Just as Saturday Night Live said goodbye for another season, so, too, did Mr. Bunting’s students say farewell to their beloved teacher. I did not expect to see an almost shot-by-shot Dead Poets Society parody in last night’s Fred Armisen-hosted finale (check out the Lonely Island’s Digital Short about Vanessa Bayer wanting Popstar‘s Conner4real to f*ck her like America f*cked Bin Laden), and I certainly did not expect the sketch to turn out the way it did.
No spoilers, but “Farewell Mr. Bunting” begins with Bobby Moynihan’s crusty old headmaster informing the students of Windermere that Mr. Bunting will no longer be teaching there. While the young scholars are forced to read from a textbook (“Poetry should not be fun, it should be oppressive and the reader should hate it”), Mr Bunting, played by Armisen, returns to pick up his belongings. In protest of the headmaster’s decision, and to show their support for their professor, the students stand up on their desks and say, “I sing my song for all to hear.” It’s a direct nod to the “O Captain! My Captain!” scene from Dead Poets, but with a very different conclusion. It’s great.
“Farewell Mr. Bunting” is being hailed as an instant classic.
Well, hope whoever wrote that Mr. Bunting sketch is given a raise for next season. #SNL #SNLFinale
— Dr. Black (@BKBlack28) May 22, 2016
Farewell Mr. Bunting might be the hardest I've laughed at an #SNL skit in the last 5 years. I'm still crying. #SNLFinale
— Rob Simms (@IamRobSimms) May 22, 2016
Mr. Bunting sketch was an all time classic @nbcsnl
— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) May 22, 2016
#SNLFinale Strongest ep of the season, with the Mr. Bunting sketch calling back to the darkness of Michael O’Donoghue.
— Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) May 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/DrGMLaTulippe/status/734309130207252481
https://twitter.com/stuheritage/status/734304702658162692
dit is een instant classic https://t.co/sjxWDuyi9n
— Thijs Schrik (@Schrik) May 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/OClaire1029671/status/734344891824754692
https://twitter.com/stephenstaunton/status/734341175054860288
Farewell, Mr. Bunting was one of the best SNL skits in a long time. Tonight was one of the better episodes in quite awhile. Armisen is great
— John Ernenputsch (@jpooch21) May 22, 2016
Farewell Mr. Bunting was the most hilarious #SNL sketch I've seen in a long time 😂 I was dying laughing! Not sure what that says about me…
— katie (@ktmg__) May 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/GaryBregar/status/734253993539473408
One of the greatest SNL sketches of all time: "Farewell Mr. Bunting" (Dead Poets Society) https://t.co/aPQsreEAnh
— Daniel Rubin (@DanielYRubin) May 22, 2016
Farewell, Mr. Bunting; farewell, SNL.
