A parade of ex cast members and celebrity hosts came together for a mammoth anniversary extravaganza celebrating the long-running comedy show
If the 50th season of Saturday Night Live has, up until now, felt somewhat underwhelming, this past week has made up for it. It’s been one celebration after another, including a star-studded live concert that aired this past Friday, a repeat of the show’s very first episode during its regular Saturday-night time slot, and any number of self-produced and third-party retrospectives across the media landscape.
All of it was leading up to Sunday’s three-hour anniversary special. From previous specials, we knew about what to expect: the return of popular cast members, characters, sketches and guest stars; an audience of A-list celebrities; a diverse array of musical guests; and equal amounts of self-deprecation and self-mythologizing. Still, you knew there’d be plenty of fun surprises and probably a good bit of emotion on display.
