SNL Ranks 10 Top Season 51 Sketches After 6 Cast Exits
Updated
Updated · DraftKings · May 18
SNL Ranks 10 Top Season 51 Sketches After 6 Cast Exits
8 articles · Updated · DraftKings · May 18
Ashley Padilla dominated the Season 51 list, appearing in many of the 10 selected sketches as the show’s breakout performer after a turbulent reset.
Six cast departures, including veterans Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim, had left the post-Season 50 lineup looking shaky, but the article says the show adapted over the next eight months.
The ranked sketches span October 2025 to the May 16, 2026 finale, with hosts including Sabrina Carpenter, Ryan Gosling, Matt Damon and Will Ferrell.
Will Ferrell’s cut-for-time “Juicy Toobins” closed the top 10 after the finale with Paul McCartney, while “Passing Notes” with Gosling was highlighted as one of SNL’s most inventive sketches in years.
The list frames Season 51 as a successful rebound for SNL after a major roster overhaul following its landmark 50th season.
With veteran contracts ending, which long-running cast members will leave SNL next?
Did losing six cast members unexpectedly make Saturday Night Live a stronger show?
How did Ashley Padilla become SNL's biggest breakout star in just her second season?