Overall, "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" featured countless returning cast , past hosts, and celebrity guests, ranging from Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy to Sabrina Carpenter and Pedro Pascal. They revisited famous sketches and made some new ones, while musical guests like Miley Cyrus and Paul McCartney performed.

Saturday Night Live, initially called NBC's Saturday Night, premiered on October 11, 1975, and it has dominated Saturday nights (as the title suggests) ever since, while also being a driving force in the world of comedy.

Given Saturday Night Live's rich and complex history, the writers and performers had a lot to work with for "SNL50: The Anniversary Special." Nevertheless, the celebration fell short of expectations. It wasn't completely horrendous and had a handful of memorable moments. However, the three-hour special failed to fully embrace Saturday Night Live's peak comedy, resulting in jokes that didn't land and occasionally an air of awkwardness.

The SNL50 Anniversary Special Was Kind Of A Mess

The Episode Was Quite Chaotic

From start to finish, Saturday Night Live's "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" was all over the place. It was just too chaotic, and there was nothing the stars could do to hide the mess. The former cast and celebrity guests evidently didn't have much time to practice all the sketches (which makes sense given everyone's busy schedules), resulting in awkward joke deliveries and a sense of unease.

Ultimately, the Saturday Night Live celebration didn't flow all that well, making most moments seem more clunky than funny. Saturday Night Live has had plenty of misses over the years. However, when the jokes, sketches, or digital shorts land, they are hilarious and highly memorable, which is why so many love the NBC late-night live sketch comedy variety program. Unfortunately, "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" contained more cringeworthy moments than unforgettable ones.

SNL50 Was Still Great Thanks To The Nostalgia & Star Power

The Return Of So Many Past Saturday Night Live Cast Made Up For The Chaos

Despite all its flaws, though, Saturday Night Live's "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" was still a night to . The three-hour episode banked on the program's nostalgia factor and star power to appeal to audiences and show all the reasons why Saturday Night Live has been successful enough to run for 50 seasons (and will likely continue for many more years to come). "SNL50" had plenty of missteps, but that didn't stop it from bringing smiles to the audience's faces. So, the special's chaos didn't matter much because it was a true celebration of the series.

It was simply incredible to see all the different generations of comedic talent that Studio 8H has produced since its debut in 1975, from SNL original cast Garrett Morris and Jane Curtin to newer legends such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

The night could have been made better with funnier sketches and less mess. However, that might have been asking for too much due to demand and the number of people working on "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" (in front of and behind the camera). More preparation would likely have made the NBC late-night live sketch comedy variety program's three-hour episode more successful all around. Given the amount of talent involved, though, chaos was ingrained into the special's DNA.

Unfortunately, four SNL cast were missing from the 50th anniversary special — Dan Aykroyd, Bill Hader, Dana Carvey, and Colin Quinn. Aside from those four, though, almost every prominent former cast member appeared during the special.

It was simply incredible to see all the different generations of comedic talent that Studio 8H has produced since its debut in 1975, from SNL original cast Garrett Morris and Jane Curtin to newer legends such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. All of them sharing the stage and having the time of their lives together must bring a lot of joy to fans, and that's all that matters.

SNL50 Showed Saturday Night Live Was An Incredible Homage To Its Pop Culture Legacy

So Many Hollywood Stars Attended The Event

Over its 50 years on the air, Saturday Night Live has had an unparalleled effect on pop culture and comedy. So many famous actors and actresses made their breakthrough on the NBC series. Without the groundbreaking program, the world might never have known the comedic genius of funny SNL cast like Eddie Murphy, Kate McKinnon, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, and so many more.

Consequently, "SNL50: The Anniversary Special" was memorable simply in the way it highlighted how important the show has been for pop culture. Its inclusion of countless celebrities, whether they were on Saturday Night Live or not, proves that the 50th-anniversary special's chaos didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.