Saturday Night Live (SNL) celebrated its awaited milestone with music, star power, and callbacks to iconic sketches that hit long time fans with nostalgic feels.
Celebrating 50 years, the three-hour SNL50: Anniversary Special aired Feb. 16 with a star-packed cast and audience. I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I tuned in on Saturday night for music and laughs, but it did not disappoint. For me, the extra long special had just the right balance between freshly funny and paying tribute to the show’s half a century history.
Here are 7 of the most memorable moments:
1. “Homeward Bound” – Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter
Instead of the usual cold open sketch, the show came in on a slightly somber note with a Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter duet of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.”
Introducing the song, Simon, 83, noted that he previously sang the song with George Harrison on “SNL” in 1976.
“I was not born then,” Carpenter, 25, quipped. “And neither were my parents.”
The two musicians, backlit by blue stage lights, were a musical representation of the show’s long musical history: Simon representing the early days after its premier in 1975 and Carpenter symbolic of today.
I thought it was the perfect way to start a show steeped in 50 years of history and the two had surprising musical chemistry that drew me into the following opening monologue by Steve Martin.
2 . “The Lawrence Welk Show”
Kicking off the comedic segments, Kristen Wiig stepped into her iconic character, Dooneese, alongside a mustachioed Will Ferrell, in a reprise of the meme-favorite sketch, “The Lawrence Welk Show.”
Bringing fresh faces to this rendition, the four Maharelle sisters were played by Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian, Ana Gasteyer… and Wiig rolling in as Dooneese in the sidecar of a scooter, complete with her signature mini-hands, wide forehead and wonky teeth.
With the original “The Lawrence Welk Show” sketch airing in 2008 and Wiig leaving the cast in 2012, staging her return to the show in such a recognizable role really tickled my nostalgic millennial heart.
3. “Black Jeopardy”
The “Black Jeopardy” sketch has been on the show a number of times over the years and has featured Tom Hanks, Drake, and the late Chadwick Boseman, but for SNL50 the panel was stacked with three former cast members.
Eddie Murphy made his show entrance as Tracy Morgan next to the real Tracy Morgan and Leslie Jones as a contestants with Kenan Thompson as host. Before the end, Thompson was biting his tongue to keep from laughing while Jones ended up letting out a few laughs at a particularly punchy Murphy moment.
Having Eddie Murphy do an impression of frequently wild Tracy Morgan right next to the real thing, was a stroke of pure comedic genius. It was impossible to keep from laughing and I appreciated the nod to three eras of Black actors on the cast.
4. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Miley Cyrus with Brittany Howard
Introduced by Aubrey Plaza, in her first public appearance since her husband’s death, Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard ruled the stage in a chills-inducing rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
The song holds a dual meaning on the SNL stage: a tribute to Prince, who wrote the song, and a call back to Sinead O’Connor, who made the song famous, and her controversial 1992 SNL set ender.
History aside, Cyrus’ raspy voice and Howard’s striking guitar made for a moving and captivating moment between the laughs. It felt relevant while still pulling roots from the past that fit the theme of the night.
5. “Close Encounter”
In a reprise of another long-running sketch “Close Encounter,” Meryl Streep made her very first SNL appearance alongside Kate McKinnon, Pedro Pascal, and Woody Harrelson. Streep is introduced as Mrs. Rafferty, mother to McKinnon’s recurring character, the often-abducted Ms. Rafferty, in an interview at the Pentagon for alien abductees.
The sketch keeps the very effective and raucously formula of its predecessors and adds a new level of funny with acting icon Streep in the mix. The SNL newbie played perfectly against McKinnon for a performance that had the rest struggling to hold back laughter.
While McKinnon only left the show in 2022, for me she really stepped in to fill the space left by Kristen Wiig’s departure and seeing her back on the show for another recognizable sketch was really fun.
6. Adam Sandler’s Musical Tribute to SNL
Anytime Adam Sandler dresses up, you know it’s worth paying attention, and his SNL50 performance was no exception.
In a very rare appearance, reclusive actor Jack Nicholson introduced Sandler to the stage for a tribute to the impact of SNL. Armed with an acoustic guitar, his performance was sprinkled with jokes about the show and creator Lorne Michaels.
The song shifted to a nod to the show’s numerous cast members over the years, culminating in a slightly more emotional note with Sandler choking up when naming Chris Farley and Norm Macdonald — both former castmates and friends of the actor who have passed on.
I grew up watching Farley era reruns with my grandmother, who adored his uproarious brand of comedy. The moment evoked immense emotion of the bittersweet notes of the past both on the show and in my life, as I think it did for many who bridge the generational gap with SNL laughter.
7. New York Musical
Former SNL writer John Mulaney and former cast member Pete Davidson took the stage for a whirlwind of a big musical number that spoofed familiar Broadway staples to tell a story about the dark side of New York City, harkening back to the duos’ 2018 “Diner Lobster” sketch.
As a Broadway fan, the sketch was smorgasbord of showtunes spoofs and I ate up every crumb.
Notably, Broadway legend Nathan Lane took the stage for a song about New York in the 80s, “Cocaine and Some Vodka,” to the tune of “Hakuna Matata” which originally featured Lane as the meerkat Timon.
The closing number “One Day More,” a spoof on the Les Miserables classic and call back to the original sketch, really hit home with Kenan Thompson as the diner lobster. I also appreciated the cameo from Nick Jonas, who played Marius in Les Miserables for a short stint in 2010.
