May 22 (UPI) — Longtime cast members Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney officially departed Saturday Night Live in this weekend’s Season 47 finale.
Davidson confirmed his exit during the “Weekend Update” segment, joking producer “Lorne [Michaels] accidentally gifted me a sock, so I’m free,” a nod to how a house elf in the Harry Potter mythology escaped enslavement when a human gave him clothing.
Pete Davidson's back at the Update desk. #SNLFinale pic.twitter.com/7yOZJJSdlo
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 22, 2022
Davidson recalled that when he auditioned for SNL nearly a decade ago, Michaels told him he didn’t think he was right for the show, but added, “Let’s screw this up together.”
“And that’s exactly what we did and that’s why people who don’t think I deserve this job shouldn’t hate since we have so much in common. If anything, I should inspire hope that literally anyone can be on Saturday Night Live,” he added. “Seriously, you see a guy bumming cigarettes outside of a 7-11 at 2 a.m., that’s not some meth head — that’s the next Pete Davidson.”
“Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost then told him he was going to miss him.
“Well, thank you, Colin, even though I know it says that on your cue card,” Davidson quipped. “You’ve been like an older brother to me in that my mom openly loves you more than she does me.”
He thanked Michaels, the cast and crew for giving him a home for eight years as well as a lifetime of memories.
“I appreciate SNL always having my back and allowing me to work on myself and grow,” he added.
McKinnon revived her character Coleen Rafferty, who gets abducted and abused by space aliens, then thrown back to Earth for her final episode’s cold open.
Bryant also once again played her no-nonsense U.S. Pentagon interviewer, who tries not to laugh at Rafferty’s hilarious, graphic, sometimes disgusting descriptions of her ordeal.
The sketch ended with Coleen getting on a spaceship after government officials trade her for cutting-edge alien technology.
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 22, 2022
She says as she fights back tears: “Well, Earth, I love you. Thanks for letting me stay awhile. Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”
McKinnon was on the show for 11 years and Bryant for 10.
Bryant also appeared on “Weekend Update” with Bowen Yang as their Trend Forecasters characters where she declared what is “in” this season is “my best guys kissing me,” which prompted Yang and “Update” co-anchor Michael Che to smooch her and present her with flowers.
Mooney, who was on the show for nine years, appeared in a parody of the film, 9 to 5, which saw him jumping out a window and flying away. He was also seen hugging McKinnon at the end of the show when the cast gathered on stage.
Russian Doll actress Natasha Lyonne hosted the episode.
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