Saturday Night Live is back with a bang. In its 50th season, NBC’s hit sketch comedy series has blessed us with iconic sketches like “More Cowbell,” kooky characters like Matt Foley and chaotic performances like Ashlee Simpson’s lip-syncing fail. This year, Lorne Michaels went all out to ensure that this landmark season would not disappoint, and it’s already off to a wonderful start. From the return of fan-favorite cast members like Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey for the political cold opens to the all-star hosting lineup ranging from Ariana Grande to John Mulaney, there has been little to complain about.
Since this season of SNL has already put forth some hilarious sketches, I decided to rank my 10 favorites so far. This list will only include live sketches and pre-tapes; no cold opens, monologues or Weekend Update segments will be counted.
Before we start, honorable mentions go out to Castrati (Ariana Grande) Golf Tournament (Nate Bargatze), Celine Dion Sports Promo (Ariana Grande), A Father’s Promise (Jean Smart) and the viral Bridesmaid Speech (Ariana Grande). These sketches were all hilarious but just missed a spot in my Top 10. Now, onto the rankings!
10 – Maybelline (Ariana Grande)
I had no clue Ariana Grande was such a talented impressionist, and her take on Jennifer Coolidge was downright hysterical, especially when paired with Chloe Fineman. This sketch doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes it an enjoyable watch. Plus, a surprise guest shows up later on, further adding to the hilarity.
9 – TikTok (Michael Keaton)
AJ and Big Justice. Call Her Daddy. Questionable products for sale at extremely low prices. Dancing weathermen. Tradwives. Food reviews. That one guy who sings anytime he sees a celebrity. It’s all here, and it’s scarily accurate.
8 – Spirit Halloween (Jean Smart)
Jokes about Spirit never get old, and SNL did a great job roasting their business model. I mean, how can you not laugh at the concept of a store that operates for three months at most in virtually any open storefront?
7 – My Best Friend’s House (Ariana Grande)
I’m not going to spoil it, but the plot twist alone makes this a top-tier sketch. The song is catchy, the visuals are great, and Ariana Grande plays the lead role perfectly. I prefer this song to “Domingo” and guarantee it’ll be stuck in your head soon.
6 – Please Don’t Destroy – Skydiving (Michael Keaton)
I love Please Don’t Destroy for its dry humor, absurd concepts and polished special effects. I also love it when they venture outside their usual office setup for their pretapes, hence why I enjoyed their skydiving antics this time.
5 – Washington’s Dream 2 (Nate Bargatze)
The original “Washington’s Dream” is arguably the best sketch to come out of SNL in the past few years, and I’m glad to say that its follow-up is a worthy successor. Nothing will ever capture the magic from the first time George Washington explained his plans for his new nation, but the follow-up installment has plenty more clever jabs at our country’s measurement systems.
4 – New York City Council Campaign (John Mulaney)
Here’s the catch: A man with a very unfortunate first and last name tries to run for public office, and no one can take him seriously. This man is actually a real person, which makes the joke a million times funnier than it already is.
3 – Forbidden Romance (Michael Keaton)
I can’t even with this one. SNL chose violence by making fun of the whitest song from the 21st century, and I appreciate them greatly for doing so. If you can guess what it is before Andrew Dismukes starts playing it, you deserve a pat on the back.
2 – Water Park (Nate Bargatze)
Dark humor is my thing, and it doesn’t get worse than a fatal accident on a water slide. Add in some deadpan delivery from my favorite current cast member, Michael Longfellow and you’ve got a near-perfect sketch.
1 – Port Authority Duane Reade (John Mulaney)
Whenever John Mulaney hosts, there has to be a musical set in the Big Nick’s universe. Thank goodness the sixth installment in the saga was not a letdown. Some extremely niche New York City references combined with Broadway show tune parodies make for eight minutes of pure joy. I have zero complaints about this one, minus the fact that I want a seventh Mulaney Musical ASAP.
Overall, SNL’s 50th season has been anything but lackluster. Ariana Grande’s episode was the strongest across the board, with the Nate Bargatze one being a close second. I’d say that Jean Smart’s episode was the weakest, especially considering how it was the premiere, though it still blessed us with some funny moments. I can’t wait for the rest of the season to unfold, and fingers crossed we see the return of some classic recurring sketches and characters in the coming months.