The Best SNL Sketches of 2024
In honor of the announced return of Saturday Night Live this weekend after a month away due to the holidays, I'm finding it fitting to do one more retrospective look at 2024: the best SNL skits (and a handful of Weekend Update appearances) from the year! After Seasons 45-47 were affected by COVID, Season 48-49 had a wrench thrown in it that we hadn't seen in over 15 years, with the double strikes of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Fortunately, both were ultimately resolved, and that meant the calendar year of 2024 was the first entirely 'normal' one we have had since before the pandemic.
With that being in mind, given the higher number of episodes to choose from than we've had in recent yers, unsurprisingly there was no shortage of memorable sketches. Whether it was one per episode, or five, almost every episode presented at least one highlight to be considered among the year's best. Honestly, trimming the list to even 30 skits for this article was never going to be easy. But I did it all the same!
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 30:
30. "Trump Sneakers" (Shane Gillis, February 24th)
I figured they would find a way to sneak Shane’s quality Trump impression into this episode, and this was a clever way to do it. Yes, the Trump shoes are a real thing, unfortunately, the idea of a Like Mike movie for Trump (presented by Newsmax, naturally) was already hilarious, and then to top it off came the hilarious button with James Austin Johnson's Trump. I'm going to have him saying "with regard to movie pastiche" in that unmistakable voice playing in my head for a long time.
29. "Weekend Update: Marcello and Jane as The Couple You Can't Believe Are Together" (John Mulaney, November 2nd)
This was a great typecast, because Marcello Hernández and Jane Wickline are also an unlikely comedic duo, bringing completely different energies and appeals to the show. But they bounced off each other expertly here, and rounded off a solid Update segment.
28. "Wine and Cheese Night" (Josh Brolin, March 9th)
On a night full of chaotic, weird sketches, this was one of the instances where the absurdity just mostly worked. It got a little away from them at the very end, but the premise was simple enough that Brolin’s absolute commitment to the odd, jilted cat lover was so effective at centering the humor.
27. "Fox News Kamala Harris Interview Cold Open" (Michael Keaton, October 19th)
When the episode opened on a shot of Alec Baldwin, I rolled my eyes, instantly concluding that this was Lorne Michael’s concession to the famous SNL figure for getting fired from his Trump impression, to let him impersonate someone else in the political sphere. But you know what? Turns out, if Alec Baldwin had only impersonated Fox News hosts throughout the Trump years, maybe we would have had a lot more fun. This was great; the best cold open of the season by some margin, and the show’s best political cold open in a while. Baldwin and Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris were obviously parodying a real (and really frustrating) interview, but their interplay also felt like a throwback to good ol’ fashioned duo comedy. And the cutaways to James Austin Johnson’s Trump were hilariously played as well.
26. "Weekend Update: Bowen as Joe Exotic" (Charli xcx, November 16th)
Weekend Update had been the highlight of the last few seasons, but in the post-election episode, had perhaps its weakest outing yet. What a comeback this was, then, for all involved in the weekly segment the following episode. I don’t know if I can remember a stronger outing from Colin Jost and Michael Che, whose digs at Trump and his cabinet picks in particular were some of the most ruthless barbs we’ve heard from anyone, to the delight of the crowd. And though the bar was set incredibly high already by the co-anchors, Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman met and perhaps even exceeded it with their hysterical guest appearances.
25. "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Cold Open" (Chris Rock, December 14th)
I straight up didn’t know Nancy Grace was still a thing. Is she? I don’t even know. I’m not gonna bother to look up what she’s up to, but I haven’t heard that name since the mid-2000s. That said, I usually enjoy a non-political cold open, and usually enjoy a Sarah Sherman-fronted sketch, so the combination of the two yielded an open that both was solidly funny and felt fresh, arguably the first of its kind all season.
24. "New York City Council Campaign" (John Mulaney, November 2nd)
A simple— arguably juvenile —bit, but it was so jampacked with funny lines that it worked. Plus, even if it hadn’t been hilarious, it would have been worth it to see bald John Mulaney.
23. "Textbook Writer" (Jean Smart, September 28th)
This could have had a much stronger ending, and had some timing errors, otherwise this could have thrown a gauntlet down for “sketch of the season” right out the gates. That’s how funny this premise was. So many lines in this one that I can already see myself referencing countless times again.
22. "Church On Vacation" (Shane Gillis, February 24th)
I’ve griped many times this season about strange choices for first sketch of the night. This was a GREAT choice; it was high-energy right off the bat, and made great use of the host, who has a surprisingly good patois accent. Plus, not like this was planned, even finished with the host breaking a little, which the crowd ate up. This wasn't an instant classic on punchlines alone, but one of the more enjoyable live sketches from this season.
21. "Sex Rock CD" (Bill Burr, November 9th)
Anything less than 110% commitment would have caused this sketch to fail, especially with the host stumbling over his lines, but James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman and Andrew Dismukes gave 150%, and it made this a surefire future cult classic. Sure, the individual punchlines were few and far between, but the absurd dedication to the 80s ‘sex-rock’ energy made this hilarious from start to finish. We need more content of Andrew as a glam rocker, in my humble opinion.
20. "Weekend Update: Ego as Charlotte the Stingray" (Sydney Sweeney, March 2nd)
A hysterical Update cameo from Ego Nwodim, whose "pregnant sting ray" finally gave Michael Che the good-natured ribbing that his co-host Colin so often has to suffer through.
19. "Home Videos" (Dakota Johnson, January 27th)
This one started slow, and the overdone Southern accents made me nervous it would be a bust. But the sketch's big reveal was worth the buildup, and of course, that reveal became secondary to the humor of everyone’s reactions to the titular home video. Good stuff.
18. "Bald Guys" (Bill Burr, November 9th)
I was in tears watching this live, and I gotta say, it holds up pretty well the next day, too. I love when SNL goes big— whether that mean go outrageously weird, do a musical number, or in this case, both. And I love it most of all when it’s legitimately funny, and while the conceit of this sketch was already funny enough, the writing of the verses and several of the asides took it to another level. This won’t be for everyone— I’ve already seen one reviewer I typically agree with call it the worst sketch of the night —but I tell ya what, it’s for me.
17. "Gladiator II: The Musical" (Paul Mescal, December 7th)
It’s not that there were a ton of laugh out loud jokes, truthfully, but the idea behind this was so funny, and the execution was legitimately very impressive. I kinda hate to say it, but I would watch a Gladiator musical now! (Also…is that Paul Mescal’s actual singing voice? Because if so, I fear the Twitter girlies will never recover.).
16. "Beautiful Girls" (Jake Gyllenhaal, May 18th)
This was easily my favorite of the night, and one of my personal faves in a while. Partially because it was hilarious, partially because it was an homage to a scene from Singin' In The Rain, an old family favorite. But mostly because I'm a sucker for sketches that are a production. I Ioved the commitment to old-school revue, and the twist with Kenan getting hooked by the end.
15. "Weekend Update: Sarah as Peanut's Widow" (Charli xcx, November 16th)
Weekend Update had been the highlight of the last few seasons, but in the post-election episode, had perhaps its weakest outing yet. What a comeback this was, then, for all involved in the weekly segment the following episode. I don’t know if I can remember a stronger outing from Colin Jost and Michael Che, whose digs at Trump and his cabinet picks in particular were some of the most ruthless barbs we’ve heard from anyone, to the delight of the crowd. And though the bar was set incredibly high already by the co-anchors, Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman met and perhaps even exceeded it with their hysterical guest appearances.
14. "Celine Dion Sports Promo" (Ariana Grande, October 12th)
This is a pretty simple sketch idea, especially considering Ariana’s had that Celine Dion impression up her sleeve for a while, but executed so well. The closing montage of her singing over jump cuts of people getting beaten up just had me rolling.
13. "Jumanji" (Kristen Wiig, April 6th)
This is the best example all season (maybe the only example?) of effectively kicking off the live sketches with a tone-setter. I’ve talked multiple times the last couple years about SNL’s trend towards weird choices of first post-monologue sketch and how it gets the episode off to a rocky, muddled start. This one was as random a sketch idea as many of those others were, but was so creatively written and marvelously acted that it became an instant hit, and primed the live and TV audience for a night full of wild, wacky hilarity.
12. "Weekend Update: Jane as Sabrina Carpenter" (Chris Rock, December 14th)
In what's generally been a very good season for them, this was one of Che’s and Jost’s weaker nights, overall. The co-hosts had a handful of good moments, but their punchlines were generally weaker, and I really don’t understand Che’s running “it’s the 90s!” gag he has employed almost all seasons. Thankfully, a hilarious outing from walk-on guest Jane Wickline salvaged the segment's quality. Wickline is now 2 for 2 on hilariously witty mock songs on Update.
11. "The Engagement" (Ryan Gosling, April 13th)
This was a hilarious choice for first post-monologue sketch of the night, but as the night progressed, it turned out this would prove to be the perfect tone-setter: delightful chaos as the host gamely fully commits to his character and yet struggles immensely to hold off the giggles. Even when the main joke was revealed early on, the sketch didn’t lose steam because the writing was clever, and Ryan Gosling and Andrew Dismukes both sold it so well. I was worried they’d lose steam in the end, but they pivoted back effectively.
10. "Sábado Gigante" (Nate Bargatze, October 5th)
I get the feeling this might be a “pet sketch” for me, one most everyone enjoys but I in particular return to an abnormal amount. The crowd seemed kinda mixed on this send-up of unhinged Latin game shows and an increasingly bemused and terrified Nate Bargatze, but I was dying. The reaction every time El Chacal popped out was golden. Even if the live audience may not agree that this was one of the highlights of the night, it gets a bonus boost for me for being so tremendously original.
9. "Parking Lot Altercation" (Martin Short, December 21st)
As was the case with a surprising amount of content from this episode, this was a reprise of a pre-existing sketch. The good news is, it was a reprise of a brilliant sketch, and the concept was just as funny the second time, and perhaps even better this time around. The writing for Martin Short's character in particular was phenomenal, and the late Melissa McCarthy cameo elevated this from very good to downright great.
8. "Please Don't Destroy - Roast" (Dakota Johnson, January 27th)
Another banger from the Please Don't Destroy trio, and perhaps one of their best yet. The mean-spirited humor was very tonally different from their usual stuff, but Dakota was the perfect host to play this particular sketch off of, both because of her perfect dry delivery, but also because she was the perfect foil for the hilarious nepo baby joke.
7. "Beavis and Butt-Head" (Ryan Gosling, April 13th)
If you have any social media account, you've no doubt seen this referenced by now. This one had a bit of a sloppy start live with some technical glitches, but the energy picked up quick, for obvious reasons. Heidi Gardner’s break was an all-timer; I have to believe that she had never seen Mikey Day’s makeup until the live episode. I never really know how to rate sketches that are pretty much only (or at least largely) funny simply because of the cast breaking. But the breaks in this one were so phenomenal, and the makeup work and creativity levels of the sketch both so high... ah what the hell, I loved this. If it's even an error, I’m gonna err on the side of rating an extremely memorable sketch highly.
6. "Sushi Glory Hole" (Nate Bargatze, October 5th)
I wanted to rank this even higher simply for unexpectedly bringing back the Lonely Island (or at least 2/3rds of them) to SNL, but I save perfect 10s for rarefied air, and I don’t know that this makes Lonely Island’s criterion collection. Still, what a return to form for the modern-day SNL legends: a stupid concept, repeated ad nauseum, but with enough self-awareness to laugh along with you. And oh yeah, intermittently, legitimately impressive bars. Same as it ever was. Much is made about crowding out an already-large cast in favor of celebrity cameos and former cast members, and I share the general opposition to that, but (while I doubt this is a plan in the works) personally, I wouldn't mind honoring the show's 50th year with one appearance an episode with greats from the show's past, and especially if those greats were influential in my SNL upbringing.
5. "Get That Boy Back" (Ryan Gosling, April 13th)
The only complaint I have with this was the relative lack of Ego Nwodim; literally the first note I wrote during the sketch was “You better SANG, Ego!” But this was another terrific parody song from the show, and no surprise that it’s a Chloe Troast breakout smash. (#ChloeTroastsupremacy) The running punchlines were hilarious, but it works especially well because it’s also genuinely a catchy song.
4. "Weekend Update: Sarah as CJ Rossitano" (Ayo Edebiri, February 3rd)
This episode hand another very good installment of Weekend Update from the co-anchors, who (Che in particular) you could tell fed off the crowd’s energetic discomfort with certain dark punchlines. But the unquestioned star of it was Sarah Sherman, back with another amazing Update appearance razzing Colin-- you know what, I don’t even want to spoil it for you, just watch.
3. "Charades with Mom" (Ariana Grande, October 12th)
This was just terrific writing and such a funny premise, and the acting from the host and Bowen Yang was off the charts. I loved Grande’s almost 50s transatlantic WASPy delivery in her brutal takedown of her son’s boyfriend, and her irl friend Bowen fed off that energy so well. This one didn’t overstay its welcome, just a total banger from start to finish.
2. "Retirement Party" (Kristen Wiig, April 6th)
I guess this technically counts as a repeat sketch? It isn’t exactly the same bit, just a reprise of an idea they had done before in the 2010s, with a few familiar faces. I loved previous iterations of Wiig’s emphysema lady, Armisen’s tone-deaf free-love fiend, and Forte’s deeply unsettling white-nationalist-coded characters.
But, and maybe this is the recency bias talking, this was my favorite iteration of it ever. Every single walk-on guest was hysterical, Mikey Day took on what was usually Jason Sudeikis’ straight-man role expertly, and by the time Will Forte menacingly uttered “Joseph HUSSEIN Biden,” I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.
1. "Moulin Rouge" (Josh Brolin, March 9th)
Phenomenal. From the voiceover at the start to the very end. I'm typically not a fan of having a popular musical guest play such a big part in sketches at the expense of the host, just because it feels like cheap audience fodder. This was the exception. This is how you do it, by putting together the musician in a musical sketch with her real-life friend and letting them just run wild with it. And, even relegated to a small cameo, Josh Brolin made an impact as well.
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