Folks! Conehead nation, come to order: It’s SNL in Review, back to our regularly scheduled programming. It’s been something — the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary festivities have finally come and gone, a seeming triumph for network television. NBC reports that 220 million viewers watched some portion of its three official SNL50 broadcasts (The Homecoming Concert, The Red Carpet, and The Anniversary Special itself), and assorted content from the three specials has already been viewed for nearly 4 billion minutes.

The highlights? Easy. Here are the best and worst moments from the big show. 

So now SNL season 50 resumes. Back to earth. Former cast member Matthew Laurance notes to me that this season has generally “been great.” He adds, “Every show there’s a couple that are hit-or-miss — but I love this cast. And I think most of the time the writing is really good.” (He loved the Timothee Chalamet episode, for the record: “He’s top five hosts for me of all time… he’s a freak of nature!”)

Meanwhile, Bobby Moynihan recently shared with me that while he doesn’t watch the show live these days, he still catches every episode. “I love this cast — that’s the best part,” he says. “It’s like watching your team get better. People treat it like the Yankees: ‘Hey, I gotta go see how my team’s doing.’ It’s fun to watch.”

Tonight, the return of Shane Gillis, who was famously hired and fired by SNL in 2019 for using racist and homophobic slurs on his podcast. He previously hosted around this time last season. Guess in Trump’s America, his return was inevitable. Last time “Trump Sneakers” was a highlight. We’ll see how the show approaches the grim landscape of a second Trump term, anchored by one of the poster-child comedians who balances mainstream appeal with comedy’s MAGA lane. Also returning tonight is musical guest Tate McRae, who appeared in season 49 as well (during the Jason Momoa episode).

Yesterday President Trump hosted Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. This is a replay of their historic press conference.

We see Trump (James Austin Johnson), accompanied by Bowen Yang’s JD Vance (who briefly breaks into Willy Wonka) and Marcello Hernandez’s fully disassociating, “free-falling” Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “You don’t tell us how hot we look,” Trump whines at Mikey Day’s Zelenskyy. Lots of paint-by-numbers references to recent moments (including the Oscar-nominated Anora), not much as a concept. Awkward.

One surprise: Mike Myers pops up as a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk. I guess Myers is taking over for Dana Carvey. “I’m so comfortable with all that,” Johnson’s Trump muses after Myers rants in a roughly South African accent. He has the facial expressions down at least. Andrew Dismukes appears as his intern, Big Balls. It’s concerning to see the slide back into surprise-cameo land in these cold opens, especially when the concept is so paper-thin. I did not find this funny, given the embarrassing spectacle of the Ukraine ambush/press conference, but Myers being back is welcomed.

Gillis is bummed we won’t see Trump debate again. He likes Trump’s fifth-grade-level ideas, including the Gulf of America renaming and the U.S. potentially annexing Greenland, and ponders whether the Vikings’ trick on Iceland/Greenland is still working today. The crowd is unsure of him — he compares being liberal to the Sith, which is funny. 

He shifts guys to white guys asking their girlfriends if they’ve ever dated a Black man. He also discusses historical documentaries he watches, including Ken Burns’ Civil War series. “It is the most boring thing you have ever seen,” he offers. He name-drops historian Shelby Foote, which is very specific and kind of cool!

Shane Gillis is James, he’s on a wine tour with his parents and “hot” girlfriend, played by Heidi Gardner. She sees an orange tree and asks him to take her picture. He obliges and she keeps requesting different takes: laughing, boomerang, one for the veterans. She thinks she looks like Michael Cera. “So the direction is: Be a man,” she instructs. She’s increasingly deranged and persistent — it’s classic Heidi. I like that this isn’t just on Update but allowed to be a sketch. I like this, watch it.

Matthew Laurance has been a big fan of Heidi Gardner’s work this season. “In every sketch she’s in, she’s really funny, but she’s really different — I think she’s amazing.”

A few months ago, anxiety and desperation where taking over Gillis’ dad character’s life. But CouplaBeers is the perfect antidote — this is pretty funny! Good stuff.

In Westlake, there’s a gang-related shooting. Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim are relieved the assailants are white. Likewise, there is an investigation into meth activity in a quiet suburb — they are thrilled. In another story, the person is named Ethan, making it 3-0 against the “white folks” on the broadcast. It becomes a competition against Shane and Heidi Gardner, complete with references to Shaboozey and a teacher falling in love with her student. Pretty funny. “You guys are the chicken people,” Gillis mutters at one point. “Good game.” Silly, I like it. (Gillis has been teamed with Gardner a lot already this episode.)

The Maryland references suggest Ego’s involvement here!

It’s PBS Kids and it’s Dad’s weekend with the kids. Gillis’ Christopher is excited and sober, his sad kids are visiting. The word of the day is “alimony.” White-guy “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” vibes here.

His breakfast is Vienna sausages with syrup. Heidi Gardner voices Bridget, his puppet friend. Christopher calls his ex-wife, which makes this a bit like “The Denise Show”! 

Here’s a Please Don’t Destroy spoof of The Voice. The celebrity judges (PDD, Ego Nwodim) revoke their selection after their chairs swivel around to find Reggie (Gillis). His voice is immaculate, but his main influence is Chris Brown. He’s 56 and repellant, with a ridiculous wig. The judges are very confident he will never make it as a singer, until we flash-cut to a future music video with Tate McRae.

A ton of stacked chairs! “Sports Car” was released in January, as McRae’s third single from her third studio album, So Close to What. It has a Pussycat Dolls vibe, kind of derivative. I lived through “Buttons” already, I’m good.

Lots of Trump-related jokes. Lots of Elon Musk jokes. AI videos! RFK Jr.! Michael Che has outlived Lester Holt and Joy Reid at NBC, which is funny. He also makes a funny joke about Silk Sonic.

Dressed in a theater usher outfit, Marcello Hernandez is out to discuss Sunday’s Oscars ceremony — but his Movie Guy hasn’t seen any of the nominated films. He wants to talk about cartoons like Popeye and Spongebob instead. Not too funny. “Am I right, guys?”

There are a lot of single young people these days. Jane Wickline is back at the Update desk with tips for romance. She has a song that describes the ethical trolley problem. Jost asks for changes. Meh.

Angela (Sarah Sherman) is getting married to Greg (Devon Walker), when her ex Brad (Gillis) interrupts their service. He wishes them well but wants to redeem one thing before he goes away forever. In 2020, he got her Usher tickets and in return, she shared an IOU for one open-eyed hand job.

Before this wedding, she made a vow to Brad. Seems she has given coupons to everyone: Greg, her best friend Gail, her dad. “I’m sorry, I’m cheap!” Angela confesses. This is cute, Sherman holds it together.

“Dear God” is about getting someone out of your mind. It’s also off her new album.

Shane Gillis is Mikey Peters, who is having a physical. His doctor is someone he went to middle school with. Emil Wakim plays his doctor and former classmate. Mikey remembers one thing about his old friend: At a pool party, he once went down on himself. Used his Slinky as a dinky. Gave himself a meejay. Mr. DIY. 

Wakim loses himself in this moment — he misses this ability. Very silly and juvenile, but nice to see Wakim get a sketch to himself, and it has a “nice” ending.

• Classy title card alert: RIP season 12 and 13 guest Buster Poindexter, a.k.a. David Johansen.
• What did you all think about the show’s return? Was it a return to form? Vote here!
• So many thoughts on SNL50! So much content! Check out my roundup of the best and worst moments of SNL50, and hear more about the anniversary concert on the Not Ready for Primetime Project podcast.
• Mike Myers makes it clear in the Goodnights: Canada is not for sale!

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