Pete, Kate, Aidy, And Kyle's Final SNL Sketches Were Silly And Sweet Goodbyes
It's the end of a SNL era.
Another season of Saturday Night Live has come and gone, but the Season 47 finale stung especially hard for fans of the iconic sketch comedy series. The episode marked one of the biggest group exits from the show in recent memory, as four long-time cast members left SNL. Before they left, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney said goodbye in their final SNL sketches, which managed to mix silly jokes with some truly heartfelt sentiment.
Saturday Night Live fans knew the May 21 episode would be a big one, and not just because Natasha Lyonne was making her hosting debut for the season finale. The episode also served as a sendoff for four long-time cast members. For both McKinnon and Bryant, the goodbye came after a full decade on the show, which they joined back in 2012. Mooney had been with SNL since 2013, and Davidson since 2014, so all four departures were pretty major deals.
Throughout the episode, each departing cast member get to say goodbye in their own way, and it really hit home for viewers that this was the end of an era for SNL.
Pete Davidson’s Final SNL Sketch
Davidson had become known for his personal “Weekend Update” segments throughout his time on SNL, so it made sense for him to leave with one last update. He dropped in on Colin Jost and Michael Che to poke some fun at his public ups and downs while a cast member, like his engagement to Ariana Grande and his feud with Kanye West. He then teared up a bit while thanking his castmates and showrunner Lorne Michaels for giving him unforgettable memories over the past eight years.
In a cut-for-time sketch uploaded to YouTube after the episode, Davidson paid tribute to Michaels in an Eminem parody video... which Eminem himself appeared in.
Kate McKinnon’s Final SNL Sketch
McKinnon’s big farewell moment came at the very start of the episode. She reprised her unfortunate abductee character Ms. Rafferty in the cold open, which ended with her frequently featured character finally joining the aliens who so often abducted her. “I love ya. Thanks for letting me stay awhile,” McKinnon said before boarding the UFO.
Aidy Bryant’s Final SNL Sketch
Bryant also reprised a fan-favorite character for her farewell. She appeared on “Weekend Update” alongside Bowen Yang as their trend forecasters characters. The normally absurdist segment took a sweet turn at the end, when Bryant’s character reflected on “ten nice years” and got a kiss from Yang and Che.
Kyle Mooney’s Final SNL Sketch
Unfortunately, Mooney didn’t really get a big sendoff moment like his costars did. He did appear in multiple sketches during the episode, but was never the main focus. Technically, his final sketch was his appearance in a silly commercial for grey pigtails, which also featured McKinnon and Bryant.
The strange lack of a sendoff for Mooney didn’t sit well with SNL fans, who thought it was a pretty rude to not give the nine-year cast member the same farewell platform as the others. Then again, it might have been a meta joke since Mooney’s sketches are infamous for being cut for time.
After one last laugh, it’s time for SNL fans to say goodbye to some longtime faves. But it’s not a true goodbye really, since all four of the comedians are sure to be in even more shows and movies now that they have more time to spare.
