Saturday Night Live honoured film director Rob Reiner, one of its earliest hosts, during Saturday's episode. Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their home last Sunday, and their son Nick has been charged with their murders.
The tribute came in the form of a card featuring an image of Reiner from his time on the show, displayed before the goodnight segments. Reiner hosted the third-ever episode of SNL on October 25, 1975, and was the first host to participate in sketches. That episode featured cast members including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner, with no musical guest.
Nick Reiner was arrested hours after the bodies were discovered and has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
The episode also marked the departure of cast member Bowen Yang, who joined SNL as a writer in 2018 and was promoted to the cast in 2019. In his final sketch, Yang played a Delta One Lounge employee working his last shift, fighting back tears as he sang a duet with host Ariana Grande.
SNL will return with new episodes on January 17, hosted by Finn Wolfhard with musical guest A$AP Rocky.
