The final new episode of Saturday Night Live aired this weekend, and the show used its cold open to close the loop on Season 46 with an appearance from the season’s first host to look back on the very, very weird year that was. Chris Rock was back among the cast on Saturday, making a few jokes about the election and insurrection-filled Season 46 in a sketch that featured nearly the full cast and some emotional moments.
“We went from doing very weird shows at home to terrifying shows in person,” Bowen Yang said as the cast made some jokes about returning to New York to film live during a pandemic. There are several COVID-era jokes, one of the many complications that came from a season done amid several crises.
“I remember hearing if you can hold your breath for 10 seconds you don’t have COVID,” Aidy Bryant said. “And I did that so much, because I believe in science.”
Despite airing a brief montage of highlights that was actually just Elon Musk dancing as Wario, the show did get a bit reflective on its place in the cultural landscape thanks to Rock, who said it “feels like six years ago” that he hosted the season’s first episode in the fall. He then delivered an anecdote to show just how far things had swung in just a few months.
“I wanted Kanye West to be the musical guest, and he couldn’t do it because he was running for president. And the sitting president, who said COVID wasn’t real, got COVID,” Rock said. “That was this season. That was this season!”
He also roasted the show for continuing to trudge through the late winter and spring, suggesting that the show should have gone out with Trump’s loss in November.
“Then the election was over, Heatmiser loses, right? Big moment for SNL. Clearly the right time to leave. To end the season,” Rock said. “But no. These idiots did twelve more shows. Even Jim Carrey knew it was time to go home.”
The sketch also had some emotional moments, including a tribute to people from the show and family members who died during the year. But the sketch mostly felt like one of relief, that the cast and crew made it to the finish line of a year that had major challenges, unprecedented circumstances and plenty to joke about.
