If there’s one thing that we can agree on, it’s that Lorne Michaels knows how to produce. It’s why Saturday Night Live remains so popular, and it’s why big moments become so much more emotional.
Take Bowen Yang’s final sketch on the comedy series. It turns out that there were changes made at the last minute, and we know that those changes were for the best. The entire moment became more about the emotion of Yang leaving, something that he deserved after working on the series for the last five and a half seasons.
The Delta sketch was supposed to be messier on Saturday Night Live
Yang chatted with his Las Culturistas podcast co-host Matt Rogers about his final SNL episode. It was an “exit interview” of sorts, giving Yang a chance to look back at the final episode and some of the more memorable moments. Yang was the one to make the decision to leave, and he had said back in September that SNL is more of a stepping stone for careers than anything else.
He shared how the “Delta Lounge” scene, which was the last of the Dec. 20 episode, was supposed to be a lot messier than it ended up being. There was meant to be eggnog everywhere, with Mikey Day and Sarah Sherman in the background to clean it all up.
However, during dress rehearsals, Michaels decided that it just didn’t work. The two were cut and the mess was reduced. It became more about the emotion of the moment, and there’s no doubt that it ended up being an excellent goodbye sketch for the writer and comedian.
There was also a chance that Cher wouldn’t be involved in the sketch. After all, she was the musical guest, and it’s not often that a musical guest will step in to a sketch. On top of that, Cher is described by Yang as “a dyslexic icon,” and that meant everyone wanted to spare any dialogue to make sure she was comfortable. However, she ended up taking part in this farewell sketch.
There is one thing Yang would have liked to change
While Yang was certainly grateful for Michaels’s decision, there was something that he admits would have been great to have. That would have been for the entire cast to be there, but unfortunately, logistics made it impossible.
One thing he did get was a reunion with former SNL writer Celeste Yim, who had worked with Yang often when they were on the show together between seasons 46 and 50. She helped to pen the farewell sketch, adding to that emotional element.
It all ended with Yang joining Cher and Ariana Grande in a final song, and you could feel the emotion coming from them, especially Yang!
Saturday Night Live returns on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 11:30/10:30c on NBC.