Paul McCartney served as the musical guest for the season 51 finale of SNL, marking his fifth appearance on the legendary sketch show. The former Beatle treated the audience to a performance of “Days We Left Behind” from his upcoming album The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, alongside a rousing rendition of his 1973 Wings classic “Band On The Run.”

The musical performance was bolstered by a backing band that included Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who stepped in for Abe Laboriel Jr. The casting choice provided a perfect setup for the evening’s comedic beats, given Smith’s long-running resemblance to host Will Ferrell. During the monologue, Smith initially appeared on stage posing as the host, leading to a confrontation with the real Ferrell, who jokingly claimed, “He pushed me down backstage, and I fell hard!” The bit culminated in a surprise appearance by Paul McCartney, who joined the pair for a series of lighthearted jokes.

The finale was packed with high-profile cameos and sketches. The cold open featured Will Ferrell as the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein, joined by Aziz Ansari as FBI director Kash Patel. The duo, alongside James Austin Johnson’s portrayal of Donald Trump, performed a rendition of the Bill Withers hit “Just The Two Of Us.”

Further highlights included a cameo from Molly Shannon in a recurring sketch about high school musical casting, and a comedic turn by Paul McCartney as a British mechanic named Nigel. The episode concluded with a sharp Weekend Update segment from Michael Che, who poked fun at the upcoming World Cup Halftime Show lineup featuring Madonna, Shakira, and BTS.