The Best SNL Sketches of 2022
In honor of the announced return of Saturday Night Live this weekend after a long month away due to the holidays, I'm finding it fitting to do one more retrospective look at 2022: the best SNL skits from the year. After the Omicron variant scrapped the audience, most of the cast, and nearly all live elements from the last show of 2021, last year was the first since 2019 that had zero episodes affected by the pandemic, and it made such a difference hearing the studio filled with a capacity audience again.
Whether it was one per episode, or five, almost every episode presented at least one candidate for sketch of the year. Honestly, trimming the list to even 25 skits for this article was never going to be easy, and I made that task even more difficult on myself by adding a wrinkle last year: Weekend Update bits are now eligible to be ranked in this list. Because Weekend Update as a whole is never eligible to be counted as a sketch of the night in my weekly SNL Scorecard, I don't tend to even consider individual guest appearances for sketch of the year. But, with so much of the funniest and most creative work coming in the form of cast members' appearances on Weekend Update, these days, it felt wrong to further that exclusion.
All this being said, with the recognition that there are several decent skits that will not receive the shoutout they probably deserve, here are my Top 25:
25. "Weekend Update: Guy Who Just Bought A Boat On Summer Romantic Getaways" (Natasha Lyonne, May 21st)
I always loved this character from Alex Moffatt anyhow, but this one felt special for two reasons. One, as I mentioned in my scorecard for this episode, "maybe it’s just absence causing the heart to grow fonder, but I thought this was one of the strongest Boat Guy editions yet." But also, this took on more significance in retrospect as it would be Moffatt's last appearance on the show. For an oft-underappreciated and oft-underutilized cast member, what a way to go out.
24. "Christmas Epiphany" (Austin Butler, December 17th)
The last episode of 2022 was one that often felt more like a surreal comedy than a standard Christmas SNL. This sketch was the only one that blended the holiday season with the wacky, and to great results\. I was more impressed with Austin Butler's acting here than I was in Elvis. I said what I said.
23. "Fiction Workshop" (Oscar Isaac, March 5th)
I love me a good 10-to-1 sketch. And a good 10-to-1 sketch that involves a weird Oscar Isaac writing Dua Lipa fan fiction? Even better.
22. "Chuck E. Cheese" (Benedict Cumberbatch, May 7th)
I'll confess, I enjoyed this one more than I did upon first viewing of Cumberbatch's episode. For that, I have to credit my sister Catherine, who insisted on including it in our family's annual 'SNL Bracket.' I loved the high concept of this sketch! And though I maintain that it went on a bit too long, it certainly was one of the most original bits of the whole episode, and “Oh, Pizza Pie" is legitimately a bop.
21. "Plirts" (Austin Butler, December 17th)
I'm a big Please Don't Destroy fan, and don't think they've dropped a bad video yet. But their latest bit was not only their best of the year, it's arguably the best they've done since their earliest appearances. The increasing absurdity of the product, the inch-perfect line delivery from musical guest Lizzo, the segue into a luxury fashion commercial... amazing.
20. "Chucky" (Jake Gyllenhaal, April 9th)
This had to originate from the mind of Sarah Sherman, who played the titular role so well. The concept of Chucky in an office setting was comedy gold, and Jake Gyllenhaal as the calm HR rep. was the perfect foil. The best sketch of that episode, and one of the better sketches of the year.
19. "The Understudy" (Benedict Cumberbatch, May 7th)
Chloe Fineman is such a talented impressionist, but weirdly enough, we rarely get to see that in action, nor do we get too many Chloe-centric sketches, so this was a welcome change. All of her castmate impressions were great, and the added wrinkles with Elizabeth Olsen's cameo (much to the confusion of poor Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ego Nwodim's refusal to participate made this a really great sketch on the whole. And I loved Punkie Johnson's closing line...perfect impression *chef's kiss.*
18. "Jewish Elvis" (Austin Butler, December 17th)
Although everyone played their different parts terrifically in this one, it was really all about Sarah Sherman, who stole the show completely. It says a lot about the younger cast member's comedy chops that despite being most prone for 'body horror,' she is every bit as comfortable playing Elvis Presley-come-Jewish-wisecracking-comedian.
17. "Maid Of Honor" (Zöe Kravitz, March 12th)
SNL have definitely gone to the well of ‘awkward wedding speeches’ often, and this one lost a little bit of magic once the joke became apparent. But still, this was some great writing. It was chock full of jokes from start to finish, and Zoë, Cecily Strong, and Kyle Mooney all acted their parts so well. Also, fun to see Martin Herlihy make an appearance!
16. "Kid Klash" (Will Forte, January 22nd)
Right off the bat, this episode rolled out a sketch with a character perfect for Will Forte’s sense of humor. It seemed at first like the joke was just going to be a physical gag with Aidy Bryant making a mess of herself in the enormous pie. And that was mildly funny in itself, but it got taken to the next level when she found out she couldn’t exactly leave the game. The sinister music, the creepy intensity from Forte’s game show host…this was a Black Mirror episode I could have watched for hours.
15. "Weekend Update: Peyton Manning on the NFL Playoffs" (Willem Dafoe, January 29th)
One of the stars of this episode's remarkably good Weekend Update segment was Peyton Manning. Yes, Peyton Manning. I did not have “NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning gives incredible analytical breakdown of Emily In Paris” on my SNL bingo card for this year.
14. "New Cast Advice" (Brendan Gleeson, October 8th)
I love that the new cast members got a sketch all to themselves, even if it was entirely self-referential. And what a terrific way for Molly Kearney to make their first real impact on the show! All four of the newbies sold the conceit really well and got a chance to get a few funny lines in, but Molly was the star for sure; by the end of the sketch, every time the camera cut to them, I was already laughing even before any words even came out.
13. "Heaven Scene" (Dave Chappelle, November 12th)
I’ll admit I’m an easy target, since I'm a sucker for this exact type of humor but that said, I could not stop laughing throughout this one. My only complaint with it is, although Mikey Day played the dweeby white guy perfectly, his character's obvious discomfort occasionally hampered the momentum. I think this is a bit that with a Beck Bennett and/or Kyle Mooney, who would have plowed through the obviously inappropriate role with a delightful lack of self-awareness, might have ended up in the Top 5 rather than the Top 15.
12. "Weekend Update: Trend Forecasters on Today's Most Popular Trends" (Jake Gyllenhaal, April 9th)
I hate that Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang's 'Trend Forecasters' weren’t a thing before last season, because I could not get enough of them, and yet, 3 appearances was all we ever got out of them. I think this, their second of the three, was the best of all, although their final one also holds a special place in my heart as it functioned as a touching send-off for Aidy.
11. "Trivia Game Show" (Lizzo, April 16th)
I don’t have many notes for this, other than it was just great. I loved how quickly Lizzo became indignant, and how easy it was for her to turn the others against Clint Litoris. Also, really cool to see the first sketch of the night feature the host as the main comedic star. The writers of this one get major props.
10. "Old Enough! Longterm Boyfriends!" (Selena Gomez, May 14th)
The hapless boyfriend/significant other continues to be a goldmine for comedy. In the manner of last year’s “Man Park,” this parody of the hit Japanese game show where adult boyfriends try to perform basic tasks (as opposed to young Japanese children) was hilarious without being too cutting, and didn’t overstay its welcome.
9. "50s Baseball Broadcast" (Natasha Lyonne, May 21st)
This felt like a vintage sketch, and not just because it was set in an old-timey context. I loved the way Mikey Day’s straight man and Natasha’s increasingly unhinged, meth’d-up color commentator played off of each other. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I appreciated that it ended on a funny note and didn’t run on too long.
8. "Monkey Trial" (John Mulaney, February 26th)
What a concept for a sketch! I don’t know what I love more, the fact that somebody thought up this idea, or the fact that it was the first sketch that aired after the monologue. This was an absolute delight, though, which was made funnier by Mulaney’s dedication to pretty much just talk like himself instead of doing a monkey impression.
7. "Mr. Dooley" (Natasha Lyonne, May 21st)
I went back and forth on how to rate this, because it was, truthfully, pretty dumb. But you know what? Sometimes dumb works, and this was far and away the hardest I laughed all night. Everyone’s simultaneous full commitment to the absurd and struggle to refrain from breaking made this so, so enjoyable, and I loved that it just stayed ridiculous from start to finish.
6. "Nugenix" (Willem Dafoe, January 29th)
As much as I appreciate “aging man” commercials trying to normalize and de-stigmatize byproducts of aging, their message, such as in these Frank Thomas Nugenix commercials, does come across as a bit too much sometimes, and that’s the premise here. It was a simple, arguably even dumb, joke but man, I was rolling with each bold (misplaced) declaration of Mikey Day’s “problem.” Sir Willem Dafoe conveniently switching his accent on and off was a hilarious bonus touch.
5. "Six Flags" (Lizzo, April 16th)
I have no words.
4. "Eyes" (Brendan Gleeson, October 8th)
It feels right that a totally zany episode of Saturday Night Live saved the best sketch of the night for its 10-to-1 slot. Sarah Sherman was one of my favorite revelations from Season 47, and in her first lead feature sketch of the young season 48, she did not disappoint. This wasn't just great absurdist humor, it was-- assuming Sherman was essentially blind throughout this whole sketch --also incredibly physical comedy.
3. "Architect Presentation" (Will Forte, January 22nd)
One of the wackiest and most delightful sketches of the year didn't even end up making it to the live show. Cut for time from the live episode, this 70s pop-rock invasion of a city council meeting was the exact chaotic energy SNL fans hoped for in longtime cast member Will Forte's first hosting gig.
2. "Potato Hole" (Dave Chappelle, November 12th)
Even though the content is totally different, the tone of this one is not unlike the famous “Farewell Mr. Bunting” sketch in its very slow buildup and long development. But, just like that one (though again, in a very different way), I promise the payoff is so worth it. Everyone from Chappelle to the various cast members played their part perfectly. This was a terrific late-episode sketch, and one of the best of the year.
1. "Workplace Harassment Seminar" (Oscar Isaac, March 5th)
Sketch of the night, sketch of the season, and ultimately, sketch of the year. I mean it! I was positively rolling from start to finish. The off-color humor, the full commitment to the off-beat characters from Isaac and Cecily Strong, the rest of the cast playing ‘straight man’ and barely holding it together, the last twist at the very end…this had it all.
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