“SNL50: The Anniversary Special” nostalgically and artfully honors the sketch comedy show’s five-decade run, paying homage to iconic moments, cast members and writers. The special effectively celebrates the successes of “Saturday Night Live” and reflects on the landscape of comedy as a whole. Though avid fans who have watched years upon years of SNL sketches can probably enjoy the special more than casual viewers, it did what it sought to do: wholly honor the show that has been crafting humor for fifty years.
Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon opened the three-hour show with a performance of “Homeward Bound,” which Simon originally performed with George Harrison on SNL in 1976. Sixteen-time SNL host Steve Martin’s monologue centered on the traditional weakness of the monologue, in a humorous self-callout, and featured five-time hosts John Mulaney and Martin Short, the latter of whom was dragged away by fake U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a result of his Canadian identity, tying into SNL’s tradition of politically relevant jokes.
The special also featured callbacks to beloved sketches, including Black Jeopardy, during which Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones and Eddie Murphy compete in categories such as “Leave Bronny Alone” and “White People”; “Debbie Downer,” wherein Rachel Dratch disrupts bar patrons’ nights with bad news; and a third iteration of this season’s “Domingo” sketch, which features Marcelo Hernandez, Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny crashing the vow renewal ceremony of a couple who cheated on one another.
The special featured a montage of physical comedy, which was introduced by Molly Shannon and Emma Stone. It also included an “in memoriam” collection of sketches that aged poorly, introduced by Tom Hanks and featuring past appearances by Diddy, R. Kelly and Kanye West. “Weekend Update,” hosted by Colin Jost, Michael Che and Seth Meyers, featured callbacks to classic characters such as Drunk Uncle (Bobby Moynihan) and Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party (Cecily Strong) concluding with Bill Murray’s ranking of previous Update anchors. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted an audience Q&A (featuring a choice comment from Ryan Reynolds about wife Blake Lively’s ongoing legal battle), Pete Davidson’s “Chad” made a pass at Larraine Newman and Andy Samberg and Bowen Yang sang about SNL-induced anxiety (reaffirming my undying love for Andy Samberg and really any even remotely attractive man on SNL in the early 2000s).
Despite diagnoses of SNL’s decline in recent years, the opening seconds of each sketch reminded viewers why the show has lasted for five decades: It is witty, quirky and (mostly) unafraid to take risks. Just the setup of Kate McKinnon in an ugly plaid shirt, jean-clad legs sprawled loosely before her in what viewers know before anyone speaks will be a rendition of the “Close Encounter” sketches reminded me why SNL reruns got me through days home sick as a child. Miley Cyrus and Brittnee Howard’s performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U” — a callback to Sinead O’Connor’s 1992 performance of the song, during which she tore a photo of Pope John Paul II in protest of sex abuse in the Catholic Church — reminded audiences of the power and influence of Studio 8H’s stage. Watching cast members smirk when they are not supposed to and look away from the camera gave me that familiar feeling that these are the people I grew up on, people I have laughed along with for the better part of 19 years. It is a familiarity and homelines only a show so long living and agile can achieve, which the live aspect of the show thrives on — viewers are there for the missteps and inopportune giggles, for the hosts mispronouncing musical guests’ names and credits rolling over goodnights in front of a live band. It can make you feel part of something, part of the glamour of New York and the chaos of SNL.
Adam Sandler’s song, with its melody and stage setup reminiscent of his 2019 tribute song to SNL cast member Chris Farley, who died in 1997, perfectly blended emotional nostalgia into the otherwise playful special. Through its closing lyrics, “50 years of the best times of our lives” — during which Sandler choked up while singing —the song thanked SNL for its contribution to the careers and lives of Sandler and his coworkers. Furthermore, I thought the decision to tribute Farley and Norm MacDonald, a Weekend Update anchor who died in 2021, at the end of the performance was particularly impactful. Having Sandler, one of Farley’s close friends, deliver the tribute was an authentic way to honor the deceased figureheads of SNL, which avoided feeling performative.
The special also beautifully honored New York City, SNL’s home city, from Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph’s rendition of “Bronx Beat” to a full-scale musical medley parody centering the city’s history led by Mulaney. The musical sketch featured Rudolph dressed as the Statue of Liberty, a callback to her playing the same character in Mulaney’s previous musical sketch aired the Saturday before the 2020 election. As a New York native (albeit from Long Island), the musical’s fast-paced nature, shocking guest appearances and ability to simultaneously poke fun at and praise the city, left me in awe.
While maybe not appealing to unfamiliar audiences, the special successfully honors the sketches and city that make comedy cool. “SNL50” does what the show has always excelled at: effectively executing intelligent and funny writing, catering to its live audience and reminding viewers why they still feel the words “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night” deep in their chest.
