10. Forbidden Romance
Andrew Dismukes is one of my favorite current cast members on “Saturday Night Live,” and you can often tell when he has a significant hand in creating a sketch by the zaniness of it. He had a couple of standout moments this season, but my favorite Dismukes sketch was “Forbidden Romance” from the episode hosted by Michael Keaton. The sketch, set in 1955, adopts a “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” theme, featuring an interracial couple (Dismukes and Ego Nwodim) as they attempt to explain their love to their respective parents. OK, normal, if not a bit old-timey stuff, so far … and then Dismukes’ character says he has a song that explains his love … and breaks into the 2009 Train song “Hey Soul Sister.” I lost it. 

9. The Second Amendment
Walton Goggins was one of my favorite hosts of Season 50 and one of the few first-time hosts to get a chance to shine. His Second Amendment sketch is one where the performance truly shines and leads to laughter, maybe more so than the comedy writing itself. Goggins plays an unheard-of founding father of the U.S. named Matt, and after his fellow founding fathers have finished the First Amendment, they ask for ideas for the second. He has one word: “Guns.” And the way he says it provided one of my biggest laughs of the year. I’d watch an entire movie about Matt. 

8. Here I Go: Digital Short
Andy Samberg was brought into the 50th season primarily to portray Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’ husband, during the election season. He wasn’t great at it. But being in the studio for the first few months of the season allowed for him and his Lonely Island counterparts to give us the first new Digital Shorts we had seen since the 40th anniversary special. I think there were three new Digital Shorts in Season 50, and the consensus will probably be that the first of these, 'Sushi Glory Hole,' was the best. However, I enjoyed 'Here I Go,' from Charli XCX’s episode, more. “Here I Go” sees Samberg and Charli XCX singing about being neighborhood narcs who will call the cops on literally anything from Girl Scouts selling cookies in the neighborhood to dogs being walked by their house … and it also somehow turns into an anti-cop song. It was weird, but I loved the performances from both Samberg and Charli XCX. 

7. Family Feud: Election
Everybody knew that the primary focus of ‘SNL’ for the first few months of season 50 was going to be the 2024 Presidential Election; that’s just how the show operates in election years. Over the last decade or so, the show has gotten to where it’s both hard to mock politics because of how crazy it has become and also does more word-for-word/moment-for-moment stuff rather than having an actual humorous take on things like presidential debates. That’s why my favorite political sketch of the season was when the show ignored the debates and focused on something more abstract, such as the presidential candidates and those close to them, on an episode of “Family Feud.” ‘SNL’ hadn’t utilized Kenan Thompson’s excellent Steve Harvey impression in a ‘Feud’ sketch in quite a while, so it was a nice reprisal. It was the perfect way for the show to poke fun at the idiocy of American politics, while also showcasing some great political impressions like James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump, Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris and Dana Carvey’s President Joe Biden. 

6. Parking Lot Altercation
One of the funniest sketches from Season 48 of ‘SNL’ was during ‘Abbott Elementary’ star Quinta Brunson’s hosting debut on the show, when she and cast member Mikey Day had a traffic altercation, sending pantomimed hand gestures back and forth to each other. It was so good that it was our No. 3 best sketch of that season. But it was one of those, how do you possibly do this again and have it just as funny sketches. Well, the show answered that this season during Martin Short’s episode, with Day and Short fighting over a parking lot spot, and the ante being upped with guest star Melissa McCarthy showing up as Short’s unhinged wife. The sketch was funny without McCarthy, but her “I’ll do anything for a laugh” comedic personality is what got this sketch back to the top 10. The show would also reprise the sketch during Brunson’s sophomore hosting gig this season, and while it may not have been as funny as her first or Short’s, it was still a winner. 

5. George Washington's Dream II
The funniest sketch from the 49th season of ‘SNL’ was during stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze’s hosting debut when he portrayed George Washington giving a speech to his soldiers during the Revolutionary War about his dream of an American future. The joke lies in the differences between America and other countries, for instance, the unusual measuring systems we use. When Bargatze was announced early on as a season 50 host, many pondered whether the show might do a similar sketch, with many fans thinking it would be a bad idea because the first couldn’t be topped. Early on in Bargatze’s second hosting stint, he appeared once again in Washington’s garb. I’m sure many of us watching groaned – but dammit if the show didn’t pull it off once again – this time focusing on the wildness of the English language, like calling the number 12 a dozen, but other words not having a special word. Bargatze’s monotone delivery hits home the absurdities of it all. 

4.  The Church Lady
I had great hopes that season 50 of ‘SNL’ would become this season-long celebration, where we would see legendary cast members coming in and out to host and bring back some of the show’s greatest recurring characters. We achieved that in the smallest possible way, as you can see from the digital short and the inclusion of this particular character on this list – but as a lifelong fan of the show, I wanted a bit more. Still, having Dana Carvey – a top-five all-time cast member of the show – in studio for the first half of the season was incredible, and seeing him reprise The Church Lady, maybe the most-used original recurring character in the show’s history, was terrific. The Church Lady is somehow perfect for 2024 America, or as The Church Lady called it, “the most Satanic year in history,” and proof that Carvey’s character will likely never be out of style. The sketch featured Sarah Sherman as politician Matt Gaetz and Marcello Hernandez as baseball superstar Juan Soto, but the real highlight was show alum David Spade appearing as Hunter Biden. Carvey and Spade are good friends who host a podcast together, and it was great seeing their chemistry on the show. Of all the throwbacks during season 50 that weren’t the anniversary special, this was my favorite.   

3. Weekend Update Christmas Joke Swap 
The Weekend Update joke swap that co-anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost have been doing for much of their time at the Update desk has been one of the biggest highlights for fans of the show over the last few seasons, especially with the two doing it more frequently as of late – season 50 saw Che and Jost do it at the midseason finale and again on the season finale. The segment sees the two write jokes that they want their counterpart to say, usually with Che making Jost say something racist for a laugh. The Christmas joke swap at the end of 2024 was likely the best one the duo has ever done, with the ante being upped by Jost’s wife, Scarlett Johansson, being in the studio for the episode, and watching the bit from backstage on camera: the best, and most disturbing, joke compares Costco roast beef to Johansson’s anatomy.  

2. Pip 
‘SNL’ has always primarily focused on live sketches, which is the whole point of being a live show. However, the show has also done pre-tapes or short films in addition to the live sketches. Over the years, the number of pre-tapes has undoubtedly increased, which may be to the dismay of some long-time viewers, but they’ve also been among the funniest moments on the show (two appear on this list). One of the genuine surprises of season 50 was writer Dan Bulla’s new short film series, Midnight Matinee, which aired four or five times and, for the most part, knocked it out of the park. My favorite pre-tape of season 50 was Bulla’s “Pip,” which came in the fantastic episode hosted by Lady Gaga. Gaga plays a high school student sympathetic to Pip, a mouse who is bullied when he wants to compete in the school’s weightlifting competition. Pip's training for the competition, while Gaga sings a heartwarming song, was incredible. But when tragedy strikes at the event, it gives Pip his chance to shine … and an ending that, while you can probably see it coming shortly before it happens, is still one helluva tag on the film. 

1. Scared Straight
Some viewers of the show might find this to be cheating on my part, or for the sketch to be non-canonical because it appeared during the 50th anniversary special, rather than one of the 20 episodes that comprise Season 50 – and that’s fine. If you feel that way, “Pip” can be No. 1, but nothing made me happier during this 50th season of ‘SNL’ than the resurrection of Kenan Thompson’s “Scared Straight,” more than a decade after we’d last seen it. Thompson’s recurring sketch featuring his Lorenzo McIntosh character, a prisoner used to scare teens straight so that they don’t wind up like him, featured heavily in the era of the show that had Jason Sudeikis, Andy Samberg and Bill Hader as cast members. In the show’s 50th anniversary special, Thompson’s McIntosh is brought in with ‘SNL’ legend Eddie Murphy as prisoner “All the Way” Ray May to help scare teens played by Mikey Day, Marcello Hernandez, and Michael Longfellow from a life of crime. Seeing Thompson and Murphy do this sketch together was a dream I didn’t even know I had come true. Murphy plays this role exquisitely. The ante was upped – and things got truly creepy – when Will Ferrell enters the sketch as a prisoner named “Big Red.” Seeing Murphy and Ferrell go ham in this sketch is something I’m never going to forget.  

Jaws (Tubi) – Sunday, June 1
Steven Spielberg’s horror-drama “Jaws,” which helped bring the summer blockbuster into the modern era of cinema in the summer of 1975, celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. “Jaws” originally premiered in the U.S. on June 20, 1975, and instantly made a star of the young director and became the highest-grossing film of all time (a feat it would only hold for two years until 1977’s “Star Wars” came along). Hopefully, you’ve already seen the film and want to celebrate its half-century anniversary with a re-watch, which you can do for free (though with commercial interruption) on Tubi, starting today, but if you haven’t, the tale of a giant great white shark that terrorizes a New England summer resort town featuring fantastic performances from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and, especially, Robert Shaw should be a “can’t miss” for any film buff. 

Stick (AppleTV+) – Wednesday, June 4
AppleTV+ did wonders for the sport of soccer with the excellent “Ted Lasso,” which aired on the streamer for three award-winning seasons, and there’s hope for a fourth. “Stick” is hoping to do the same for golf when it premieres on Wednesday, June 4, on the streamer. “Stick” stars Owen Wilson as a washed-up pro golfer named Pryce Cahill who turns to a young star in hopes of turning his game and life around. The comedy, created by Jason Keller, co-stars Peter Dager, Marc Maron and Judy Greer. 

NBA Finals (ABC) – Thursday, June 5
There’s going to be some new blood in the NBA championship this series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Western Conference champions, hosting the Indiana Pacers, the Eastern Conference champions, in the 2025 NBA Finals, beginning Thursday, June 5 on ABC with broadcasters Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson on the call. The best-of-seven series will feature the young Thunder squad, led by league M.V.P. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, attempting to make their mark on the league and win the first title since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008. The Pacers are looking for their first title in franchise history. 

Resident Alien: Season 4 (USA/Syfy) – Friday, June 6
It feels like “Resident Alien,” the sci-comedy that began on Syfy in 2021, has aired more than just three seasons already, but that’s probably because season two wound up being split into two eight-episode parts. The series features the wonderful Alan Tudyk as Harry Vanderspeigle, an alien who crash-landed on Earth and assumed the identity of a small-town doctor in Colorado. His initial job was to destroy Earth and the human race, but after becoming friends with his nurse, Asta, played by Sara Tomko, that mission has undergone a slight change in the show’s three seasons. Season four, premiering on Friday, June 6, will be broadcast simultaneously on Syfy and USA Network, with Universal Productions aiming to capitalize on the series' growing popularity following its appearance on Netflix, which has helped build a larger audience. 

​The Bear: Season 4 (Hulu) – Wednesday, June 25
“The Bear” was the hippest (and best) series on television for its first two seasons. Then it started winning all of these awards and became a bit of a pariah, especially for those upset that it was nominated in comedy categories, despite being perceived by many as a half-hour drama (I get what people are saying, but I also find a lot of dark humor in the series, so I don’t personally mind). The third season, which aired in 2024, also didn’t match up to the greatness of the first two seasons, though I think it was still better than most shows on TV – it probably didn’t miss this site’s top 10 by all that much. For some reason, I thought season four would be the last for the show – and that may turn out to be true – but I haven’t seen anything official regarding it. The season will find Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) in the aftermath of a bad review being written about their recently opened restaurant. At least parts of the 10-episode fourth season were filmed in unison with the third season, so it’ll be interesting to see if it has the incredibly manic personality of season three. The fourth season of the show drops in its entirety (which I think is a mistake and has always been) on Hulu on Wednesday, June 25, and I wonder how viewers will react to it. Will “The Bear” return to best show on TV status, will it just be another good, but somewhat disappointing season or will it crash and burn?