SNL’s Bowen Yang Reacts To Kate McKinnon And Other Stars’ Leaving The Show After ‘Emotional’ Finale

Throughout Saturday Night Live’s 47-season run so far, the series has seen plenty of cast members come and go. The Season 47 finale included the departures of several beloved stars: Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney. Now SNL star Bowen Yang is speaking out about the emotional exits of his now-former cast mates.

While promoting new film Fire Island, Bowen Yang discussed what finale day was like with ET. Yang described how emotional it was to say goodbye to them as SNL stars:

[The last day] was so emotional. . . . It is just these four people who have defined what that show is in the last decade.

The Season 47 finale was as emotional as an episode of SNL can get. The episode involved heartfelt goodbyes and perfect final sketches for the four departing members, and it sounds like it was emotional behind-the-scenes as well.

Yang went on to praise McKinnon, Davidson, Bryant, and Mooney, noting that although he hasn’t been on the show as long as them, he knows exactly what they’re leaving behind:

[They were] distinct presences, distinct voices and four people who were sort of the best to ever do it. . . . I haven’t worked there when they haven’t. So, it’s going to be an interesting sort of envisioning of the show and recalibration. But I’m excited to see where it goes.

Fans didn’t have much time to prepare for the surprising exits, as the announcements came just before the finale aired, with Pete Davidson’s exit as the first confirmed. Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant’s exits have been rumored for some time now, but now that it’s actually happened, it’s hard to imagine the show without them. Davidson already has other projects lined up that will keep him plenty busy post-SNL. 

Meanwhile, with the departures, there was another one in particular that fans thought was going to happen but didn’t. Michael Che, who has been behind the desk on “Weekend Update” alongside Colin Jost since 2014, recently opened up about his future on the popular variety series. Che admitted that he thinks he’s staying, but he never knows until after a season is over. The duo definitely have a great dynamics in the segment, and it would be a bummer if that pair is split up. But as for now, it sounds like Che is staying on, so let’s just hope it stays that way.

The exits were bound to happen at some point, especially with the group having other projects, but hopefully the Season 47 finale won’t be the last that fans see of them for the foreseeable future. Plenty of SNL vets have returned to host and make cameo appearances. But it may be a bit early to think about that, so for now, I’m crossing my fingers that they keep SNL ties in whatever way. 

Will you miss Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney on Saturday Night Live? It will certainly be interesting to see how the show moves on without them, so be sure to watch Season 48 of SNL this fall, which will likely include a new crop of stars. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what else to catch!