Saturday Night Live will give fans the best show of the season this week

The season finale of Saturday Night Live hosted by Paul Rudd should be the best episode of the season.

Saturday Night Live will air the 21st and final episode of season 44 this week. Featuring Paul Rudd as the host and DJ Khaled as the musical guest, there are no reasons why it shouldn’t a case of “saving the best for last.”

That isn’t to say that Paul Rudd’s episode doesn’t have any good competition for “best of the season.” Adam Driver, Matt Damon, and Rachel Brosnahan all gave memorable performances and helped deliver some of the best sketches of the season.

But this week’s episode has two major factors working in its favor: Paul Rudd hosting and being the season finale. It will be Rudd’s fourth time hosting SNL with previous appearances coming in 2008, 2010, and 2013. Rudd’s comedy resume speaks for itself with credits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Anchorman, and Role Models.

It is Rudd’s comedic talents, popularity, and familiarity with SNL that make him a perfect choice to host the season finale. It also doesn’t hurt that he was a major part of Avengers: Endgame, perhaps the biggest movie of all-time at this point.

Hosting the season finale is something of an honor. Lorne Michaels doesn’t ask just anyone to help close out the season. The past few hosts called on for finale duties include Fred Armisen, Dwayne Johnson, and Tina Fey.

As Tina Fey’s monologue from last season proves, the season finale is also a time for cameos. We can’t be sure that this week’s show will have as many as Fey’s episode but you never know. Season 44 has already featured cameos from people like Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Steve Martin. But the finale is a chance for even more big names to pop up and help end the season.

And with Paul Rudd hosting, there is a lot of potential for some really big names to show up. A recurring sketch when Rudd hosts has been “The Kissing Family.” So if the writers want to bring that back this week, don’t be surprised if Hader, Wiig, and Armisen show up to help.

Rudd is also friendly with other SNL alum like Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. Poehler is out promoting her film Wine Country so a return to SNL certainly wouldn’t hurt. Rudd’s pal Seth Rogen is also plugging his movie Long Shot, making him another possible cameo candidate.

Fans should especially look for how Rudd addresses Avengers: Endgame. The movie was the biggest thing in entertainment and pop culture this year. Saturday Night Live has always had fun with Marvel movies and now they’ll have one of the biggest stars from that universe at Studio 8H.

There is a good chance that we’ll get to see Rudd spoof his Ant-Man character. But if SNL really wants to make a splash then we will see some other Avengers stop by the show. Robert Downey Jr. would make the most headlines. He did have a brief run as a cast member in the 1985-1986 season and returned to host in 1996.

Other Avengers you shouldn’t be surprised to see include Chris Hemsworth and Scalett Johansson. Both have hosted multiple times and have a good relationship with the show. Johansson’s relationship with co-head writer and “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost also improves the odds that the Black Widow actress pops up to assist Rudd.

The Paul Rudd hosted season finale of Saturday Night Live should be the best of the season. Writers and performers will both be looking to close out season 44 on a high note. They’ll no doubt get some help from a few surprise guests. Who do you think will show up to help Rudd? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back in with Last Night On for all the highlights.