Funny Night With a Ghost, a Rock Star and Paul McCartney

Will Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live as the host for the 51st‑season finale, while Paul McCartney took center stage with three musical performances. The episode opened with a prank in which Ferrell appeared as a “ghost” wearing prison garb, lampooning President Trump and weaving surreal visuals—including fake beer bongs and a Home Shopping Network cameo.

During his monologue, Ferrell pretended that Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was the real host. He then invited McCartney onto the stage, who humorously claimed his own hosting rights and listed classic hits such as “Let It Be” before joking about songs that weren’t actually his.

McCartney later joined a sketch with Ferrell in which he played a mechanic dispensing absurd advice about car parts.

Musically, McCartney kicked off with his new track “Days We Left Behind,” followed by the Wings classic “Band on the Run.” The finale capped with a surprise third song, “Coming Up” from his 1980 solo album.

The episode also featured the regular Weekend Update duo, Colin Jost and Michael Che, delivering fresh jokes that had never been shown before.

SNL will resume in the fall for season 52.