Saturday Night Live‘s 17 best moments from season 47
Behold: the SNL sketches (and one performance) that impressed us the most during the show's 2021–2022 run
TV Lists Saturday Night Live
With SNL’s 48th season premiering tonight with guest host Miles Teller and a troupe of fresh new faces, we thought it would be a good time to look back at the sketches (and one noteworthy performance) that stood out from the show’s 47th season.
Of course, evaluating an entire season of Saturday Night Live is tough. With some 180 sketches (not to mention monologues, Weekend Updates, musical performances, and all the rest) over roughly 20 episodes, a season of SNL can blur into a hazy wash of sound, fury, and questionably necessary recurring bits. But with so much output, there are bound to be some truly memorable moments.
Here then, is a look back at the best stuff from SNL’s 2021–2022 run, which turned out to be a swan song for plenty of cast members, many of whom figure prominently in the clips that follow.
This list is in chronological order. A season finale version was published on May 23.
69 Comments
When was the show finale? Cuz it needs to be off the air. It fucking sucks a big Esther Wang dick.
I found the Angelo skit so dumb and ridiculous at first, but by the end of it I really enjoyed it and was happy when it came back a few weeks later. My poor kids, whenever they mumble something I start my impression, “uh say, say for me.”Also, the new Trump impression is fantastic in how crazy/accurate the stream of consciousness is.
Seydabobnpeeto flubblepinscroonla toniiiiiight!
Loved Angelo the first time, was disappointed when it ended up as an online-only cut-for-time sketch the next two times, and now I’m worried Athari won’t be on the show next year…
my ONLY complaint about the t***p impersonation is that it doesn’t appear to piss off the real asshole as much as Baldwin’s extremely broad impersonation did, but then that would be expected since t***p is extremely dumb and probably baffled and confused by subtlety.
You guys wrote like eight posts about the Sara Sherman Weekend Update bit, it was genuinely funny but it doesn’t make the cut? I will never figure out modern AV Club logic.
I still can’t get over that Swift performance, and I’m a middle-aged dude who doesn’t even listen to her music. I know it’s ridiculous that she got so wrapped up in a short-term relationship with an older guy who obviously wasn’t as into her. That’s not really the point.Also, wasn’t it her scarf?
It was absolutely, and famously, her scarf. Something, something, fired for that blunder.
It was Perkins who wrote it, so something something, you can’t fire him because he quit.
I was corrected by my friend’s teenage daughter when discussing Taylor’s SNL performance & mistakenly thinking she left her sweater, not scarf, at her bf’s sister’s. So I have sympathy for this otherwise shameful error
I’ve barely ever paid attention to Swift; I’m pretty old and modern pop music…. well. But I watched that documentary Miss Americana, and belatedly began to realize that she’s quite the talent. That ten-minute version of “All Too Well” (not sure I’ve ever heard the original) was a knockout.And she was flat out hilarious in that Three Sad Virgins thing. I guess I should have been paying attention to her all this time.
I have daughters so it’s frankly refreshing to see a young pop star grow up without feeling the need to make an ass of herself. Plus even if a lot of what she writes it a bit overwrought, it comes from an honest place of what she was feeling at the time. This song’s a good example. She wrote it after having her heart broken when she was 20, and there’s no question about the genuine emotion behind it (which she communicates wonderfully).
I have daughters too, and the only way I tried to influence their taste in pop music was to lean them towards – “well, sure, she can sing. Let’s find out if she writes her own songs too!” Sometimes that worked out. And they liked Taylor Swift from the beginning – I didn’t listen to her too much till recently, but she’s good, and a decent-ish role model as well.
I just came around to T-Swift (as the kidZ call her) and am more than impressed. It was the folklore stuff that finally turned the table for me as I am … just like you described yourself.
She was also endearingly self-deprecating about her recent honorary doctorate (she was the NYU Commencement Speak, and while not the best public speaker and a little long, it was actually a solid commencement speech). T-Swift was clearly having a great time with all the pomp and circumstance, and as someone who had neither a traditional hs or college experience or those ceremonies she had a some solid observations about expectations vs livid realities and being okay with things not quite turning out how you pictured. And it was clear that she was really excited to have that kind of cap-and-gown moment in some way.
I actually think the best Please Don’t Destroy sketch was Touch Up, when the three guys got work done (cheap botox, a second face, and especially longer fingers). Those fingers left me in stitches, especially the references to the Babadook and Pan’s Labyrinth.
That was also my favorite, along with Calling Angie, which had a good build and a funny conclusion. Three Sad Virgins was an obvious stab at becoming known, which I respect (especially when most of their shorts still get cut), but reminded me too much of the somewhat tedious starfucking era of the Lonely Island films.
Do the people who made The Big Comfy Couch still exist as a legal entity? Cuz I always wondered if they were gonna sue the crap out of SNL for 100% ripping off Loonette’s look…
I can’t imagine they do, since the real Loonette was allowed to wield a chainsaw and go full psycho clown in Canada: Might be a Banana Splits situation where they said “Fuck it, do what you want”.
Possible. That was also the original actress, so it may have been officially sanctioned/licensed. Who knows? 😀
All I know is, that clip fills me with joy, haha. Children’s entertainers don’t get enough opportunities to let loose with their characters.
Doesn’t matter in this case the 1988 Supreme Court ruling in Hustler vs. Jerry Falwell established parody as protected free speech.
I don’t think that applies, though. I looked up the definition, and part of it says “it is regarded as a criticism or comment on the original copyrighted work”. There’s no commentary or criticism on BCC here. They’re just using the imagery straight up.
It’s a basic clown look, so no.
I disagree. Purplish hat, black, curly hair pulled through it in two pigtails, red nose with no/minimal make up, pink sleeveless garment overtop a top with yellow and pink patterning? Your homework is to bring me back five other clowns with a similar look. I will probably fail you and send you back a grade.
Pink hat and yellow shirtsleeves. And red noses are quite ubiquitous. Again, nothing here that is really protectable,Either way, unless the actress in question has a career as that clown, it would be unprotectable anyway. Trademark law would be the only law under which she might make a claim and she would have to regularly make money as that clown for her to stake any claim to it. It’s why the guys in Spinal Tap periodically did something every few years after the movie came out. If that was just a sketch, then forget it,
Does Loonette have an egg? That’s the only legitimate question.
Fun fact. Alyson Court , who played Loonette, also played Claire Redfield.
Personally I think the Kim K episode was notable, for the fact that her opening monologue was killer writing (understandable when you have a jabillion veteran comedians writing it for you), and everything else in that episode was as terrible as you’d expect from endless Kardashian cameos.I honestly can’t understand how people enjoy the Angelo sketch- it’s a well-done character, but as per SNL procedure (aka the tried-and-true “RULE OF SEVENS”) the joke never evolves for the full 5 min run, and repeat appearances makes it all the more apparent. I feel like there would be more to the sketch if it was something on Key & Peele, WKUK, or many of the myriad online sketch groups.I think the best decisions SNL has made of late is capitalizing on the rising talent like Please Don’t Destroy, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman- though I would like to see them give more slack in Sherman’s leash. I love what she’s done as Sarah Squirm, and even if they allow a teensy bit of weird to SNL, I would enjoy it as much as the average SNL viewer would loathe it.
What’s the “rule of sevens”?
What about “Walking In Staten?” I mean that was simply amazing
Yeah, this was a good one. I loved the escalation of absurdity in the video.
Johnson’s Trump was actually a personal lowlight for me. I recognize its technical excellence, but in the current context I just can’t find that sort of characterization of Trump funny. There is an old distinction between satire and kidding, where satire is at root a kind of social criticism, and kidding actually serves the purpose of humanizing the individual in question and thereby evoking sympathy. And Johnson’s Trump very much comes across as much more kidding than satire to me.I would nominate Sarah Sherman’s Weekend Update “roast” of Colin Jost to replace it. First, it was hilarious. Second, while also kidding in the sense above, I was OK with that because I am OK with humanizing Jost.
Interesting. I also found it humanizing of Trump, but in the sense that this is a person whose words have absolutely no substance (we all know someone like that) which is more biting and more accurate than Baldwin’s squinty-eyed mugging. Although that had its place too, for about a week.
Fully agree. I’m pretty much at the point where being reminded of Trump already puts me in a mood, so a Trump gag really has to have some teeth in it to get me back.Trump is a spiteful power-hungry monster. Any impression that dances around that is shit. Johnson’s doddering-old-man treatment is borderline cute.
Absolutely with you on both counts. The Sherman piece reminded me a bit of this from the UK.
“And while SNL’s political satire continues to dish some weak sauce, Johnson’s Biden is at least as much of an upgrade as the actual Biden is over Trump.”
I gladly voted for Biden to defeat Trump, but maybe read some news before you make statements like this, we’re still knee deep in shit…
i’ll be the third to say sarah squirm’s weekend update bit was absolutely the standout, and i’d love to see her behind the desk permanently when jost and che leave. she’s awesome.
That was a great bit. She put a LOT of energy into it and it showed.
Here are the 10 SNL sketches and performances that stand out this season, for better or worse*see the clown abortion sketch on here*Oh, so that’s the ‘for worse’
So, not much.
Fuck slideshows.Anyone care to list the sketches in the comments?
Thank you!
Just click “Start Slideshow” and then click “List slides” on the top right to see them listed out (I do that every time with these damn Kinja slide shows).
Narrow your window (like a phone) and it becomes scrollable.
I use Firefox, and narrowing the window by ~10-15% will turn the slideshow into a single scrollable page. It’s also the only way that the comment section will work – trying to go to the comments on a slideshow otherwise will only display the top comment or two.
GORGEOUS FASCIST COLIN JOST…
Canceling Cable/Men’s Room (Culkin) – The former was a good use of an ensemble as well as a problem that many could relate to, in a sketch which gradually built to a satisfying conclusion. The latter was a weird, conceptual piece with a lot of good performances and which didn’t feel like it was trying too hard – until the poor ending, anyway. The Devil (Sudeikis) – Not the most original material, but Sudeikis at his frathouse best. Months later, his barking “YOU BABYTRAPPED HER!” at Jost still cracks me up when I think about it. Man Park (Majors) – The rare fake ad of modern years that has a broadly relatable point well-presented, and finds different ways to get that point actors, rather than beating the same idea into the ground. Pete Davidson Show (Rudd) – An all-too-rare melancholy piece of modern SNL, well-performed and stylishly crafted…the closest SNL of recent times will get to Tom Schiller. Mattress (Malek) – Easily Aidy Bryant’s best performance this season, right in her wheelhouse of weirdness. Rami Malek’s infectious fun and easy chemistry with cast members were also used to good effect. Marriage (Malek – Cut For Time) – A superior update to the Lesbian Period Drama pre-tape last season. Malek and Heidi Gardner were superb, and the criticism was scathing in a way the show rarely lets itself be these days. Board Meeting (Wilson) – The main sketch in the premiere that gave me hope for the season, due to the strong use of the ensemble cast. Tiktok (Eilish) – Again, fantastic use of the full cast, and a very slick, compelling package that touched on modern tech without veering too far into “how do you do fellow kids?”
Kate McKinnon’s constant Al Jolson “Mammy!-ing is the worst of SNL’s “please love me?” approach that’s been so cringe worthy since the days of fat slobs Belushi and Chris Farley and no talent Lorranine Newman
SNL is the epitome of “applause over laughs” comedy.
While I enjoyed the Blue Bunny sketch and thought Cumberbatch and Gartner did a great job, it mostly just updated a joke premise from the 80’s.
Ehhh, I agree it’s from the same branch on the family tree, but it can stand on its own. It does suffer in comparison, both because Brenda the Waitress is an all-timer and because it really shows how much more SNL depends on a straight man repeatedly explaining the joke in this era.
From that long-forgotten almost mythical period when SNL cast members didn’t keep their eyes glued to cue-cards for every single goddamned line of every single goddamned sketch.
I thought the Chucky piece was the most alternately silly/unsettling thing they’ve done in years. Worth a slide.
Athari needs to be used more. He was absent most of the season.
Also, Athari 2600
I would have put the Nickelodeon green slime sketch in. I don’t think I laughed harder this season.
Come on, where’s the love for Monkey Judge?
(727) Monkey Trial – SNL – YouTube
Close to half were pre-taped sketches. Interesting commentary of the state of the show.
You guys can’t even do a review of Kids in the Hall, but you write article after article about SNL, which is about a tenth as funny or creative.
I can’t believe anybody still dick-rides Saturday Night Live this hard.
Find me a more exhausting phrase than “17 best moments from season 47″
it’s kind of surreal to imagine that Pete Davidson started at SNL as a “sad virgin”, that old picture of himself he shared during his farewell was shocking, like “that was YOU???” LOL
I haven’t watched a full episode of SNL in like 25 years.. but thats not to say that i havent tried.. Unpopular opinion : Pete Davidson isn’t THAT funny. Maybe I haven’t seen enough of his content, I accept that as a possibility.
The “Please Don’t Destroy” skits are super funny
No mention of Alex Moffat’s final “Guy Who Just Bought a Boat” bit from the season finale? Absolutely in my top 5 for the season.
How could you not embed videos in this article? That’s just lazy and wrong and a crime against nature!
Since the pandemic, my Sunday morning ritual, watch SNL via Hulu and Amber Ruffin via Peacock. I though I would remember more of SNL since I’ve enjoyed most of the episodes but I only remember three of these skits. Either this list is off or I need to ease up on my Sunday edible diet.
I keep reading how great Kenan Thompson is but I’ve rarely seem him being anything more than adequate. I think it’s quite telling how little Kenan there is in this list.