Pete Davidson delivered an emotional cold open on Saturday Night Live, reflecting on the death of his father and drawing parallels to the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza. Davidson, whose father was a New York firefighter killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack, shared his personal experience and expressed his empathy for the suffering of children in the region. He also discussed how comedy has helped him cope with tragedy. Davidson’s appearance on SNL raised questions about how cast members are able to perform amid ongoing collective action by the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA. However, the union clarified that the SNL cast is not in violation of strike rules and is fulfilling their contractual obligations.