Martin Short is formally welcomed into Saturday Night Live's prestigious Five-Timers Club in this Christmas episode cold open. Tom Hanks opens the sketch seated in a leather armchair, explaining he created the Five-Timers Club in 1990 as "an ingeniously lazy way to avoid writing a monologue." Paul Rudd joins him, noting Hanks' tendency to speak as if in a documentary whenever sitting in leather chairs. The sketch becomes a star-studded reunion as fellow Five-Timers Club members arrive to celebrate Short. Upon entry, Short and Rudd perform the secret Five-Timers handshake. Tina Fey delivers sharp banter with Short. The cold open features numerous callbacks and running jokes: Paul Rudd references his COVID-era hosting with no audience, Scarlett Johansson slams the door on her husband Colin Jost twice, Alec Baldwin wears a jacket with "17" instead of "5" to tout his record as the most frequent SNL host, and Melissa McCarthy crashes through a wall in spectacular fashion. Kristen Wiig hilariously hints at hookups with both Short and Emma Stone. Additional appearances include John Mulaney, Candice Bergen, Jimmy Fallon as "Jacket Boy", Emma Stone, and surprise guest Conan O'Brien. Martin Short delivers his signature comedic performance and closes with the heartfelt line: "from the bottom of my heart, I love most of you so much." Jimmy Fallon presents Short with his official Five-Timers Club jacket to complete the induction.
