Kate McKinnon REUNITES with Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph while Billie Eilish delivers powerhouse performance on this week's Saturday Night Live

Kate McKinnon made her return to Saturday Night Live during the long-running sketch comedy show's newest episode.

The 39-year-old comedian, who was a member of the program's cast from 2012 until 2022, returned to host the new installment of its 49th and current season.

The actress, who recently dressed up as Macaulay Culkin, was welcomed back to the stage by an extended period of applause, and  she began her opening monologue by dejectedly stating: 'I used to work here. I'm back at my own job.' 

McKinnon then updated her fans on her post-SNL life, stating: 'Ever since I left this job because my skin was reacting poorly to the prosthetics, I've been trying to assemble a human personality.'

She then quipped that she had been 'extremely busy injecting my cat with subcutaneous renal support fluids' over the past few years.

The performer went on to speak about working on Barbie, in which she portrayed Crazy Barbie, and recalled that 'I walked in on the first day and they were like "you're perfect" and I was like, "these are my clothes."'

McKinnon then launched into a rendition of I'll Be Home For Christmas, she stated that the 'best part of being back here is running into old friends' after which she was joined by her former castmates Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig.

Wiig then boasted that, in her post-SNL life, she had 'won twelve Grammy Awards and dating Travis Kelce,' while Rudolph claimed to have won 'twenty-nine Grammys and I'm married to Jay-Z,' after which the host concluded her monologue. 

The first sketch was in the form of a broadcast from the North Pole News Network, and Poppy Tinselbottom announced that an emergency situation had erupted at Santa's home.

A reporter then revealed that 'killer whales broke through the ice behind me and began eating elves' before McKinnon, playing a fisherwoman said she saw all of the 'carnage' firsthand before vomiting what appeared to be Skittles.

The reporter then stated that, although the Easter Bunny sent his condolences on social media, 'the anti-Christmas troll The Grinch' posted a message reading: 'Waiting for the death toll like.'

Poofy Sillybottom, Santa's press secretary, then made a statement to announce that  'Santa and Mrs. Clause have been moved to a secure, adorable facility' and reads a message from Rudolph, whose nose has become a 'dim orange.' 

The fisherwoman then pulled out a speargun and claimed that 'after I'm done with the orcas, I'm going for the biggest whale of all: Kris Kringle,' before the killer whales broke past the ice and cut off the transmission.

Another sketch centered on a fictional Christmas CD from Abba, whom a salesperson described as 'the Fleetwood Mac of cold weather, and they're the number one band alphabetically of all time.'

Abba, made up of Bowen Yang, McKinnon, Rudolph and Wiig went on to sing an oddly suggestive song about Santa being seventeen years old.

The group then sang a version of Away In A Manger, where they told baby Jesus to 'shake a tambourine because you're seventeen.'

The salesperson then clarified that 'the characters are mostly on the dance floor and they're all seventeen.'

Abba went on to perform a track centered on a 'super depressed' snowwoman named Frostitita, and Rudolph and Wiig stood out while singing in visibly uncomfortable positions.

The salesperson continued: 'It's Abba Christmas, featuring fifteen brand new Christmas classics as well as eighty-five holiday remakes of their existing songs, including their falala number, sung in their signature standing close facing different directions.'

However, he stated that the group had to translate their songs from Swedish to English, and they then started singing about barbecuing kangaroo for Christmas.

The sketch concluded with the salesperson stating that the CD was 'perfect for everyone from mothers to their gay sons.'

Another segment took place during an office Christmas party, during which several coworkers took part in a white elephant gift exchange.

One of the workers selected a gift and pulled out the Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus, a dancing and saxophone-playing figurine.

McKinnon's character then emotionally told her coworker Winston, played by Kenan Thompson, that he would receive a new and FDA-approved cure for sickle-cell anemia 

Although the two huged it out, Winston's character promptly switched the cure for the Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus, much to everyone's surprise.

When McKinnon's character suggested that her other coworker could use the cure, he replied: 'Doubt it, my whole family's white.' 

Another worker pulled out a tortilla blanket and subsequently revealed her mother had sickle-cell anemia during an emotional speech.

After she says she wanted something to 'make her smile,' she excitedly takes the Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus and passed her blanket to Winston.

Although the workers debate giving the sickle-cell cure back to Thompson's character, he adorably stated: 'Look at me, I'm a little burrito.'

Billie Eilish was then introduced and began playing a rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

The Grammy Award-winning performer donned a white button-up shirt underneath a bright red cardigan sweater, which paired well with the highlights in her hair.

The Bad Guy singer later returned to play her hit track What Was I Made For?, during which she was accompanied by her brother and longtime collaborator, Finneas.

The episode concluded with McKinnon bidding the audience a good night, after which she affectionately embraced her former castmates.