‘SNL’ Starts Generational Shift With Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson & Kyle Mooney Sendoff In Season Finale - Deadline

Saturday Night Live bid farewell to four veteran cast members tonight, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney.

McKinnon, Bryant and Davidson, who have all become household names since SNL launched their careers, all got individual sendoffs with some of their most popular recurring skits.

Overall, the episode, hosted by Natasha Lyonne, was a throwback to a time when longtime SNL cast members used to receive proper sendoffs in the season finale capping their runs.

McKinnon, Bryant, Davidson and Mooney are leading members of the SNL generation that succeeded Sudeikis, Samberg and Wiig.

McKinnon has been on the show for 11 seasons (tonight marked her 211th episode, more than any woman in SNL history), Bryant has been on for 10, Mooney for 9, Davidson for 8.

With McKinnon, Bryant, Davidson and Mooney’s exits, the generational change on the show has been set in motion.

The SNL Season 47 finale set the tone for the farewell with the Cold Open, which revisited one of the show’s most popular recurring sketches of the last decade, “Close Encounter,” which has included Kate McKinnon in one of her most popular characters on the show, Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant.

Weekend Update featured both Pete Davidson and Bryant.

In the night’s final skit, McKinnon and Bryant, who have done a slew of zany commercial sketches, including the popular HomeGoods holiday spot and an Apple Picking ad, delivered one last collaboration, an ad for Gray Adult Pigtails.

While the entire finale served as a sendoff for the four departing cast members, there was no mention of their exit during the traditional curtain call which featured a Mooney giving an emotional McKinnon a hug (photo above).

It’s not a surprise given that this season featured 21 stars and eight cast members that were entering their eighth season and beyond.