Top 10 Iconic Hilarious SNL Season Finale Moments

Tina Fey joined the exclusive Six-Timers Club in 2018, revisiting her old “SNL” stomping grounds for the Season 43 finale. As Fey returned to Studio 8H, the “Mean Girls” musical played just a few blocks away at the August Wilson Theatre. Fey wrote the Tony musical’s book, but she’s no longer content being a writer. She seeks to fulfill her Broadway dreams, and an appearance as Ms. Norbury won’t do. In addition to “SNL” cast members, the sketch includes cameos from the musical’s alumni, including director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw and composer Jeff Richmond, the latter of whom is married to Fey. That doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on the negative feedback. Neither will Lorne Michaels. Tina can do a lot, but she’s not Lin-Manuel Miranda.

This Season 14 sketch has more than a few unexpected twists, including one off a cliff. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, however. Host Steve Martin and cast member Victoria Jackson play the owners of a seemingly ordinary cat named Toonces. Martin is eager to show Jackson a trick Toonces has picked up… behind the wheel. It’s like something out of a corny sitcom that gets canceled after one season, but this premise literally goes off the rails. Just because Toonces can drive doesn’t mean he’s a good driver. Surviving the stock footage, the couple is confident that Toonces simply needs a little practice, although some more cars might get destroyed along the way. Good thing Toonces has nine lives, even if Kevin Nealon doesn’t.

The Season 39 finale was something of a family reunion. Not only did Andy Samberg come back to host, but he brought along fellow former cast members Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Maya Rudolph as well. With Paul Rudd also dropping in, a return to the Vogelcheck household was inevitable. Samberg plays brother Brecken, who introduces boyfriend Matt, played by Taran Killam, to the family. Like every other unsuspecting guest, Matt finds that the Vogelchecks are incredibly… um, upfront about displaying affection, including Kate McKinnon’s great-grandma. That’s not to say the Vogelchecks are always open-minded, but they’ll always have open mouths. It’s been nearly ten years since we last saw the Vogelchecks, making this sketch feel like a long kiss goodbye.

That title is kind of dated since it wouldn’t be the final close encounter. Yet, it was Kate McKinnon’s last episode as a repertory player. The Season 47 finale kicked off with a goodbye to McKinnon and one of her most beloved characters, Colleen Rafferty. She’s joined by Cecily Strong and host Natasha Lyonne, who have also experienced a close encounter. Once again, their recollections of the encounter aren’t quite as graphic as Ms. Rafferty’s. It isn’t long until Rafferty gets a little handsy with her descriptions, although Lyonne commendably keeps a straight face… unlike some other hosts. While Ryan Gosling’s giggling is sorely missed, we can’t think of a better way to bid McKinnon farewell than with Rafferty tearfully stepping aboard the alien spaceship.

At the end of Season 5, several cast members exited “SNL.” So did Lorne Michaels, albeit only temporarily in his case. It was nonetheless the end of a golden age, capping things off with a classic sketch that essentially told the censors, “We’ve got nothing left to lose!” It’s a classy affair, complete with period outfits, powdered wigs, and a guest list of people with peculiar names. No name ignites a bigger laugh than one belonging to a certain lord and lady. Host Buck Henry and Gilda Radner play the aristocratic couple, who have a new invention in the pipeline. Wanna guess what it’s called? In 1980, saying this word once on television would’ve been edgy. Saying it 12 times was nothing short of groundbreaking.

Will Ferrell departed from “SNL” after Season 27, breaking out the real Alex Trebek for what then seemed like the Final Jeopardy. Thankfully, it wasn’t the last we saw of Ferrell or this fan-favorite sketch. When Ferrell hosted the Season 34 finale, “Celebrity Jeopardy!” made another comeback with Kristen Wiig as Kathie Lee Gifford and Tom Hanks as a version of himself that makes Forrest Gump look like Robert Langdon. Naturally, the scene-stealers are Darrell Hammond as the perpetually obscene Sean Connery and Norm Macdonald in a surprise cameo. So surprising that even Ferrell’s Trebek doesn’t know where Burt Reynolds came from. While “Celebrity Jeopardy!” rarely disappoints, this incarnation contains some of the funniest performances and jokes with Connery again getting the last laugh.

Bill Hader introduced Stefon in a Season 34 episode hosted by Ben Affleck. Ironically, “SNL” gave Stefon a proper sendoff in another episode hosted by Affleck. This also happened to be the Season 38 finale and Hader’s swan song as a repertory player. After years of will they or won’t they tension, Stefon and Seth Meyers finally profess their true feelings. But first, Meyers must race to the church where Stefon is already prepared to marry Anderson Cooper. One side of the church is more eccentric than the other and matters only get stranger when Meyers punches out Cooper, running off with Stefon. It may borrow from “The Graduate,” but unlike the ending of that film, Seth and Stefon Meyers have no regrets.

You say potato. Christopher Walken says… potato, or whatever’s on the cue cards. Whether he says a line correctly or not, Walken has a gift for making everything sound positively unnatural. This is apparent whenever he hosts “SNL,” a highlight being the Season 26 finale. Commemorating his fifth stint as host, Walken dedicates his monologue to a certain Fred and Ginger duet. Of course, Walken initially doesn’t have a Ginger to work off of. Making matters more awkward, he can’t get the lyrics right, even with Jimmy Fallon eventually stepping in to assist. The number culminates in Walken saying a lyric too early before nonchalantly strangling Fallon for a second and trying to catch bubbles in the air. How else could the sketch possibly end?

Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell are the definitive Roxbury Guys, but there’s usually room for a third player. Most would agree that the funniest addition was Jim Carrey when he hosted the Season 21 finale. While this wasn’t the first time we saw the Roxbury Guys, this particular sketch introduced a crucial element: the song “What Is Love.” It’s hard to believe that Haddaway’s debut single wasn’t always part of the Roxbury package. Watching the guys bob their heads to any other tune just doesn’t feel right. Likewise, Carrey fits in so well that we often forget that he wasn’t a mainstay of this recurring sketch. Even if he isn’t a Butabi brother, Kattan credited Carrey for launching the sketch to another level of popularity.

Every finale means farewell, but some goodbyes are harder than others. (xref) Steve Martin closed Season 14 with a tribute to Gilda Radner, who died that same day. The Season 19 finale was equally tearjerking, only growing more emotional with time. Taking a cue from “The Sound of Music,” the cast sings “So Long, Farewell” with most of them in character. Pretty soon, only two remain: Chris Farley as Matt Foley and Phil Hartman as himself. Speaking and singing from the heart, Hartman announces this will be his last episode as a cast member. Watching the camera zoom out on Hartman and Farley, we’re reminded of how these funnymen were taken far too early, but also the countless laughs they brought in a tragically short time.

Which “SNL” season finale sticks out the most to you? Let us know in the comments.