Here we are again, another year of SNL. The famed sketch series begins its 41st season this Saturday with Miley Cyrus, followed by Amy Schumer and The Weeknd, and Tracy Morgan and Demi Lovato. Uproxx will of course have night-of clips and a next-day scorecard, but until then, it’s predictions time.
1. This weekend’s premiere has the opportunity to set the tone for the entire season. If the topical material is solid, with so much to work with, there’s promise; if it isn’t, then we’re in trouble. Expect the cold open to be about the Pope and/or Kim Davis, who will mercifully only be relevant for another week, but otherwise, there’s going to be a lot of Donald Trump (played by Taran Killam) and Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) this season, including an appearance from the real-life former Secretary of State. Saturday’s episode is a Magic 8-Ball — “will SNL nail the political sketches?” Ask again later.
2. Pete Davidson was largely relegated to “playing himself during Weekend Update” status. Those days are gone. He was last season’s breakout star, and his fame has only grown in the offseason. There were the Mr. Robot comparisons, the Steve Rannazzisi tweets, and the requisite New York Times profile, which said that he “stood out last season for his deceptively plain-spoken, wide-eyed takes on young male immaturity.” Also, Bill Hader, who “recommended” him to Lorne Michaels, said that Davidson is done with weed jokes. He’s going to get a lot more material. I think he’s up for the challenge.
3. A partial list of hosts we’ll see this season: I could say Seth Rogen, or Jack Black, or Brie Larson, or Jennifer Lawrence, but I won’t, because what I’m most interested in seeing who from Star Wars: The Force Awakens makes the cut. Personal favorite Oscar Isaac would be a great fit, but I’m not sure he’s famous enough to host? Inside Llewyn Davis and Ex Machina weren’t exactly blockbusters. Same with newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. Of the original trio, Old Man Ford is the least likely to do it; he’s never even appeared on SNL. I can imagine Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher making guest appearances, but not getting host duties. The best bet is Adam Driver, who’s secretly hilarious. Hey, it can’t be any worse than his Simpsons episode.
4. A partial list of musical guests we’ll see this season: Chvrches, Fetty Wap, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ellie Goulding, Selena Gomez, Tame Impala, Kacey Musgraves, and Janet Jackson (who will hopefully reprise her “Cork Soakers” sketch). Run the Jewels should both host and be the musical guest.
5. Kate McKinnon is a dynamo, someone whose mere presence makes every sketch better. But to the general public, she’s still not as recognizable as, say, Kristen Wiig. This is a good thing, because it means fewer recurring characters. Beck Bennett’s adult-baby might not be your thing, but it’s a lot better than Kat and Garth. The characters that are most likely to return: Jebidiah Atkinson (Taran Killam), Bruce Chandling (Kyle Mooney), Girlfriends Talk Show hosts Morgan and Kyra (Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong), and the unnamed porn stars (Strong and Vanessa Bayer). Oh, and Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy, because SNL needs at least one overused character.
6. Rarely does the cast stay unchanged for too long. The repertory players for season 41 are identical to the ones from season 40, except for Kyle Mooney, who was upgraded from featured player status. Considering SNL has lost Wiig, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Nasim Pedrad since season 38, that’s a big deal. Expect a not-unsubstantial purge after this season. I’d hate to lose Bobby Moynihan, but he’s been there since 2008 and had less to do last season than in recent years. He may be ready to move on. Same with the new Darrell Hammond, Kenan Thompson.
7. Of the 10 sketches on my best-of list from last season, six were pre-recorded and/or Digital Shorts, including four of the top five. There will be even more this season, because, well, take a look at the most-watched videos on SNL‘s YouTube page. Five of the top seven aren’t live. It’s the pre-recorded sketches, the ones with a higher production values and a closer attention to detail, particularly when spoofing a specific aspect of pop culture (like The Rock in Bambi), that are the most popular. And often the funniest.
8. Every fourth commercial will be Norm Macdonald’s KFC spot, until he gets fired and Jon Lovitz takes over. Then David Spade, then Kevin Nealon, then Dana Carvey, until the ads look like the final Falconer sketch.
9. This season will be better than the last. HOT TAKE, I know, but all the nonsense surrounding Trump and the other presidential candidates should provide enough fodder to last through the winter (see No. 1), and there’s no SNL40 to contend with. Lorne would never admit it this, but that had to mess things up. So much attention was paid to the special that it took sorely needed time away from the actual show. It’s no wonder the episodes with J.K. Simmons and Blake Shelton, which aired before SNL40, and Dakota Johnson, which aired after, were three of the season’s worst.
10. That being said, we will complain, “SNL isn’t as funny as it used to be,” because we’re not 16 anymore and people have been saying that since season two. It’s as much of a tradition as the monologue following the cold open.
