“SNL50” dazzled on Sunday night with a three-hour-plus celebration of the late night institution’s 50th anniversary.
The show, which brought back so many former cast members that they couldn’t even fit in the closing shot, paid tribute to the legacy of “Saturday Night Live” by reviving iconic sketches that mixed in celebrities like Pedro Pascal, Jon Hamm, Sabrina Carpenter and even Meryl Streep — who gave a filthy performance as the mother of Kate McKinnon’s character from the “Alien Abduction” sketch.
Memorable returns included Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer, Mike Myers’ Linda Richman as well as the show’s latest viral character Domingo, played by Marcello Hernández with a twist: Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny as his brothers.
Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon opened the show, Paul McCartney closed it and in between viewers got Seth Meyers back in the Weekend Update chair, a new digital short, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler taking questions from the audience and Adam Driver as a hot dog.
Check out the best moments from the “SNL50” show below.
Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon Open With “Homeward Bound”
Instead of the typical cold open, “SNL50” kicked off with a musical performance from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter, who re-created Simon and Paul McCartney’s 1976 “SNL” performance of “Homeward Bound.” Carpenter took McCartney’s place for the ballad, meanwhile cracking a couple jokes about not being alive to watch the O.G. performance. Or her parents either.
John Mulaney and Martin Short Crash Steve Martin’s Monologue
Steve Martin had the honor of opening “SNL50” with the time-honored tradition of the monologue — that is until he was interrupted by John Mulaney and “Only Murders in the Building” co-star Martin Short. After calling out Short as the only Canadian not on “Schitt’s Creek,” Short got dragged away by ICE agents.
Domingo’s Back — With His Brothers
Marcello Hernández’s Domingo returned for another milestone in Chloe Fineman’s Kelsey relationship: her vow renewal, hosted by the bride’s parents, played by Molly Shannon and Short. Domingo was reunited with Kelsey again — as well as Sabrina Carpenter — after renditions of Carpenter’s “Espresso” and a Taylor Swift song, but “SNL50” introduced a new stud: Ronaldo (Pedro Pascal), who apparently had a fling with the groom (Andrew Dismukes), and is also Domingo’s brother. As if that wasn’t enough, Bad Bunny was introduced as the third brother, who reveals he slept with Kelsey’s mom.
New Digital Short: Everyone on ‘SNL’ Has Anxiety
Say it with them now: “Every single person who ever worked at SNL had anxiety!” For a brand new digital short, Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island pulled back the curtain of the stressors of working at the fast-paced, high-pressure show for cast members past and present.
Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard Pay Tribute to Sinead O’Connor
One of the most iconic moments in “SNL” history was Sinead O’Connor ripping up a photograph of the Pope on live TV. Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard performed a touching tribute to the singer by playing her plaintive love song “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The song was introduced by Aubrey Plaza, who made her first public appearance since the death of her husband, Jeff Baena.
Mega Weekend Update: Bill Murray Ranks Anchors as Seth Meyers, Cecily Strong and Bobby Moynihan Return
Current Weekend Update hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost welcomed previous hosts Seth Meyers and Bill Murray back to the desk, but Murray used his time to rank every anchor in “SNL” history — in front of Jost. (Spoiler: Jost didn’t make the list.) The segment also saw the return of a very-pregnant Cecily Strong as the “Girl You Wish Hadn’t Started a Conversation at a Party,” Bobby Moynihan as Drunk Uncle and Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer.
Adam Sandler Pays Tribute to “SNL” Cast and Crew
Adam Sandler brushed off his guitar to sing a heartfelt tribute to the “SNL” cast and crew, encapsulating the painful moments of a sketch getting rejected, throwing in a few jokes at Lorne Michaels’ expense and choking up as he mentions Phil Hartman and Chris Farley.
Mike Myers’ Linda Returns for a Bronx Beat Crossover
Mike Myers’ Linda Richman crossed paths with Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph’s Bronx Beat, that is, of course, after Poehler and Rudolph doted on Miles Teller.
Meryl Streep Makes “SNL” Debut as Kate McKinnon’s Mom
Meryl Streep made her “SNL” debut in a surprise appearance in a new Alien Abduction sketch, where she played Kate McKinnon’s on-screen mom. Pedro Pascal could not keep it together.
John Mulaney’s NYC Musical
John Mulaney tells the story of a less-than-perfect NYC in another musical follow up to his “Diner Lobster” sketch, this time including songs from “The Lion King,” “Les Misérables,” and “Hamilton,” with Lin-Manuel Miranda there for the celebration. Other notable appearances include Kate McKinnon as Rudy Giuliani, Adam Driver as a singing hot dog and Kristen Wiig as a green M&M, all paying tribute to New York City’s past.
Cringeworthy In Memoriam Embraces SNL’s Racist, Sexist, Ableist, Everything-ist Past
Instead of a traditional In Memorium tribute, “SNL” ran a montage of the characters, accents and sketches that were, as Tom Hanks said in his introduction, “unquestionably in poor taste.”
Debbie Downer Returns
Rachel Dratch reprised her beloved Debbie Downer character, who began the sketch by raining on the celebratory “SNL50” parade between friends Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon and Ayo Edebiri by bringing up the toxicity of both alcohol and the planet. Debbie Downer continues to dampen the mood when Robert De Niro comes to the bar.
