You would think that if you gathered all of the most beloved, history-changing writers and cast members from five decades of “Saturday Night Live,” you would be left with the best episode of the show to ever air. And you would be wrong.
True to its history, the “SNL” 50th anniversary special was just like every other episode of the long-running NBC show — some highs, some lows, some unforgettable moments, some that are best forgotten.
The “SNL50” special served as a reminder of just how difficult it is to write a live comedy show no matter your age or net worth. But there were some gems that rose to the top. Out of NBC’s 3-hour special, here is the cream of the comedic crop.
1. Steve Martin’s monologue
There’s a reason why Steve Martin has hosted more than anyone else. Martin’s monologue hit every single note an iconic “SNL” monologue should from topical political barbs like calling himself the show’s “newest diversity hire” and claiming he was vacationing in the “Gulf of Steve Martin,” to self-depreciatingly calling the very bit he was doing “the weakest part of the show.” Martin once again proved he was the best, and the surprise cameos from fellow greats John Mulaney and Martin Short were just the cherries on top. Describing it further wouldn’t do the piece justice. Like all great pieces of comedy, it has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
2. “Anxiety”
If the tone for the anniversary special could be summed up in one sketch, this would be it. The Lonely Island’s latest Digital Short is aggressively inside baseball as former cast member Andy Samberg reassures current cast member Bowen Yang that everyone who has ever worked on “Saturday Night Live” struggles with anxiety. Laced with a synthy ’80s beat and filled with references to the “Bass-O-Matic” and “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood,” this song is truly just for the cast, crew and fans of “SNL.” In that way, it shares some DNA with Adam Sandler’s far more sincere 50th anniversary song. But while Sandler opts for lightly critical nostalgia, The Lonely Island’s song dives headfirst into full-blown mania. Fitting, considering the madness “SNL” has produced over the years.
3. Weekend Update
The pressure was on for Weekend Update to deliver with Chevy Chase in the room, and the segment led by Colin Jost and Michael Che did just that. Some of the strongest and funniest bits from the evening came from Update, including the returns of Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle and Cecily Strong’s Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, as well as Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer playing Lorne Michaels’ Best Friends From Growing Up. Naturally, it was former anchor Bill Murray who brought the segment home thanks to his personal ranking of all the former Update anchors over the past 50 years.
4. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey’s Q&A
Seth Meyers put it best: “It kind of feels like this whole question-and-answer thing is just a way for you to give some airtime to celebrities who aren’t in other parts of the show.” Nailed it, Seth. And the fact that the “Late Night” host is in a sketch format he so strongly and publicly dislikes makes this particular observation even sweeter. Poehler and Fey’s Q&A was unapologetically a gimmick. But it also led to some of the funniest and most memorable moments of the special, from Poehler reassuring Bad Bunny that he’s genuinely funny as a hopeful Jon Hamm looks on, to Fey asking Ryan Reynolds “How’s it going?” leading to a defensive, “Great, what have you heard?” It struck exactly the right balance between broad and tongue-in-cheek that Poehler and Fey have perfected over the years.
5. “Black Jeopardy 50th”
Admittedly, this sketch did go on a bit long. But when you have Eddie Murphy playing Tracy Jordan next to the “30 Rock” star and Tom Hanks returning as Doug, who can get mad at an extra couple of minutes? Hosted by Kenan Thompson, “Black Jeopardy” has long been one of the most consistently funny recurring “SNL” bits, following in the footsteps of Will Ferrell’s “Celebrity Jeopardy.” At the end of the day, it’s just fun to see celebrities impersonating each other and to watch “SNL” legends pretend not to know what “Saturday Night Live” is.
6. “Close Encounter 50th”
It’s always a joy to see Kate McKinnon return as Ms. Rafferty, a chain-smoking, splay-legged woman whose alien encounters are always a bit different than those of her peers. And for the 50th anniversary, this beloved sketch returned with a twist, introducing Meryl Streep as Colleen Sr., the mother of McKinnon’s character. Between Streep’s line delivery of “the devil wears nada” and McKinnon repeatedly groping Woody Harrelson, this reprisal came as close as possible to capturing the magic of the original.
7. “New York 50th Musical”
John Mulaney’s musical sketches have always felt a bit like a fever dream. In the case of the 50th anniversary special, that fever was a combination of the flu, COVID, RSV and the norovirus. The sketch starts in the grimy epicenter of New York in the ’70s as Pete Davidson and David Spade ask Mulaney for a hot dog with heroin. By its end, Lin-Manuel Miranda reprises his role as Hamilton as Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte and Kristen Wiig perform an homage to “Les Misérables” dressed as Times Square characters. It’s a truly wild 10 minutes of live television that begs you to laugh at its sheer audacity. But more than that, the now seventh (!!!) musical highlights a vital part of “SNL” that is often brushed over: “Saturday Night Live” is a New York institution. It’s as much of the city as it is a reflection of the city’s current state. What better way to honor that than through Broadway knockoffs designed to enrage The Walt Disney Company?
8. “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years”
It’s a rare treat to see the sincere side of Sandler. That’s what the film and comedy legend displayed in an acoustic number that touched on everything from Lorne Michaels’ private bathroom to shoutouts for Eddie Murphy, Will Forte, Jan Hooks and Gilda Radner, just to name a few of the former cast members he highlighted. Packed full of inside jokes, the song felt a bit like something you would hear on the last night of summer camp.
9. “Chad in 8H”
When it comes to beloved recurring characters, less is often more. The latest “Chad” is one of the only sketches of the evening that took that advice to heart. When Laraine Newman returns to Studio 8H to once again gaze upon her former TV home, she’s met by Pete Davidson’s clueless but well-meaning Chad. Short and sweet, the sketch allowed Newman to whole-heartedly reminisce about the early days of this iconic show, leaning on Chad’s slack-jawed expressions and random interjections to carry the jokes. It also made room for Newman to comedically shine, particularly when the legend reflected on “all the partying and the sex” of those first seasons.
