‘X-Men’ Star Inde Navarrette’s Halloween ‘SNL’ Episode Scares up the Show’s Biggest Audience of the Season
‘Saturday Night Live’ went all in on spooky season for its Halloween episode, and the bet paid off. The October 31 show was hosted by Inde Navarrette, the breakout star of Curry Barker’s horror hit ‘Obsession’, making her hosting debut with Gracie Abrams as the musical guest.
Navarrette’s casting fit the holiday perfectly given her horror background. Ahead of the show, she even brought Jason Voorhees’ hockey mask to rehearsals, and in one promo she jokingly insisted that ‘Obsession’ is a romantic comedy.
The episode delivered big numbers for NBC. As Film Updates shared, Navarrette’s Halloween episode drew 5.2 million viewers, the show’s biggest audience of the season so far.
According to LateNighter, the episode averaged 5.16 million total viewers in Nielsen’s Live+Same Day ratings, with 1.28 million viewers in the key 18 to 49 demo. That was up 17% in total viewers and 19% in the demo from the October 10 episode hosted by Shane Gillis.
The young-adult audience was especially strong. The 18 to 49 audience was the show’s largest since the November 2, 2024 episode hosted by John Mulaney, according to both LateNighter and Netflix Junkie, citing Deadline.
Inde Navarrette’s Halloween episode of SNL drew 5.2 million viewers. The show’s biggest audience of the season so far. https://t.co/HOmNaw0Oep
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 4, 2026
Those numbers came despite a delay. LateNighter reported that an 11-minute college football overrun pushed back the start of the show in much of the country, the 3rd delay in 4 episodes this season.
Navarrette’s episode beat every other installment of Season 52 so far. Jalen Brunson’s premiere with KATSEYE drew 4.61 million viewers, Dakota Johnson’s episode with Turnstile brought in 4.37 million, and Gillis’ episode with Rosalía pulled in 4.42 million.
Inde Navarrette’s monologue! https://t.co/l4KCxVpyfS
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) November 1, 2026
The numbers are also likely to grow. LateNighter noted that the Gillis episode gained 1.4 million viewers over 3 days of delayed viewing, and the Live+Same Day figures don’t include Peacock or social platforms.
The episode was also a hit beyond linear TV. Netflix Junkie reports that it was the season’s most-watched episode on Peacock, and clips across YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok earned 325 million views, another season high.
Inde Navarrette!!! 🧛♀️ https://t.co/aB9GefSrdI
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) November 1, 2026
The YouTube upload of the “Scary Halloween Cold Open” alone had passed 4.5 million views by Wednesday afternoon, according to LateNighter. Even the monologue made headlines, as Navarrette talked about joining the Marvel universe as Rogue and the pressure to get in shape for the role.
The cold open delivered a nostalgic Halloween treat. Tom Hanks briefly reprised his beloved David S. Pumpkins character, with former cast member Bobby Moynihan back as one of his dancing skeletons alongside Mikey Day.
Thank you, Inde Navarrette, Gracie Abrams, Tom Hanks, Bobby Moynihan, Pat Murphy, Christian Yelich, and Brice Turang! Goodnight! https://t.co/dghfPZ3C2X
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) November 1, 2026
Moynihan stuck around for ‘Weekend Update’, bringing back his Drunk Uncle character. He was joined by members of the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, including Christian Yelich, Brice Turang and manager Pat Murphy.
The episode also featured several pre-taped sketches. “New Airline Class” spoofed Delta introducing tickets for unpleasant passengers, while “The Inventor’s Wife” was a slow-building short with Tim Burton-style visuals.
For Abrams, it marked her second time as a musical guest. She first appeared on Chris Rock’s episode in December 2024. The show will try to keep the momentum going this weekend. Druski hosts for the first time, with The Strokes as the musical guest.
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