathy Ann.
  • Lizzo joins the lists the famous group of SNL musical guests who have headlined twice in a single calendar year.
Preceded by:
December 10, 2022
Saturday Night Live episode Followed by:
January 21, 2023
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