In the final episode of its 50th season, “Saturday Night Live” took a reflective tone rather than a festive one. Scarlett Johansson, who made history with her seventh time hosting, led the current cast in a musical number during her monologue. The song, set to the tune of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” looked back on the eventful year that included an election, an anniversary special, and a star-studded concert. Johansson, along with Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, and others, sang, “Sing us a song, it’s your monologue, the 50th season is through. It’s lasting forever, we did it together, and we got to spend it with you.”
Johansson teased a guest appearance by shouting, “Ladies and gentlemen, Billy Joel!” before clarifying, “wrote this song.” The cast joked about a potential departure, with Johansson and others singing about Sarah Sherman leaving, to which Sherman responded in disbelief. Johansson’s husband, Colin Jost, participated in the season finale’s tradition of exchanging inappropriate jokes with co-anchor Michael Che. Jost even compelled Che to apologize to Johansson for a previous joke about her. The 50th season prompted speculation about who might replace creator Lorne Michaels in the future, with some suggesting Jost as a potential successor.
In a behind-the-scenes segment, Johansson’s character has a complicated romantic encounter with Yang, only to discover he has been pretending to be gay for attention. The digital short also featured a luxurious hip-hop video that takes a turn when the trio lands in Newark, New Jersey. Musical guest Bad Bunny made a cameo as an air traffic controller. The episode continued the trend of James Austin Johnson impersonating President Donald Trump, this time finding love with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince. Johnson’s Trump even broke the fourth wall, addressing the audience directly. As the season wrapped up, he humorously remarked, “It’s the ‘SNL’ finale, season 50 — worst one yet! See you again in the fall if we still have a country. It’s a coin toss.”
So, that’s a wrap on the 50th season of “Saturday Night Live.” With no departures announced and plenty of laughs to go around, the cast and crew delivered a memorable finale. From musical numbers to behind-the-scenes antics, the episode had it all. As fans eagerly await the next season, one thing is certain: “SNL” continues to entertain and surprise audiences year after year.
