Ariana Grande only broke character once on SNL (and the reason will surprise you)

Ariana Grande hadn't hosted Saturday Night Live since 2016, but she crushed it on October 12. The actress and singer dazzled fans with her wide array of impressions and her commitment, especially during the more absurd sketches.

Grande proved herself to be a comedic force, drawing most of the big laughs throughout the episode. There was one sketch, however, that proved to be too much for her. The entertainer cracked up right at the end, and struggled to get her final lines out. Watching the sketch back, though, we can't say we blame her.

Ariana Grande cracked up during a fake Maybelline ad

The sketch in question is a fictional add in which actress Jennifer Coolidge promotes Maybelleine. SNL cast member Chloe Fineman has wielded her Coolidge impression on several occasions, but Grande stepped in to serve as Fineman's (literal) mirror image and do an incredible Jen Coolidge impression of her own.

The two actresses managed to keep a straight face despite their absurd line delivery, but things went off the rails when the mirror was pulled out and a third Coolidge appeared in the form of Dana Carvey. The SNL legend had already appeared on the episode as Joe Biden, but his absurd Coolidge riff was too much for Grande, who began to crack up after applying Maybelleine lip gloss to Carvey.

SNL veteran Dana Carvey also broke character

Fineman delivers the final line in the sketch, but Grande and Carvey can be seen giggling behind her. It was definitely not a direction we saw the sketch going, but it proved so silly that even a seasoned pro like Grande (who absolutely nailed the Coolidge and Celine Dion impression from a previous bit) succumbed to laughter.

The bit that makes the whole Coolidge sketch even more funny is that Carvey's impression isn't even particularly good. The comedian lacked both Fineman's body language and Grande's vocal inflection, but his being so far off the mark may have even contributed to his reveal being so effective.

That's SNL for you. Never know what you're getting on a given episode.