To celebrate 50 years of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL), the show put on a three-hour special that featured a revolving door of past and present cast members, as well as beloved celebrity guests. As a lifetime fan of SNL, the anniversary episode was everything I could have hoped for and more. With way too many sketches and moments to discuss, let’s delve into just some of the highlights you might have missed.
Before the special aired, it was known that numerous past members and guests were set to attend and participate in SNL’s 50th year. In typical SNL fashion, there were still so many surprise appearances to enjoy. Notably, Meryl Streep made her SNL debut in the infamous Kate McKinnon “Close Encounter” sketch. With McKinnon reprising her role as Ms. Rafferty, Streep starred as the character’s mother and the two tell the tale of their most recent alien abduction to a pair of government officials. Pedro Pascal and Woody Harrelson – although mellow in comparison to the Rafferty-duo – fit into the sketch seamlessly. Other than the original iteration of this sketch, this one might be my favorite!
Of course, I must talk about the John Mulaney musical sketch, “New York 50th Musical.” I always make sure to tune into SNL when Mulaney is hosting, as his signature musical sketches (my personal favorite being “Diner Lobster”) bring my love of Broadway to the SNL stage. Not only did this sketch introduce a new concept to the sketch’s existing legacy, it also called back to some of the famous characters from past iterations.
Of course, there wouldn’t be SNL without Weekend Update. While the sketch itself featured current anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, it also brought back some of the most memorable Weekend Update guests and featured an “Anchor Ranking” from none other than Bill Murray.
I want to draw some special attention to the title video that played before the segment began. Rather than simply playing Jost and Che’s title card, a montage of every Weekend Update introduction video was featured for the 50th special. I feel that this was one of the best (and least talked about) homages paid to past cast members of the show and really stood out to me in my viewing experience.
In terms of musical performances, obviously the professionals were great, but what about the musical sketches? Were all of them great? In my opinion, no, but there are a few worth mentioning. Marcello Hernandez’s infamous Domingo character returned for Kelsey and Matthew’s vow renewal. Joined by his two brothers Reynaldo (Pascal) and Santiago (Bad Bunny), this catchy sketch is so downright ridiculous that you simply can’t help laughing out loud while watching.
Adam Sandler also paid a touching tribute to the legacy of the show and his friends through a song of his own. Sandler is nobody’s vocalist of choice, but he sure does know how to make us want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Andy Sandberg and Bowen Yang’s sketch “Anxiety,” which features Sandberg assuring Yang through an 80s inspired song that everybody on SNL experiences the same anxieties as him. This sketch stood out to me as one of the better written musical numbers from “SNL” in general, not just from the special, and I loved every second of it.
“SNL 50” was truly for the fans, and, as a fan, I say thank you.
