SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

SEASON WRAP-UP

 

THE KEEP LIST

 

9. AIDY BRYANT

A couple of seasons ago, when we first started tackling SNL on an episode-by-episode basis, Aidy Bryant was my least favorite cast member. She had one role, “annoying neighbor that uses forced laughter to cover her horribleness,” and would jam that character in to any premise that came her way. Over the last two seasons, I’ve realized that her range isn’t that limited, and she might be a victim of the compartmentalization SNL can do with its actors to make casting skits easier. Upon closer look, Bryant is one of the true team players of the troupe, and is almost always demanding more from her characters than her skits require her to.

8. JAY PHAROAH

Jay Pharoah might be one of the biggest SNL prospects of all time. 90 percent of all cast members are no-names to the general public when they first sign; Pharoah was already a minor internet star by the time SNL made their play. With that in mind, Pharoah’s SNL run has been kind of a disappointment, as most people thought the show would revolve entirely around him by now. That being said, Pharoah’s talent, if not his Ferrell/Wiig/Murphy-esque leadership skills, drip from the walls of every scene he’s in, and if he never takes over the show, he’s still a vital role player.

7. KYLE MOONEY

See? I didn’t just automatically boot every Featured Player. Just the vast majority. Mooney might be the most polarizing cast member on this list. Even as big of a fan as I was, I recognized how much of his material just flat didn’t work. But I want there to be a Kyle Mooney for every two or three Taran Kilams, which essentially means someone thinking of un-SNL-like material for every two or three people that are talented, but mostly toe the company line. Mooney didn’t get a lot of skit-time in, which could be because the Digital Shorts kept him tied up so much, but what we got was plenty good enough to make him a keeper.

6. BECK BENNETT

Mooney’s Digital Short partner is just a tad higher on the list because of his skit time. Bennett proved two things this year: he can be the straight man that was needed after Bill Hader’s departure, and he can act like a baby. Bennett shot to the top of the Featured Players list early on in the season when he was the star of the skit “Baby Boss,” where he played a boss that had the body of the baby. It was a magical performance in the rare kind of skit that can deliver new laughs every time it repeats its beat-by-beat premise.

5. VANESSA BAYER

You may not recognize when an episode is light on the Bayer, like you might with some of the people higher on this list, but the hole is still felt. Bayer has achieved that upper echelon of cast member that gives every straight man character a little extra, while giving every absurd character her absolute all. Just the fact that her Jacob character, a character without a lot of dynamic twists and turns, remains so funny is a testament to what she’s capable of. If you can, find Jacob’s reaction to Seth Meyers leaving the show. Priceless.

4. CECILY STRONG

Maybe Cicely hasn’t made us forget about Tina and Amy just yet. Although the reaction to her taking over as Weekend Update hasn’t been enthusiastic, Strong is on here for her character work more than anything else. An underrated, underutilized dialect master, Strong made a huge jump this year, letting people know she can do a lot more than play that pitch perfect party girl. I was worried when she was given the Weekend Update desk, as anchors usually appear in fewer and fewer skits as time goes on. But Strong (Butt-Strong!) definitely received her fair share of starring roles. Let’s hope that continues to remain the case.

3. TARAN KILLAM

Although he’s only third on the list, Killam is the odds-on-favorite to make this generation of SNL his own. Better at impressions than Will Ferrell, but more endearing than Darrell Hammond, Killam seemingly logged more screen time than any other cast member, thanks to his versatility. The fact that he’s married to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill can’t hurt, either. Man, I would never want to leverage who I’m married to into getting acting roles, unless my wife could get me into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which case I would threaten her with divorce every hour on the hour until I had my chance to shine.

2. BOBBY MOYNIHAN

This one might be a little bit of a cheat. If I’m just going off of what I saw last season, Bobby Moynihan was a little disappointing. Entire episodes would fly by without having more than a line or two. But if we include PTOS (perceived talent outside the show) and Fourvel Quotient (how often you play Fourvel on other television shows and podcasts), then Bobby Moynihan may deserve to be even higher. I’m betting that next season is Moynihan’s last. If SNL gets their shit together, he’ll leave as a star. If they don’t, he’ll become a star on his own after leaving the show.

1. KATE MCKINNON

Wowzer. McKinnon spent the entire season shitting gold, and making everyone else look like an amateur by comparison. Even just a few seconds with McKinnon’s 70’s cop Dyke, or Shallon’s fed-up teacher, or a magical Justin Beiber impression could save an otherwise boring episode. This is to say nothing of Olya Povlatsky, the Russian villager who has the delivery of a great Vaudevillian, or her Angela Merkel, an impression I saw before I ever saw the real person speak. I was much less impressed by the real person. With no fucking horrible Gillys or Dooneeses on the resume, McKinnon was the perfect way to ease the pain of Kristen Wiig’s departure.

 – Ryan Haley