Amy Poehler Plays Pam Bondi on ‘SNL’s 50th Anniversary Episode with Tina Fey and Aubrey Plaza Cameos

Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary this weekend with a packed, nostalgia-fueled episode hosted by Amy Poehler, who returned to Studio 8H to portray Attorney General Pam Bondi in a fiery Senate hearing parody.

When one senator pressed her about how President Donald Trump could justify deploying National Guard troops against Americans, Poehler’s Bondi shot back with a smirk: “Before I don’t answer, I’d like to insult you personally.”

The sketch escalated quickly — as they do — when Tina Fey stormed in as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, toting an assault-style rifle and hawking a hilariously unhinged recruitment pitch for new ICE agents. “Do you need a job now?” she asked. “Do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station?” Fey sealed the bit with: “Then buckle up and slap on some Oakleys, big boy: Welcome to ICE.”

Poehler, who spent seven seasons on SNL before finding sitcom immortality with Parks and Recreation, took the stage for her third hosting gig with a mix of sentimentality and sharp-edged self-awareness.

“It’s always a dream come true to be here,” she said during her monologue, reminiscing about watching SNL as a kid in Burlington, Massachusetts. “I remember watching the show in the ’70s, sitting in my house… thinking: ‘I want to be an actress someday — at least until they invent an AI actress who’s funnier and willing to do full-frontal.’”

Her monologue balanced heart and hilarity, ending with a moment of gratitude — and a final jab at her hypothetical AI competitor. “If there’s a place that feels like home, that you can go back to and laugh with your friends, consider yourself lucky — and I do,” she said. Then, addressing “that little AI robot watching TV right now who wants to be on this stage someday,” Poehler beep-booped a message only SNL could translate: “You’ll never be able to write a joke, you stupid robot! And I am willing to do full-frontal, but nobody’s asked me, OK?”

The episode also featured Aubrey Plaza in a Netflix’s The Hunting Wives parody — cheekily described as “the straight but lesbian horny Republican murder drama.” Plaza played “a new new girl” trying to fit in with the gun-toting brunch crew, only for things to take a turn when she revealed she had a girlfriend. “Lesbian!” the women shouted before instantly pulling their guns.

Later, SNL stacked the Weekend Update desk with comedy royalty, as Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler joined current anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che for a quiz show–style throwdown that turned into a full-circle reunion moment.

Musical guest Role Model performed “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” joined by Charli XCX, while the show closed on a tender note, honoring Diane Keaton, who passed away earlier in the day at 79.

Next week, SNL continues its milestone season with Sabrina Carpenter pulling double duty as host and musical guest, following her new album Man’s Best Friend.