SNL50: A Celebration of Five Decades, Yet Stuck in the Present

Last night, Saturday Night Live (SNL) celebrated a monumental milestone: its 50th anniversary. The highly anticipated special, SNL50: The Anniversary Special, aired in prime time, promising to honor the show’sfive decades of cultural impact. Created and executive-produced by Lorne Michaels, SNL has been a cornerstone of American comedy, shaping generations of performers, writers, and audiences alike. However, the three-hour special struggled to balance its vast and complicated history with a tendency to lean on familiar, recent material. While it was a star-studded spectacle, the evening often felt more like a celebration of the show’s contemporary success than a deep dive into its iconic past.

Playing It Safe: Recency Bias and Familiar Favorites

The special’s reliance on recent and recurring sketches was one of its most noticeable shortcomings. Instead of mining the show’s extensive archives, it revisited characters and bits from the past 20 years. Kristen Wiig reprised her quirky character Dooneese, the doll-handed performer from The Lawrence Welk Show, joined by Ana Gasteyer, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, and Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet. Kate McKinnon returned as Colleen Rafferty, the alien-abducted woman, this time with Meryl Streep making her SNL debut as her mother. While these sketches were well-executed, they lacked the risk and innovation that define SNL at its best.

One of the most glaring examples of this recency bias was Sabrina Carpenter’s take on the viral “Domingo” sketch. First introduced during Ariana Grande’s hosting stint in October, the bit relies on catchy pop culture parodies. Carpenter’s version reworked Wicked’s “Defying Gravity,” nodding to Grande’s recent role in the film adaptation. While the sketch was undeniably catchy, its reuse felt repetitive and uninspired—especially as it marked the third iteration in just four months. These moments made the special feel less like a celebration of SNL’s entire legacy and more like a highlight reel of its most recent hits.

A Narrow Focus in a Year of Reflection

The special’s narrow focus contrasted sharply with the storytelling surrounding SNL’s 50th season. In the lead-up to the anniversary, documentaries like SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night and Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music delved into the show’s deep history. These projects highlighted the show’s groundbreaking moments, from Fear’s controversial 1981 performance to Sinéad O’Connor’s infamous pope-staged stunt. They painted a vivid picture of SNL as a cultural force, touching corners of society that few other shows have reached. Unfortunately, the special itself failed to capture that same breadth, instead prioritizing characters and celebrities that resonate with younger audiences.

Even when the special did revisit older material, it often did so through a modern lens. For example, Mike Myers brought back his “Coffee Talk” character Linda Richman, but the sketch was framed within Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph’s “Bronx Beat,” a bit from the late 2000s. While some of these newer sketches offered surprising twists—like Eddie Murphy’s flawless impression of Tracy Morgan in “Black Jeopardy”—they still felt like safe choices. Moments like these hinted at the potential for something greater but left viewers wanting more of the daring, envelope-pushing humor SNL is known for.

Nostalgia and Self-Reflection: The Special’s Brightest Moments

Amidst the reliance on familiar material, there were moments that truly captured the spirit of SNL as a cultural institution. John Mulaney’s New York–themed musical sketch was a standout, taking viewers on a journey through the city’s past five decades. Nathan Lane’s performance as a 1980s financier singing “Cocaine and Some Vodka” to the tune of The Lion King’s “Hakuna Matata” was a wickedly funny highlight, blending Disney charm with edgy satire. This was SNL at its best—bold, unexpected, and unafraid to push boundaries.

The special’s most poignant moments, however, were its quieter, more reflective ones. Tom Hanks’ “In Memoriam” segment, dedicated not to deceased legends but to aged and problematic jokes, was both cringeworthy and refreshingly self-aware. While it didn’t always stick the landing—following it with a “Scared Straight” sketch that leaned on the same tired gay-panic humor was a misstep—it served as a sobering reminder that not all of SNL’s legacy holds up today. These moments of introspection added depth to an otherwise lighthearted celebration.

Looking Back: The Power of Nostalgia and Loss

Other moments that looked back at the show’s history with genuine affection were among the special’s most effective. Adam Sandler, introduced by the rare appearance of Jack Nicholson, performed an original song filled