‘SNL’ recap: Best moments from Ariana Grande hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’

"SNL" returned for the third episode of its 50th season on Oct. 12 with host Ariana Grande and musical guest Stevie Nicks.

“SNL” returned to the air for the third episode of its 50th season on Oct. 12 with perfect harmony, tapping singer Ariana Grande as host and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Steve Nicks performing a pair of songs as musical guest.

Grande, best known for her career as a pop star, is starring in the upcoming film adaptation of “Wicked,” which hits theaters November 22.

But “Wicked” is hardly Grande’s first crossover into Hollywood: Before breaking through with her debut album “Yours Truly” in 2013, she spent years as a child actor on Nickelodeon and made her Broadway debut at age 15 in 2008 in the musical “13.”

Given her resume, it was no surprise that Grande (a self-described “theater kid”) used the lion’s share of her opening monologue to perform a jaunty little number about how she’s not going to sing — a classic “SNL” gambit for the musically inclined hosts.

Just like the Season 50 premiere, as well as last week’s episode hosted by Nate Bergatze, this week’s cold open featured guest appearances from a quartet of comedians.

Maya Rudolph reprised her role as Vice President Kamala Harris, Andy Samberg played Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Dana Carvey played President Joe Biden, and Jim Gaffigan played Tim Walz, as the group faced off against Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), Donald Trump Jr. (Mikey Day) and JD Vance (Bowen Yang) in a game of “Family Feud.”

Check out the videos below to see highlights from the return of “SNL,” including the Steve Harvey-hosted cold open, Stevie Nicks putting her heart into “Edge of Seventeen,” and all of the guests visiting Colin Jost and Michael Che at the “Weekend Update” desk.

“Saturday Night Live” Cold Open

Ariana Grande Monologue

“SNL Weekend Update” clips

Stevie Nicks musical performances

Some of the best sketches

Kevin Slane is a staff writer for Boston.com covering entertainment and culture, with a specific focus on movie reviews, streaming guides, and things to do in Boston.