RAMY YOUSSEF
AIRDATE: March 30, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Travis Scott
READER GRADE: 49/100 (“D”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Youssef’s monologue taking swings at Biden
* Please Don’t Destroy getting high with Travis Scott (watch above)
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SNL Season 49: TVLine Readers Rank Every Episode, From Worst to Best
Courtesy NBC (3)
Each weekend, we here at TVLine highlight the best (and sometimes worst) of what Saturday Night Live has to offer, before turning it over to you, our loyal readers, to weigh in on each episode.
With Season 49 now behind us, we’re revisiting how all 20 installments — featuring hosts Sydney Sweeney, Ayo Edebiri, Adam Driver, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Timothée Chalamet, among others — fared, based on the average grade that you gave them.
Just how well did former cast members Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph fare during their Season 49 hosting stints? What about Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny, both of whom pulled double duty as host and musical guest?
In the list below, using a proprietary mathematical algorithm, we have converted TVLine reader poll results into a score out of 100, then ordered the episodes from lowest to highest score. Scroll down to see how readers ultimately ranked each SNL Season 49 episode, then hit the comments and tell us if you’re surprised by any of the results.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC -
SHANE GILLIS
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Feb. 24, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: 21 Savage
READER GRADE: 50/100 (“D”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Fake movie trailer touting the powers of gold Trump sneakers (watch above)
* Gillis sidestepping his SNL firing in the opening monologue -
DUA LIPA
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: May 4, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Dua Lipa
READER GRADE: 65/100 (“C”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Jerry Seinfeld making an appearance on Weekend Update with a message for Ryan Gosling (watch above)
* Chloe Fineman spoofing JoJo Siwa -
SYDNEY SWEENEY
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: March 2, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Kacey Musgraves
READER GRADE: 68/100 (“C+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Sweeney joking about her nude scenes and Madame Web
* Sweeney solving crime through social media stalking (watch above)
* Sweeney trying to seduce a golden retriever -
AYO EDEBIRI
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Feb. 3, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Jennifer Lopez
READER GRADE: 72/100 (“B-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Edebiri’s pre-show pep talk to the SNL Cast
* Edebiri referencing her controversial comments about JLo — and Instagram loving it!
* Trump town hall cold open… with Nikki Haley?
* Dune popcorn bucket song (watch above) -
JACOB ELORDI
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Jan. 20, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Reneé Rapp
READER GRADE: 72/100 (“B-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Rachel McAdams making a cameo
* Alaska Airlines ad poking fun at imaginary “upgrades” (watch above)
* Please Don’t Destroy’s “Pimp My Ride” sketch (even though it was cut for time) -
DAKOTA JOHNSON
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Jan. 27, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Justin Timberlake
READER GRADE: 73/100 (“B-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Johnson roasting Please Don’t Destroy — in their own sketch! (watch above)
* A Family’s Home Videos Binge Takes a Maury Povich-y Turn -
JASON MOMOA
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Nov. 18, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Tate McRae
READER GRADE: 74/100 (“B-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Roman Empire song (watch above)
* Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim Host Newark Airport’s Thanksgiving Day Parade -
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Nov. 11, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: boygenius
READER GRADE: 75/100 (“B”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* James Austin Johnson’s Trump crashing the cold open spoofing a GOP debate
* SmokeCheddaDaAssGetta making his triumphant return (watch above) -
BAD BUNNY
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Oct. 21, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Bad Bunny
READER GRADE: 77/100 (“B”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* SNL going cameo crazy (again!) with Mick Jagger, Lady Gaga and more
* Bad Bunny becoming a Spanish king with an aversion to chickens
* Pedro Pascal stopping by to reprise his role as Tía (watch above) -
EMMA STONE
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Dec. 2, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Noah Kahan
READER GRADE: 78/100 (“B”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Bowen Yang’s George Santos getting expelled from Congress (watch above)
* Tina Fey and Candice Bergen welcoming Stone to the 5-Timers Club
* Stone and Yang getting naked in New York -
NATE BARGATZE
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Oct. 28, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Foo Fighters
READER GRADE: 79/100 (“B”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* SNL paying tribute to the late Matthew Perry
* Biden celebrating Halloween with Christopher Walken
* Please Don’t Destroy’s “Dawg Food” sketch (watch above) -
ADAM DRIVER
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Dec. 9, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Olivia Rodrigo
READER GRADE: 81/100 (“B+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Driver playing the creepy childhood friend from your hometown (watch above)
* The actual Julia Stiles showing up to outdo Chloe Fineman’s Stiles impression -
JAKE GYLLENHAAL
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: May 18, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Sabrina Carpenter
READER GRADE: 82/100 (“B+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Gyllenhaal singing Boyz II Men
* Carpenter and Gyllenhaal teaming up for a violent Scooby Doo parody (watch above)
* Colin Jost and Michale Che swap jokes on Weekend Update -
KATE MCKINNON
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Dec. 16, 2023
MUSICAL GUEST: Billie Eilish
READER GRADE: 83/100 (“B+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Eilish and McKinnon starting a tampon farm (watch above)
* McKinnon reprising “Whiskers R We” -
PETE DAVIDSON
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: Oct. 14, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Ice Spice
READER GRADE: 84/100 (“B+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Davidson’s Wired Autocomplete Interview spoof
* Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift making a surprise visit (!)
* Davidson addressing Israel-Hamas war in opening monologue
* “I’m Just Pete” song (watch above) -
JOSH BROLIN
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: March 9, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Ariana Grande
READER GRADE: 85/100 (“B+”)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Scarlett Johansson spoofing Katie Britt’s State of the Union rebuttal (watch above)
* Bowen Yang and Grande teaming up for an unhinged Moulin Rouge sketch -
KRISTEN WIIG
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: April 6, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Raye
READER GRADE: 86/100 (“A-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Wiig’s Aunt Linda roasting #Barbenheimer and The Bear
* Pilates horror movie trailer (watch above)
* Matt Damon, Paul Rudd, Ryan Gosling and more welcoming Wiig to 5-Timers Club -
MAYA RUDOLPH
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: May 11, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Vampire Weekend
READER GRADE: 89/100 (“A-“)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Hot Ones with Beyoncé 2 (watch above)
* Rudolph slaying her Mother’s Day monologue -
RYAN GOSLING
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC AIRDATE: April 13, 2024
MUSICAL GUEST: Chris Stapleton
READER GRADE: 95/100 (“A”)
*Season 49’s most-watched episode, and featuring the season’s most-viewed sketch on YouTube
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Caitlin Clark schooling Michale Che on Weekend Update
* Ryan gosling performing an ode to Ken to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”
* Another “Alien Abduction” sketch
* Beavis and Butt-Head spoof (watch above)
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Most Commented
Wow, I didn’t care one way or the other for J-Lo’s musical bit, but I thought Ayo Edebiri was phenomenal as a host. Hoping she comes back again.
I was aghast when I saw how low her episode ranked. The classroom sketch was an instant classic imo. I loved the top 3, but honestly Emma Stone was definitely placed lower than she deserved.
Of course, it’s the quality of the writing — at least as much as the comedy chops of the guest host — that makes any particular episode successful. So it’s no surprise that former “SNL” cast members, as well as big-personality actors who are funny in interviews and on talk shows, tend to do the best. The writers know how to work with them and play to their strengths.
Yeah but hosts who take big swings even with mediocre material also tend to get more mileage out of it. It’s hard to chalk it up to any one thing.
The Maya Rudolph episode was terrible. This list makes no sense
Yes! She was a huge disappointment! The writing was terrible for her episode & she’s usually pretty funny.
lmao, of course the best episode is ranked 19 cause people got their panties in a bunch.
Washington’s Dream is the highlight of Nate’s episode to leave it off it’s insane
Also Elordi was by farrrr the worst host and should be ranked last. The fact that a highlight was a cut for time pretaped should have clued you into that fact.
Ayo deserves to be ranked higher. Ayo and Ego carried that whole episode
What are you smoking, Bad Bunny should have been a F-. Horrible.
He was good as musical guest though.
Pedro Pascal’s cameo being the only bright spot.
The royal court sketch was pretty memorable. Dismukes was especially hilarious as the monk.
SNL needs no fewer than 2 John Mulaney episodes every season. And it should end at 12:45, before the sketch that ruins the show. I would also prefer only one musical performance.
I’ve been a huge Ryan Gosling fan for so many years. I love his versatility and of course his Canadian charm! Every time he has hosted SNL, has been hilarious but this last time was on the floor laughing funny! THE BEST AND FUNNIEST EPISODE in all 49 seasons I’ve been watching. Also we have to commend the writers for their brilliant senses of humour. All in all, THE ABSOLUTE MOST FUNNY EPISODE!!
I’m surprised the Sydney Sweeney episode was so low, I thought it was a solid outing.
I am puzzled as to how the Pete Davidson episode makes into the list seeing as according to your information the airdate is Oct. 14, 2024
Jake Gyllenhaal and Pete Davidson were not top ten. Timothée Chalamet had a more memorable episode than both of them. Of course the laughing host got the top spot but I’m not mad at him.