Overall Thoughts on the Season:
Season 50 was a true whirlwind of a year. It began, as expected with the election coverage, bloated and confused – soaking deep in nostalgia with cameos from both past alums and one certain comedian who has basically no connection at all to SNL. That period, while definitely not as awful as the past election coverage season, was still demoralizing to me, in particular whatever the hell that VP debate sketch was going for. We did start to get a few decent cold opens here and there, but it was mainly in the back half, as the show gave JAJ the trust with the presidential impression, that the cold opens became a surprisingly consistent and reliable part of the show. Compare that to the hell of Trumpwin and you’ll be amazed.
The ending of the season? Sadly, after a surprising amount of fun episodes the first two months of the back half, the last quarter began to lose steam fast with me, as besides the Jack Black and Jon Hamm episodes, I didn’t care for the last two months of the season at all, much like how I hated most of its first half. All of that, the flatness, the dullness, the writing being even more spent than ever, makes this season for me sadly my least favorite I watched live and one of my least favorite seasons these past 15 seasons in general. I’d probably put this season below S46 and a tad above S36 in terms of my bottom three picks in said timeframe.
It’ll take me forever to put into words why the show needs an overhaul, in writing first before the cast, but my God, this season, despite some highlights, is maybe the most spent and creatively bankrupt season of the show I sat through since I started watching live (and I began with S40). So many episodes had a very flat, dead feeling with an endless amount of either average or weak sketches. The amount of retreads, rehashes, unnecessary recurring sketches/characters boggles my mind. I have no idea what Gates & Sublette even do nowadays on the show, or what Bryan Tucker does, and that’s just naming three writers. There are some promising writers, mainly Moss Perricone & Allie Levitan, Dan Bulla and his credited shorts have been an utter delight. Yet, these are just a few writers and the others, while they have their share of hits, are clearly burnt out.
The pretapes continued to drop further in quality this season for me. I remember fellow SNL reviewer & frequent commenter John wondering if the show fired their editor, and seeing the length of some pretapes (that tepid finale PDD was at 4.30 minutes, and that’s one example), I wonder if that’s true. The Bulla pretapes, with their Schiller’s Reel vibes, justified their length for me, and the animated shorts we got were very fresh, fun and funny. These two elements are one of the few positives this season and I hope to see both continuing next year. The pretapes should go back to being sharp, quick, well-written and be enough of a scene-changer, not make us check our phones and zone out, as has been the case often of late with the show.
Weekend Update has been the same old thing as of the last few seasons. 11 seasons in and this era of the desk is still reliable for laughs time to time, but I’m beyond tired and ready to move on to a new era of the desk. With that said, Update was still routinely solid and the guest commentaries were often decent, with a few standout, memorable commentaries in both halves. A definite improvement over the endless parade of mascots that dominated last season’s editions of the desk. Not sure if Both Jost & Che are out (seen some fans speculate about that), but I’m truly hoping they leave and we get a new, fresh team behind the desk that I can review for at least 4 or 5 seasons on this site before retiring potentially.
As for the cast, which I’ll break down in a bit, their utilization this season has been very bizarre. Frequent commenter Michael Cheyne nailed it in his comment under my review of the season finale about that topic. I felt a lot of the cast had episodes where they dominated and others where they were barely existent. JAJ, for example, had overall strong stats for the season (by my own count about 105 minutes total – almost 10 minutes higher than 49), and yet he had a few episodes where he was in 1-2 minutes (fortunately almost all the early months). However, he thankfully had a strong back half in various aspects, especially airtime. Some vets and “stars” barely showed up in several episodes this as well, and multiple shutouts occurred, as is the case with Chloe Fineman, who has been overshadowed by a rookie in her first season like Ashley. The push and overuse of some players who do not exactly have that wide a range was also odd. Marcello, Sarah, Bowen are fine in small doses, but them being shoved in every two sketches (especially Sarah) was odd. Thankfully, we still had Mikey, Heidi, JAJ and Ego doing some solid utility work all season, even as burnt-out as Mikey himself is coming off (I feel Heidi has a few more seasons in her if she keeps getting solid writing). I hope the upcoming season has better time for the overall cast, as was the case I felt with most of last season.
The Cast Breakdown:
(Note: from this season onwards, Update anchors would be excluded from these, and instead have their own portion in the season thoughts.)
Kenan:
This has been an overall forgettable year for our resident vet. Kenan was still pretty funny and reliable when utilized, mind you, and he had a few killer highlights this season as we’ll see in a bit, but he devolved a few times to his old habits of goofy voices and mugging when not needed, and it is clear a lot of the newer writers moved on from using him starting with last season. I am sure he is a generous performer that is willing to take a back seat, but the fact that he’s been so underused in a lot of the season while Heidi, Ego, Andrew, Sarah and JAJ are absolutely thriving in airtime for the most time makes it clear it well over time for him to move on. I am assuming he’d be leaving with Lorne, which I can see maybe after season 51, so I sure hope that is the case.
Season Highlights: “Calling Dad” & “Willie” (Burr), “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” (Rock), “Dog Run” (Chalamet), “Wedding Interruption” (Gillis), “Funeral Home” (Gaga), “Goth Kid on Vacation” (Black), “Addicts Anonymous” (Brunson), “Local News Stories” (Johansson)
Mikey:
It feels like I’m repeating myself with Mikey these past few seasons. I still love the man, he still commits and is so generous a performer, but the burnout is clearly there after so many years of being heavily used. This season, overall, is a step down from the dominant year he had in season 49, yet he still some strong highlights, especially the back half of the season and still did some solid utility work. His two Update pieces are probably my favorite desk pieces of the whole season and some of my biggest laughs from Mikey in quite a while. I’m leaning more that Mikey would depart over the summer, so if he is indeed leaving, he is going out on a good note.
Season Highlights: “Golf Tournament” (Bargatze), “My Best Friend’s House” (Grande), “ShopTV” & “TikTok” (Keaton), “Gladiator II” (Mescal), “Oedipal Arrangements” & “Dog Run” (Chalamet), “Lord Gaga” (Gaga), “The First Play” (Black), “A Guy Who Just Walked Into a Spiderweb” (Goggins)
Heidi:
After two hit-or-miss seasons before this one, as well as a a season (S47) of underuse, Heidi finally had another particularly great year in S50. It felt the writers really figured out how to use this fantastic talent and despite decrease in her airtime (though the last third made up for that), Heidi I felt gave some of her best performances in a long while, alongside her underrated utility work as basically “The Glue” player of the show, alongside Mikey, JAJ and Ego as the other three in that aspect. I actually would be fine if Heidi stays a season or two more after this, if she keeps getting solid writing, as she had several years of real underuse. But if she leaves, it is the right time.
Season Highlights: “Mile High Burger Challenge” (Bargatze), “TikTok” & “Tableside” (Keaton), “Reba McEntire” (Mulaney), “It Girl Thanksgiving Special” (Charli XCX), “Earring” & “A Mom Whose Son Just Got Famous” (Mescal), “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” (Rock), “An Act of Kindness” (Short), “Medcast” & Oedipal Arrangements” (Chalamet), “Funeral Home” & “L’Oréal Easy Run Mascara” (Gaga), “One Uppers” & “Times Square Kiss” (Black), “Icebreaker” (Hamm), “Victorian Ladies at Lunch” (Johansson)
Ego:
This was a really strong season for Ego. In fact, I might even say it is her strongest season period, dethroning her breakout year in season 46. Outside of very few harmless pieces I didn’t care for, though Ego was very good in them as always, she had some truly incredible highs. The five desk pieces she did were some of the best, most creative of the whole season, including a killer recurring bit with Miss Eggy. Add in amazing utility work and consistent airtime, and you got yourself a true powerhouse cast member. I hope Ego stays another season as a victory lap for her, before hopefully getting the sendoff she earned. Of this current cast, I’d say her tenure is overall the strongest, slightly below JAJ’s amazing 4 seasons tenure so far, yet if next season is as good or stronger, she’ll be a bonafide all-timer cast member.
Season Highlights: “Happy Amazon Employee” (Grande), “A Forbidden Romance” & “Think About It” (Keaton), “Woman Who Can’t Find Something in Her Purse” (Burr), “Shrek the Musical” (Charli XCX), “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” & “Blind Date” (Rock), Evacuation Alert” (Chappelle), “Giselle” & “Dog Run” (Chalamet), “Please Don’t Destroy – The Sound” (Gillis), “Funeral Home”, “L’Oréal Easy Run Mascara”, “Little Red Glasses” (Gaga), “Jury Duty” (Madison), “One Uppers”, “Goth Kid on Vacation”, (Black), “Miss Eggy” (Black & Johansson), “Couple at the Bar” (Johansson)
Chloe:
Frankly, this has been a terrible season for Chloe in an overall tenure that’s been more and more forgettable. With the amount of chances this performer kept getting (especially blatant push the past two seasons), seeing her fading more and more to the point where newer players completely overshadow her, is surreal. If anything, she is becoming some sort of new Melissa, who certainly deserved the many chances this performer was eventually given. Outside of very few moments here and there, I genuinely forgot Chloe is even on the show. Multiple shutouts a season and when she appeared in episodes, she was often relegated to minor roles or one or two bits. I’d be stunned if she isn’t either fired or left over the summer. As, to be nice, her best days on the show are FAR behind her.
Season Highlights: “Sprit Halloween” (Smart), “Jennifer Coolidge for Maybelline” (Grande), “Simpsons Gift” (Rock), “L’Oréal Easy Run Mascara” (Gaga), “Victorian Ladies at Lunch” (Johansson)
Bowen:
Much like Mikey, I feel I often repeat myself with Bowen. I think this guy is funny and really talented at his best, but it is his type of look at me, hammy performers I cannot connect to like some others do. Bowen was still very funny at his best like his prior seasons and he thankfully still had some strong moments. I also noticed him getting less airtime than usual by the last few shows in this back half. Not sure if that means he is out, but I sure hope he is. This was probably Bowen’s best year by default since his mostly-strong first three seasons.
Season Highlights: “Charades with Mom” (Grande) “TikTok” (Keaton), “Trauma Support Group” & “Bald Guys” (Burr), “Shrek the Musical” (Charli XCX), “Brilliant Lawyer” (Mescal), “Wonderful Tonight” & “No More Slay” (Gaga), “Planning New York” (Madison) , “One Uppers” (Black), “Chen Biao” (Hamm)
Andrew:
This was another strong year for Andrew overall. Despite it, like most others in the cast, a bit milder than last season for him, as he unfortunately was cast in a lot of bland straight roles and had him sitting in a table making faces. He still had some killer highlights and was a delight when being showcased with his patented writing. I hoped for more of his unique sketches to get on the air, as besides Brilliant Lawyer and his JAJMukes pieces, he barely had as many strong individual sketches as last season. Hopefully, next season now that the election is behind us, we will get that and more of his work with JAJ.
Season Highlights: “Real Housewives of Santa Fe” & “A Father’s Promise” (Smart), “Coach Alan” (Bargatze), “The Hotel Detective” (Grande), “A Forbidden Romance” (Keaton), “The Best of Snake Skin” & “Calling Dad” (Burr), “Banger Boyz!” (Charli XCX), “A Brilliant Lawyer” & “A Complete Unknown Red Carpet” (Mescal), “A Bald Man” (Rock), “Medcast”, “Crazy Families”, “Dog Run” (Chalamet), “Funeral Home” (Gaga), “Pop’s Big Regret” (Madison), “Love Match” & “Flamin’ Hot Commercial” (Black), “Icebreaker” (Hamm), “Boss’s Bathroom” (Goggins), “Victorian Ladies at Lunch” (Johansson)
James:
Despite underuse here and there outside of the Trump role, I felt James had quite possibly overall the most consistently strong season of anyone in the cast. Even with that, this season has been a mild step down for JAJ than the last, as he suffered a period of underuse for a few episodes in the front half. Thankfully, the back half has been pretty consistent for him and he had a good amount of times being cast in “Glue” roles he performed effortlessly in both halves, as well as getting the president role. The Trump cold opens have been a surprising highlight this back half, with JAJ giving some truly standout performances in them. In fact, they’ve been giving me Dana-as-Bush vibes which is a very good sign. Hopefully, with next season (and assuming some are out), JAJ will balance the role of Trump with more of his own voice and continues to grow more and more into a well-loved backbone to the show.
Season Highlights: “Blonde Dragon People” (Smart), “Gallagher Brothers”, “Castrati”, “The Hotel Detective” (Grande), “Beppo” (Mulaney), “The Best of Snake Skin”, “The Janitor”, “Bald Guys” (Burr), “Cayden” (Charli XCX), “A Complete Unknown Red Carpet” & “Irish Americans” (Mescal), “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” (Rock), “Founding Fathers” (Chalamet), “Pip” (Gaga), “Jury Duty” (Madison), “Trump Tariffs” & “Love Match” (Black), “The Cleansing of the Temple” & “The White Potus” (Hamm), “The Greats” (Brunson), “The Second Amendment” (Goggins)
Sarah:
After a very hit-or-miss season last year, Sarah mostly rebounded nicely this season. Much like Andrew, and I presume due to her female seniors in the cast potentially leaving, Sarah experienced a big increase in airtime, especially in playing a lot of straight roles in sketches, which she did just OK. She is not a utility player, but performed such roles fine. Much like Andrew, Sarah’s patented sense of humor sadly decreased a lot this year, but she still had an impressive number of strong showcases despite a few real flops with me and this season is overall pretty solid for her. It is just a shame her uniqueness seems to mostly fade, but I have a feeling, much like some other players, she probably would have a better season next year.
Season Highlights: “Gallagher Brothers” (Grande), “Victoria’s Secret” & “Think About It” (Keaton), “The Best of Snake Skin” (Burr), “Shrek the Musical” (Charli XCX), “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” (Rock), “Wedding Coupons” (Gillis) “Birthday at Friendly’s” & “Little Red Glasses” (Gaga), “Making Love” (Black), “Dawn Altman” (Hamm), “Boss’s Bathroom” (Goggins), “Victorian Ladies at Lunch” (Johansson)
Devon:
Like Chloe, Devon had a terrible season this year. Despite having an OK start with the first two episodes, this season of his was abysmal in airtime and utilization. Devon had two consistently decent seasons as a featured player, so I have no idea why he suddenly tanked hard in airtime, to the point I genuinely forgot about him. His likability still shined through when he had moments, as very few as they were, but knowing we are due for some cost-cutting (though not as severe as I assume), I won’t be shocked if he is the first on the chopping block.
Season Highlights: “Calling Dad” (Burr), “Mall Santas” (Rock), “Evacuation Alert” & “Police Report” (Chappelle), “Wedding Interruption” (Gillis), “Morning Routine” (Madison)
Marcello:
Like some players, Marcello overall improved this season from the back half of last season, which was at times pretty embarrassing for him. It is very clear the show is pushing him due to his appeal to younger viewers and I felt Marcello still had some really solid stuff this season, and an overall good year. With that said, the more overhyped moments sadly clouded some of his better work, especially the bafflement that is Domingo and that Movie Guy bullshit. I just cannot enjoy that type of “fun” with cold, one-note, look at me-type of roles, which has always been a big gripe I had with Fred Armisen in the past and Bowen Yang nowadays. Still, when he was good, Marcello gave me some pretty solid laughs this year and if he gets better writing (he is very underrated in pretapes especially) I am fine with him in his own lane.
Season Highlights: “I love Lucy” (Smart), “Golf Tournament” (Bargatze), “Halloween Costumes” (Keaton), “A Couple You Won’t Believe Are Together” (Mulaney), “Banger Boyz!” & “Acting Teacher” (Charli XCX), “Medcast” & “Dog Run” (Chalamet), “A Long Goodbye” & “Pip” (Gaga)
Michael:
This year was an improvement for Michael from a really frustrating year last season, where he would be lucky to be in the background of a sketch. This season, while not that epic Andrew-in-S49-levels comeback for Michael was still a pretty good season for him, especially a quietly solid back half. Michael had some of his best moments so far into his tenure in said back half, and it seems that the show finally got a hold how to use his unique charisma. While not as steady a path as I would’ve wanted, the year as a whole is a step in the right direction for Michael. I just hope he gets that comeback with next season and onwards – remaining 4 or 5 more seasons post-50 and see his full potential unleashed.
Season Highlights: “Waterpark” (Bargatze), “Halloween Costumes” (Keaton), “What’s That Name? Political Edition” (Mulaney), “The Janitor” (Burr), “Shrek Musical” (Charli XCX), “TikTok Ban” (Chappelle), “Bungee” & Oedipal Arrangements” (Chalamet), “So, Like, What Are We? & “Planning New York” (Madison), “Goth Kid on Vacation” (Black), “Guess! The Correct! Answer!” (Hamm), “Real ID” (Brunson)
Ashley/Emil/Jane:
Ashley Padilla, quite simply, has been an utter delight of a new hire. It’s been said by so many fans quite often how much of a breath of fresh air she has been, and it was a joy seeing her having as many great moments as she had in what was an overall quietly impressive rookie season. While not as flashy as Sarah’s, it is on par with Heidi’s rookie season where Ashley, much like her, became immediately a core player of the show and a solid anchor/straight man in sketches while still getting occasional moments to show her strong actorly chops and very silly Groundlings character work. All-in-all, if it all goes well, I can see Ashley having a Cecily Strong-esque trajectory as a beloved backbone to the show in a few seasons from now once her senior female players leave the show one by one.
Season Highlights: “Tableside” (Keaton), “Trauma Support Group” & “I Got One” (Burr), “Earring” & “Capanelli’s” (Mescal), “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” (Rock), “Sabado Gigante” (Bargatze & Short), “Medcast” & “Oedipal Arrangements” (Chalamet), “L’Oréal Easy Run Mascara” (Gaga), “Joann” (Madison), “Icebreaker” (Hamm), “Local News Stories” (Johansson)
Emil has been a solid addition to the cast, and frankly knowing he is a stand-up hire, he turned out better than I expected. While the first half was overall stronger for him than the back half, Emil was always very good and added an air of likability to all of his roles. I know some think he could be fired, but I hope not, as he could be a very good anchor and is a not a shtick player that is in his lane and mugs the camera like some others.
Season Highlights: “Standup” (Keaton), “The Best of Snake Skin” (Burr), “Banger Boyz!” & “Shrek Musical” (Charli XCX), “Earring” (Mescal), “Mall Santas” (Rock), “Doctor’s Visit” (Gillis), “Patriotism” (Hamm), “Local News Stories” (Johansson)
Alright, I’m not going to stay on this performer longer than needed. But, I’ll say this: the experiment of Jane Wickline has been an abysmal failure. It is very clear the show is trying to gain younger viewers by hiring her (that and her being a nepo baby), but it isn’t working. She’s been mostly dreadful in live sketches (and pretapes), bland, generic and often sucks up the air from the room each time given something to do. Her niche, those musical pieces, have been more cute than funny, besides that wretched pretape in the penultimate episode. No idea if she’ll be brought back, but while she seems like a nice girl, her hiring is a huge mistake and hopefully will be made right.
Season Highlights: “A Couple You Won’t Believe Are Together” (Mulaney), “Mall Santas” & “Office Christmas Party Extravaganza” (Rock), “The First Play” (Black)
My Ranking of the Entire Cast from the MVP to LVP:
James
Ego
Andrew
Heidi
Ashley
Mikey
Sarah
Michael
Bowen
Marcello
Kenan
Emil
Jane
Chloe
Devon
And now, time for some data:
Episode Averages:
5001: 4.7 (Jean Smart / Jelly Roll)
5002: 5.4 (Nate Bargatze / Coldplay)
5003: 7.0 (Ariana Grande / Stevie Nicks)
5004: 6.3 (Michael Keaton / Billie Eilish)
5005: 6.4 (John Mulaney / Chappell Roan)
5006: 7.8 (Bill Burr / Mk.gee)
5007: 5.2 (Charli XCX)
5008: 6.0 (Paul Mescal / Shaboozey)
5009: 5.2 (Chris Rock / Gracie Abrams)
5010: 5.0 (Martin Short / Hozier)
5011: 6.9 (Dave Chappelle / GloRilla)
5012: 7.0 (Timothée Chalamet)
5013: 6.4 (Shane Gillis / Tate McRae)
5014: 6.8 (Lady Gaga)
5015: 5.5 (Mikey Madison / Morgan Wallen)
5016: 7.3 (Jack Black / Elton John & Brandi Carlile)
5017: 6.7 (Jon Hamm / Lizzo)
5018: 5.3 (Quinta Brunson / Benson Boone)
5019: 5.4 (Walton Goggins / Arcade Fire)
5020: 5.5 (Scarlett Johansson / Bad Bunny)
Best Episode: Bill Burr – 7.8 (Runner-Up: Jack Black – 7.3)
Worst Episode: Jean Smart – 4.7 (Runner-Up: Martin Short – 5.0)
Season Average: 6.1
Highest-Rated Sketches:
5 Stars:
My Best Friend’s House (Ariana Grande)
Beppo (John Mulaney)
Calling Dad (Bill Burr)
Bald Guys (Bill Burr)
Brilliant Lawyer (Paul Mescal)
Monologue (Dave Chappelle)
Medcast (Timothée Chalamet)
Flamin’ Hot Commercial (Jack Black)
4.5 Stars:
Charades with Mom (Ariana Grande)
The Hotel Detective (Ariana Grande)
Monologue (John Mulaney)
Weekend Update (Bill Burr)
Evacuation Alert (Dave Chappelle)
Dog Run (Timothée Chalamet)
A Long Goodbye (Lady Gaga)
Pip (Lady Gaga)
Icebreaker (Jon Hamm)
Victorian Ladies at Lunch (Scarlett Johansson)
4 Stars:
CFT: A Father’s Promise (Jean Smart)
Think About It (Michael Keaton)
Tableside (Michael Keaton)
Harvey Epstein For City Council (John Mulaney)
Monologue (Bill Burr)
Buffalo Wild Wings (Bill Burr)
The Best Of Snake Skin (Bill Burr)
Monologue (Martin Short)
Weekend Update (Dave Chappelle)
Pop the Balloon (Dave Chappelle)
Oedipal Arrangements (Timothée Chalamet)
Weekend Update (Timothée Chalamet)
Dad’s House (Shane Gillis)
Please Don’t Destroy – The Sound (Shane Gillis)
Wedding Interruption (Shane Gillis)
Doctor’s Visit (Shane Gillis)
Funeral Home (Lady Gaga)
Monologue (Jack Black)
Love Match (Jack Black)
One Uppers (Jack Black)
The First Play (Jack Black)
Herpastopper (Jon Hamm)
The White Potus (Jon Hamm)
Boss’s Bathroom (Walton Goggins)
Local News Stories (Scarlett Johansson)
Lowest-Rated Sketches:
2 Stars:
$100,000 Pyramid (Jean Smart)
Weekend Update (Jean Smart)
Sushi Glory Hole (Nate Bargatze)
Duane Reade Port Authority (John Mulaney)
Family Bonds (John Mulaney)
Babymoon (Charli XCX)
Thanksgiving Baking Championship 2024 (Charli XCX)
Gladiator II (Paul Mescal)
Treasure Guy-Land (Paul Mescal)
Sexual Harassment Charlie (Chris Rock)
Parking Lot Altercation (Martin Short)
Weekend Update (Martin Short)
Peanuts Christmas (Martin Short)
Immigrant Dad Talk Show 2 (Dave Chappelle)
Grandma’s Birthday (Timothée Chalamet)
Weekend Update (Shane Gillis)
Spring Break (Mikey Madison)
Ferry Altercation (Quinta Brunson)
CFT: Amazing Anna (Walton Goggins)
PDD – First Class (Scarlett Johansson)
TV Press Junket (Scarlett Johansson)
1.5 Stars:
Family Feud: Election Showdown (Ariana Grande)
CFT: Superman (John Mulaney)
Biden/Trump Meeting (Charli XCX)
Wicked Auditions (Charli XCX)
It Girl Thanksgiving Special (Charli XCX)
Spotify Wrapped (Paul Mescal)
Gallbladder Surgery (Chris Rock)
Sabado Gigante Christmas Special (Martin Short)
MSNBC Special Report (Dave Chappelle)
Trump/Zelenskyy Meeting (Shane Gillis)
Big Dumb Line (Mikey Madison)
Leadership Summit (Quinta Brunson)
Mike Myers Elevator Ride (Scarlett Johansson)
1 Star:
The Harris & Trump Rallies (Jean Smart)
Talk Talk (Jean Smart)
VP Debate 2024 (Nate Bargatze)
Grandpa’s Magic Car (Chris Rock)
Midwife 2 (Mikey Madison)
OnlySeniors (Quinta Brunson)
Tiny Baby Shoe (Walton Goggins)
Service Dogs (Walton Goggins)
Intimacy Coordinators (Scarlett Johansson)
My Favorite Moments From the Entire Season, Represented with Screencaps:
- Nothing else to say except that I hope you all have a great summer! See you next fall!
Here are some season rankings from my neck of the woods:
Cast Rankings:
THE HAGUE
Chloe Fineman
Marcello Hernandez
MEH
Devon Walker
Mikey Day
Jane Wickline
SOUND, SOLID
Michael Che
Emil Wakim
Heidi Gardner
Sarah Sherman
Bowen Yang
Kenan Thompson
GOOD TO GREAT
Andrew Dismukes
James Austin Johnson
Ego Nwodim
Ashley Padilla
Michael Longfellow
Colin Jost
Top Live Sketches:
1. Waterslide (Nate Bargatze)
2. Calling Dad (Bill Burr)
3. Evacuation Alert (Dave Chappelle)
4. Charades With Mom (Ariana Grande)
5. Bald Guys (Bill Burr)
6. Dog Run (Timothee Chalamet)
7. Dad’s House (Shane Gillis)
8. The Hotel Detective (Ariana Grande)
9. A Long Goodbye (Lady Gaga)
10. Shrek: The Musical (Charlil XCX)
Underrated Sketches:
1. Earring (Paul Mescal)
2. Banger Boys (Charli XCX)
3. New Barista Training (Timothee Chalamet)
4. I Got One (Bill Burr)
5. Love Match (Jack Black)
6. Wedding Interruption (Shane Gillis)
7. Doctor’s Visit (Shane Gillis)
8. Think About It (Michael Keaton)
9. AI Training (Timothee Chalamet)
10. Grandma’s Birthday (Timothee Chalamet)
Top Pre-Tapes:
1. Medcast (Timothee Chalamet)
2. Coupla Beers (Shane Gillis)
3. Flamin’ Hot Commercial (Jack Black)
4. God (Timothee Chalamet)
5. PDD – The Sound (Shane Gillis)
Worst Sketches of The Year:
1. Spotify Wrapped (Paul Mescal)
2. Domingo (Ariana Grande)
3. Grandpa’s Magic Car (Chris Rock)
4. Wicked Auditions (Charli XCX)
5. Talk Talk (Jean Smart)
6. It Girl Thanksgiving Special (Charli XCX)
7. Spring Break (Mikey Madison)
8. $100,000 Pyramid (Jean Smart)
9. Duane Reade Port Authority (John Mulaney)
10. OnlySeniors (Quinta Brunson)
Episodes Ranked:
1. Timothee Chalamet – Fresh concepts and a host who ups his game throughout
2. Bill Burr – When we can stop fretting about whether the show met the moment, we will see an episode that largely crushes.
3. Shane Gillis – Gillis is good at this. A super consistent episode.
4. Jack Black – High energy episode and maybe Black’s best single hosting performance.
5. Ariana Grande – I hated the front half, but once this episode locks in, it never lets up.
6. Dave Chappelle – One of those weird, lopsided Chappelle episodes, but they always bring the highlights.
7. Lady Gaga – A continuation of a strong early run in 2025.
8. Nate Bargatze – Not at its predecessor’s level, but proof that Bargatze should be a perennial.
9. Jon Hamm – Mercifully not one of those “party” episodes. Steady, if unspectacular.
10. Scarlett Johansson – Couldn’t bear the weight of finale expectations, but probably a top two Johansson episode.
11. Paul Mescal – One of those forgotten episodes that you will rediscover and enjoy more on a re-watch.
12. Walton Goggins – He’s not the new Walken, but he’s still OK.
13. Quinta Brunson – Can’t recapture the energy and ingenuity of its predecessor, but not for a lack of trying.
14. Michael Keaton – Ripe for rediscovery, but pretty forgettable.
15. Chris Rock – A game effort, but Rock’s not the man for a certain kind of sketch (most sketches).
16. John Mulaney – Kind of a malformed episode. This one hinges on how much you liked the Bulla short, which I did not care for.
17. Martin Short – A “party” episode that forgets its own host. Massively disappointing.
18. Mikey Madison – Retreads.
19. Charli XCX – A couple saving graces, but mostly bad bad bad. Stunningly rated highly on Reddit.
20. Jean Smart – A stillborn premiere. Chloe Fineman IS Hawk Tuah Girl. Bowen Yang IS Charli XCX.
Top Update Commentaries:
1. Miss Eggy (Jack Black)
2. Andrew Dismukes and “dad” (Timothee Chalamet)
3. Michael Longfellow (Dave Chappelle)
4. Emil Wakim (Jon Hamm)
5. A Guy Who Just Walked Into A Spider Web (Walton Goggins)
Top Monologues:
1. Timothee Chalamet – A concept with execution. Will wonders never cease.
2. Chris Rock – Low-key the best stand-up value per minute.
3. Dave Chappelle – Less loaded than in the past, still funny.
4. (Tie) Bill Burr and Shane Gillis – Widely hated, I still laughed.
5. (Tie) Martin Short and Jack Black – Short and Black doing the exact thing we want them to do.
Excellent write up and recap Blood! I know I sound like a broken record, but I truly appreciate the amount of effort you put into these reviews. It shows, and your reviews are always a delight to read regardless of the quality of the episode.
I agree that this season had shades of S46 and S36: not bottom tier like the Big 4 (S6, S11, S20, and S30), but a 2nd tier of blandness and mediocrity. This is a show that, quite simply, feels tired. Granted, the show has been on autopilot for a while. I’d personally argue S42 was the last truly great season of the show, though S45 and S47 were both solid and had their moments. That said though, the autopilot feel of the last few years has worn thin, to the point where the sketches feel half-assed, underdeveloped, hollow, and lethargic. While not as aggressively awful as the Big 4, they’ve, in a weird way, almost been worst: just plain boring and dull.
The writing, with the exception of that solid run in January-April, has been quite labored. The writers seem almost incapable of putting together a coherent comedic sketch/premise at times, plus forcing recurring characters/sketches that are baffling choices. The fact that many of these retreads have been occurring YEARS after their originals, sometimes with a completely different cast barring one or two performers, is doubly bizarre. While forced recurring characters and flat writing have been a hallmark of SNL almost from the beginning, this season had both elements used to a frustrating degree. It didn’t help that many of these retreads were copy/pastes of the originals and almost always inferior. I know it’s tough to put together a live show in less than a week, but I can come up with better premises for some of these sketches in five minutes…and I’m not even a comedy writer.
The cast usage this year has also been quite weird, as you and others have pointed out. This cast, as a whole, just doesn’t feel like they’re gelling. Say what you will about the “forever” cast of the 2010s, those people had real chemistry with each other and it felt like an actual cohesive group. This cast, on the other hand, seems to consist of a bunch of people who have their own little niches. And while there’s nothing wrong with niche performers, too many of them poses a problem and exposes a huge flaw. Sarah, Bowen, and Marcello are not glue/utility players. They can be adequate in said roles, but adequacy can only take you so far. Andrew as well has fallen into this trap with, as you said, too many bland straight man roles. The only two performers right now who I’d say can and do fit that bill well are Ashley and JAJ, and that’s simply too few.
Ashley Padilla has proven to be a great hire and should be used as a model going forward: hiring improv vets who are versatile and can fulfill differing glue/utility roles. That’s what the show needs right now: people who feel like they BELONG on a sketch comedy show. If they can do that and overhaul the writer’s room, I think we could be moving into a potential golden age for the show. I’m not holding my breath what with how averse to change Lorne has become, but we shall see what the future holds.
Regardless, thank you as always for your wonderful reviews and insights. Enjoy your time off from this blog and hopefully next season will be better!
Do you by chance plan on doing your S45 reviews soon?
I’ll eventually do them, yes. Most likely next summer but not this one.
I’ll be extremely busy this summer with so many things to do, traveling, reading, writing, and personal commitments that will make it about impossible for me to post reviews, make screencaps of them and keep the quality.
Thanks for understanding.
Instead of writing a book-length comment, I’m gonna copy Carson and do an episode ranking (sry Carson). This just seems easier.
Charli XCX (Everyone was trying, but this was just rough. Charli XCX was the only consistent solid part of the episode, I wouldn’t mind having her back as host, if she’s given WAY better material)
Jean Smart (This one was somehow worse on rewatch. This episode just felt like SNL “catching up” on all the “crazy shenanigans” that happened during the summer, when they really didn’t need to do that. It also has the worst sketch of the season, Talk Talk.)
Walton Goggins (A very off episode, with a very tired feel. Walton Goggins was a very fun host though. If he’s brought back, I hope he’s given better material.)
Michael Keaton (Entirely forgettable. The only thing I remember from this episode was Emil’s fantastic Update commentary, and how underutilized Michael Keaton was.)
Chris Rock (A worse episode on rewatch but it’s not bad, it’s just pretty forgettable. Very little stands out. There are a couple of highlights though.)
Paul Mescal (Similar feelings with this one, not much is strong. But Paul Mescal was a solid, and charismatic host. Also, this has the Brilliant Lawyer sketch which AUTOMATICALLY makes it better than the Chris Rock episode.)
Lady Gaga (Very average, but also very consistent. Still though, Pip is the only segment in this one that stands out as strong to me, everything else isn’t all that memorable in my opinion.)
Quinta Brunson (This episode has lots of really good stuff, but there is such a genuinely off vibe. Quinta and the entire cast were off their game here.)
Scarlett Johansson (Perfectly fine episode. There’s lowlights, there’s highlights. Scarlett was solid as always.)
Timothee Chalamet (A very strong first half, then it crashes and burns with the rough Dogs as Humans sketch, and Grandma farting sketch BACK-TO-BACK. But then it rebounds slightly with the solid God animated short. This episode was WAY better on rewatch for me, but I still really don’t care for those aforementioned post-Update sketches.)
Ariana Grande (This one also grew on me quite a bit. Despite it’s rough start with the cold open, monologue, AND lead-off sketch, this episode really takes off and has plenty of strong stuff after that. But that rough start brings it down for me a bit.)
Bill Burr (Another episode that was better on rewatch. But I still am not as high on it as others are. I also still don’t care for the Bald Men sketch, despite the fact I understand what it’s going for. But this episode is really consistent, and Bill gave us one of the best monologues of the season, so that evens it out for me.)
Mikey Madison (The mostly strong back half of this one is the only reason it’s up this high honestly. If the abysmal Midwife sketch wasn’t in that back half, then it would’ve been flawless. Thanks Bowen.)
Martin Short (yeah I definitely see why people really don’t like this one but I really liked it. Martin Short was wasted as host though, which I can’t forgive the show for)
John Mulaney (Another one that I can’t really defend lol. I really enjoyed this one. My one complain is that John’s stand-up this time around was pretty underwhelming, and it’s actually my least favorite monologue from Mulaney.)
Dave Chappelle (Fairly solid, but a step down from his previous episodes. Dave was solid as always though.)
Jon Hamm (The most consistent episode of the season. Every segment in this episode worked for me, and Jon Hamm was a solid host as expected)
Shane Gillis (There are some lowlights in the first half, but the highlights COMPLETELY make up for it. It also has my favorite sketch from the season, Dad’s House)
Jack Black (Genuinely great. Everything just clicks here, and Jack Black was a fantastic host as expected. Flamin Hot Preparation H is one of the best pretapes of the season, mainly due to Black’s great commitment)
Nate Bargatze (Yeah I still love this one. Waterslide is still a perfect sketch in my opinion, and Mile High Burger Challenge is one of the most underrated sketches of the season in my opinion. Nate was fantastic once again. I’m really hoping he comes back next season, and I’m really hoping we don’t get Washington’s Dream 3.)
Blood Meridian (An absolutely fantastic episode reviewer. Nothing else needs to be said. Have a great summer, Blood.)
Thanks again for all the time you’ve taken on this season, even post-season. I always expect too much and too little from SNL, wanting change but knowing any change we get is going to be extremely staggered out and hindered by trying to make the new hires they like into the old hires many will never get over losing. It’s gotten to the point where I just take things episode by episode and other than some speculations about who may be leaving or who is favored – the usual 30 Rock parlor games – I try to just find some of the positives each week and handwave the rest. It takes a season that truly puts me off (like 48) to shake me out of the bubble.
I’m glad for the reminder of the strengths and weaknesses of this season that you have spent so much time on and the reminder to not be so complacent. The way things are going in this country, the pressures on the networks, both political and financial, each year – even each episode – could be the last. I hope someone at SNL reads your commentaries and your suggestions, and the excellent comments here, and considers a way forward in the years the show has left.
Hey, Blood. I’m not sure if he said this before or after you posted this, but Kenan recently hinted that there could be a lot of changes to SNL prior to Season 51, so, there could be some good news in terms of unexpected cast departures..
Excuse me, I have a query.
Let’s say, hypothetically, Billy Martin set fire to Studio 8H like he did in ’86, who would you save from the fire to make sure they’re back for 51?
I’d save Andrew, JAJ, Michael, Ashley and Emil. Have Heidi & Ego on for one final season.
I have been watching the SNL seasons I missed during the time when I had a hard time laughing at topical humor (basically the last 5 years), and I found your site while looking for reviews. I enjoyed your work at first, but man… it pretty quickly became uncomfortable with how much vitriol you had for some of these performers. People like Cecily, Kenan, Bowen, Heidi (to a lesser extent), Kate, Fred, etc. It’s just constant negativity and it became overwhelming. I stopped at some point in 48 when you had already started turning on people like Sarah Sherman, who you initially loved.
If watching something truly brought me as much pain as SNL apparently has brought you at points, I would find something else to watch. It gets hard to read.
First of all, thanks for reading my site.
Secondly, like you, I’m entitled to my own opinion, and a silly, dumb sketch comedy show meant to be watched for fun such as SNL is no exception. Third of all, if you think I have “vitriol” against the show and cast members for having the gall to be critical about their work in my own blog, then I suggest you do not read more of the internet; we’re all free to share our views, and when it comes to negativity, I assure you, I am a lot less critical & negative about SNL than most on the internet; just sharing them in a place more discoverable, not a comments section or a tweet in a long thread. I’ve been a lot more positive about seasons 47-50 than most people I’ve seen sharing their opinions online. Doesn’t make me better than anyone else, but just a fact for you.
I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for your comment.
Don’t pay any mind to this person as that person is too squeamish on their favorite cast members getting shat on.
I do admire the hard work you put into these blogs (and Jesse’s as well before he retired from doing them), and while I don’t agree with every opinion you have, it’s OK because you have been more positive about this era of SNL than anyone else on the internet, while at the same time, being honest with your feelings about the show and the cast, and this is coming from someone who recently got into watching SNL on a weekly basis.
Hopefully, despite not having any announcements on who’s staying or going, this upcoming season does turn it around for you and other people on the internet.
How I would address the controversy over S50 is that they’ll say its all a dream, like what happened with the notorious S11.
Oh, and I’ve also been doing SNL episode reviews of my own as well on IMDb.
I’ve only did the 2nd half of the 50th season and hoping to finish the first half by the end of summer.
Just out of curiosity, which IMDb user are you? Is it marcusmontgomery?
It is marcusmontgomery-93526, that’s where you’ll find my reviews.
Breaking news: Celeste Yim will not return as a writer for season 51.
Also, Devon Walker won’t return as a cast member for S51.
Breaking news: Emil Wakim won’t return for S51, either.
Really bummed about this. I kind of get Devon’s departure, seeing as how he didn’t make much of a mark in three seasons, but Emil showed a ton of potential. I swear, if they’ve fired him and still keep Jane Wickline I will riot.
Aaaaaaaaannnnnd now Longfellow is gone.
Now I’m pissed about this. We had a great potential Update anchor on our hands and now he’s gone. I’ll say it again, if Jane Wickline stays and these talented performers are booted out, then that proves that Lorne has no idea what he’s doing anymore. Also it’s a shame that he was pretty much non-existent in the season finale.
Yeah, I’m really mad about Longfellows departure. I think I’m done with this show now. But I’ll keep tuning in to Blood’s reviews!
Thanks, Howard.
Not sadly too surprised about these departures, as the show is going back to improv groups to rebuild the cast after years of standups, which mostly didn’t work out. Michael had the potential, but I hope he has a good career ahead of him.
Farewell to Heidi Gardner, leaving after an 8 seasons tenure. Those first 4 seasons and this last were simply amazing. Right from the get-go, Heidi just had it all, with a spark, raw talent and the ability to convey so much with so little effort. She left at the perfect time, even when I would’ve been fine with one more season, and I wish her the very best.
Now Heidi is leaving
Breaking News:
5 new cast members will be joining the show as featured players for S51, including a PDD player that will join the cast, while one will leave the show and one that’ll stick around as a writer.
The new featured players are Ben Marshall from PDD, Kam Patterson, Veronika Slowikowska, Tommy Brennan and Jeremy Culhane, while John Higgins will leave the show and Martin Herlihy will stay as a writer, and the PDD pre-tapes will be no more.
A bit mixed overall on the hires. Jeremy is a fantastic performer, one of the best currently and I know he’ll do a great job. His work on Dropout alone made me a big fan. Ben is fine, I can see him being a solid deadpan. Tommy, seems likable, but nothing really caught me. Veronika is great and can perform quite well, both in live and pretaped formats. Surprised they didn’t hire her last season with the rumors going around. Kam, I ain’t buying. He seems radioactively unfunny. And while I enjoyed some Kill Tony alums, he just has no distinct comedic voice or anything that made me think he’d be a good fit. I’ll still have an open mind about him, however.
I just hope we are indeed getting some more departures, as 18 cast members is WAY too much, unless we lose half the cast after next season. I just hope the newbies and newer players get to be utilized well.
Forgot to mention that two other writers are leaving the show as well. Rosebud Baker and, leaving for the second time, Steven Castillo.
Looks like we got another one leaving the cast, which was announced earlier today.
Ego Nwodim won’t be returning to SNL for S51.
The first three lineups of S51 have been announced:
Oct 4 – Bad Bunny / Doja Cat
Oct 11 – Amy Poehler / Role Model
Oct 18 – Sabrina Carpenter
Honestly, this doesn’t sound very promising so far.
Yeah, besides Amy (whom I’m surprised is just hosting the second time on her own and for the first time in 11 seasons), not too hot on the two other picks. And even with her, it feels like a moment that’s passed many seasons ago. I’m sure she’ll be the best host for a while next season, at least.
Bad Bunny is fun at times on the show, but a recurring host? Nope. I’m also not exactly a fan of Sabrina Carpenter and how extremely overexposed she is. I got the feeling her show will be a Charli XCX situation, though I doubt she herself will be as good.
The MG picks are pretty dull as well so far. I’m only familiar with Role Model due to that one song, so I’m interested in how he’ll do. The other two? Nope.
I don’t know any songs from Role Model, and I think I only liked one song from Doja Cat, and that was pre-quarantine.
Is Bad Bunny the first person to act as host or musical guest for two episodes in a row?
He is yes.