41 Moments From "SNL" Season 46 That Made Me Spit Out My Drink

    You can bet your butt that Bowen Yang's iceberg bit is on this list.

    Believe it or not, another season of Saturday Night Live has come to an end. Season 46, to be exact, because this show has been on forever.

    After doing a few episodes remotely back in 2020, the cast and crew were back in the studio in October with lots of precautions that let them do the show live and with an audience.

    It was a tough, tough year, but at least SNL gave us some laughs along the way. So here are the best moments from Season 46:

    1. "Bottom of Your Face" feat. Megan Thee Stallion:

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    The first episode of the season featured this banger about the difficulties of dating during the pandemic. What do you do when you can't see the bottom of someone's face? Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd are a musical dream team, and along with Megan Thee Stallion, Ego Nwodim, and Pete Davidson, they made another hit.

    2. "The Drew Barrymore Show":

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    Drew Barrymore launched her talk show in September 2020, and with that she opened the window for Chloe Fineman's uncanny impression of her. Chloe also showed off her impressions of Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman.

    3. Megan Thee Stallion's performance of "Savage":

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    Megan used her performance to deliver a powerful message regarding the death of Breonna Taylor and called out Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

    4. Kate McKinnon's tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on "Weekend Update":

    Kate McKinnon dressed as a justice, with her right hand on her heart

    5. "Weekend Update: Dr. Wenowdis":

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    Kate's newest iconic character is Dr. Wenowdis, but the best part of this segment was when she broke character and started talking about how overwhelmed and stressed she was at the time. This was in October 2020 — aka before the election and at the height of the pandemic in the US.

    6. Bill Burr's monologue about...lots of stuff:

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    It's always exciting when a comedian hosts SNL because you can anticipate that they'll open the show with a stand-up routine, and Bill Burr did just that. You might not love everything he said (which is fair), but everyone was talking about it.

    7. Jack White's tribute to Eddie Van Halen:

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    Jack White, a consummate rock star, filled in as the musical guest when the scheduled performer didn't follow COVID-19 guidelines. Both of his performances prominently featured a guitar that Eddie Van Halen had designed for him as a way to honor Eddie, who died earlier that week.

    8. "Weekend Update: Aidy in America":

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    Aidy Bryant was away filming Shrill during the first half of the season, but she appeared for a few seconds in this short but sweet "Weekend Update" segment that had her standing in the middle of a cow field.

    9. "First Date Exes" feat. Issa Rae:

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    Sharon (Issa) and Duane (Chris Redd) were trying to go on a date but kept getting interrupted by Sharon's string of concerning exes. Each ex was more outrageous than the last, and the one thing they had in common was they all referred to Sharon's breasts as, ahem, "titty meat."

    10. "The Bachelor" feat. Adele:

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    Adele hosted SNL this season, and this was by far the sketch of the night. She played herself as a contestant on The Bachelor who could not stop singing her own songs when things didn't go her way.

    11. "Weekend Update: The Village People":

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    Led by Kenan, the men of SNL sang a parody of "YMCA" in which they asked Donald Trump to stop using the Village People's songs at his rallies. Their outfits, dance moves, and lyrics were all perfection.

    12. John Mulaney's election monologue:

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    John Mulaney hosted this season's Halloween show (his fourth time!), but his stand-up routine had more to do with the then-upcoming 2020 presidential election. The monologue sparked a bit of controversy online, but the jokes themselves were pretty damn hilarious.

    13. "Strollin'" feat. John Mulaney:

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    SNL isn't always known for biting political humor, so this song about Black voter suppression was a bit of a surprise. It was absolutely funny, but in a way that also makes you want to cry a little bit.

    14. "Biden Victory" cold open feat. Jim Carrey, Alec Baldwin, and Maya Rudolph:

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    Jim Carrey played Joe Biden for a few episodes this season, and his last appearance was on Nov. 7, aka the day the real Joe Biden won the election. The wardrobe department used literal magic to replicate Kamala Harris's white suit for Maya Rudolph, and Alec Baldwin took his final bow as Donald Trump.

    15. Dave Chappelle's postelection monologue:

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    Once again, Dave Chappelle hosted the first SNL episode after a presidential election, and he opened the show with a 16-minute stand-up routine that was half jokes and half philosophy. It's the second-most-viewed monologue on the SNL YouTube page, with almost 13 million views, surpassed only by his 2016 monologue, which has 20 million views.

    16. "Uncle Ben" feat. Dave Chappelle:

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    Dave introduced this sketch by saying, "This next piece is about two Black people who've lost their jobs because of this new social climate we're all trying to figure out." Turns out, those two people are literally Uncle Ben (Kenan) and Aunt Jemima (Maya), who "lost their jobs" when their brands decided to change names. The sketch was so funny that not a single cast member kept a straight face.

    17. "Outdoor Cabaret" feat. Jason Bateman:

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    Cecily Strong and Bowen Yang played Billie and Charlie, two old-school cabaret performers — think Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland — who just want to sing at Christmas. Their pianist, Devin (Jason Bateman), just wants them to follow CDC guidelines. The whole sketch is perfect, but Cecily and Bowen's final note is true Christmas joy.

    18. "Stu" feat. Jason Bateman:

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    Jason played Santa in this music video, but the real star of the show was Pete. This parody of Eminem's "Stan" featured Pete as Stu, a man who is dangerously obsessed with meeting Santa and getting a PS5. The dual cherries on top were Kate as Dido and Bowen as Elton John.

    19. "Rap Roundtable" feat. Timothée Chalamet and Questlove:

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    This sketch went viral on TikTok, for good reason. Timothée Chalamet and Pete played white rappers who were participating in a discussion about hip-hop music with Queen Latifah (Punkie Johnson) and Questlove. They eventually performed their song "Yeet," which led to Questlove slapping Pete.

    20. "Dionne Warwick Talk Show" feat. Timothée Chalamet:

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    The legendary Dionne Warwick has been showing off her sense of humor on Twitter this year, and SNL did not waste the opportunity to make a sketch out of it. Starring Ego as Ms. Warwick and Punkie as her niece/producer/Twitter instructor, Britanni, the sketch enabled the cast to do some spot-on impressions. Best of all is Timothée playing Harry Styles, followed up by Chloe playing Timothée.

    21. "December to Remember Car Commercial" feat. Timothée Chalamet:

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    Beck Bennett played a dad who buys a Lexus without consulting with his wife (Heidi Gardner) and immediately tears his family apart at Christmas. Sad for them, very funny for us.

    22. "Weekend Update" feat. Melissa Villaseñor on Christmas and Dolly Parton:

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    Melissa Villaseñor, a master impressionist, came out onstage to talk about Christmas music. It was immediately clear that she was dressed up as living legend Dolly Parton and that the whole bit was just an excuse to (perfectly) sing Dolly's songs. Even better, Dolly loved it!

    23. "R.S.O. Performance" feat. Kristen Wiig and Dua Lipa:

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    This sketch starts out simple enough: A 1944 military unit is having a Christmas talent show. But things take a turn when Kristen and Bowen start singing a catchy, gender-bending pop song about infidelity.

    24. "Weekend Update: Christmas Joke Swap 2020":

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    The "Weekend Update" joke swap is a highlight every year, but this year's Christmas edition was particularly great. Michael Che made Colin Jost roast his own wife, Scarlett Johansson.

    25. "What Still Works" cold open feat. John Krasinski:

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    Kate played herself in the first cold open of 2021 and asked, "Is anything in this country still working?" The answer was...disappointing.

    26. "Zillow" feat. Dan Levy:

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    This was perhaps the most relatable sketch of the year. Who hasn't fallen down a Zillow.com rabbit hole of looking at our wildly expensive dream homes?

    27. "70s Green Room" feat. Regina King:

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    The outfits were on point, the wigs were magnificent, and the timing was perfect. Personally, it's my favorite live sketch of the season.

    28. "The Job Interview" feat. Regé-Jean Page:

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    Everything about this sketch was absurd and delightful. Each joke was more unhinged than the last, so that by the time Regé-Jean Page and Beck started hitting each other with pool noodles, it seemed normal.

    29. "Drivers License" feat. Regé-Jean Page:

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    Like all of us, the cast of SNL has been singing/screaming/crying to the tune of "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo and dissecting every darn line. The sketch was a nice prelude to Olivia actually performing "Drivers License" on the show later in the season.

    30. "Loco" feat. Regé-Jean Page and Bad Bunny:

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    This music video featured Ego and Pete rapping, Regé's spot-on American accent, and Bad Bunny as Reggie the Plant. It's the anthem we all needed as we entered month 5,837,593 of the pandemic.

    31. "Weekend Update: LaVar Ball":

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    LaVar Ball is one of Kenan's best impressions, so anytime he gets to bring it out is a treat for us all.

    32. "Hot Ones With Beyoncé" feat. Maya Rudolph:

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    Maya graced us with her Kamala impression throughout the season, but here, she also proved she's the only person alive who should do an impression of Beyoncé.

    33. "Proud Parents" feat. Daniel Kaluuya:

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    Daniel Kaluuya and Ego could not have been funnier as parents whose son gives them the news that he wants to study creative writing instead of medicine. They do not take the news well.

    34. "Viral Apology Video" feat. Daniel Kaluuya:

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    Daniel and Kyle Mooney played two YouTubers whose pranks on each other get a little out of hand, leading Kyle to make a sincere social media apology video — y'know, like so many influencers have had to do lately.

    35. "Weekend Update: The Iceberg That Sank the Titanic":

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    Bowen has had an excellent season, and his interpretation as the iceberg that sank the Titanic was a true star-making moment. You're lying if you say the iceberg's song "Lover Boy" isn't catchy as hell.

    36. "Lesbian Period Drama" feat. Carey Mulligan:

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    Carey Mulligan, Kate, and Heidi starred in this parody that could be based on Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Favourite, or Ammonite. All this is to say, it was pretty damn accurate.

    37. "The Muppet Show" feat. Keegan-Michael Key:

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    SNL got the actual Muppets to star in this sketch with Keegan-Michael Key and Kenan, both of whom are sketch comedy legends. Kermit was referred to as "this little dragon" and "Kramer," and the whole thing was just really freaking funny.

    38. "Weekend Update: Pete Davidson on Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic":

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    Some of Pete's most beloved performances on the show are when he comes on "Weekend Update" as himself, and this one was no exception. He got some laughs, some shocked gasps, and it was just classic Pete.

    39. "Weekend Update: Jeanine Pirro on the Mexico–United States Border":

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    Cecily has introduced us to some iconic "Weekend Update" characters, but perhaps none are funnier than her drunken, clumsy interpretation of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. Cecily came out swinging, immediately dousing Colin in wine before stepping into a giant box of wine and belting out "My Way." A lot of fans are worried that this swan song could mean that Cecily is leaving the show. I sincerely hope not, but if she is, she went out in a blaze of glory.

    40. Lil Nas X's performance of "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)":

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    Lil Nas X's performance was, in a word, hot. But the moment everyone was talking about was when the singer split his pants whilst gyrating on a pole. He covered it like a pro, but we still noticed (and chuckled).

    41. And finally, the Season 46 finale cold open feat. Chris Rock:

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    For the last cold open of the season, the cast came out onstage and took turns talking about just how intense this season has been. It all got surprisingly emotional, with a few cast members looking on the verge of tears. Chris Rock, who hosted the first episode of the season, dropped by to make it a real full-circle moment.

    Are there any other SNL moments from this season you found particularly memorable? Discuss, please!