Posted in: NBC, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Aidy Bryant, nbc, saturday night live, snl

Saturday Night Live: Aidy Bryant Thanks SNL Family, Shares BTS Looks

This weekend not only saw the Natasha Lyonne-hosted (with musical guest Japanese Breakfast) Season 47 finale of NBC's Saturday Night Live mark the end of the run for the late-night comedy/music series until the fall but it also served as the final show for SNL cast members Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Kyle Mooney. While we had a chance to see her goodbye sketch during the show (more on that in a minute), Bryant took to Instagram earlier today to thank the cast & crew for all of their love and support over the years. And while Bryant also included a touching selection of behind-the-scenes images from her time on the show (featuring McKinnon, Seth Meyers, Sarah Sherman, Vanessa Bayer, and others), it's the final image with SNL creator & EP Lorne Michaels that really hit home.

"Hi! I started on SNL when I was 25, I had never been on camera, never produced, and had a lot to learn. in my 10 years at the show, there are so many people who helped me in so many ways. Gena, Chris, Wally, Jodi, Tom, Eric, Dale, Audrey, Amanda, and all of the crew whose long hours and laughs in rehearsal meant the most. the cast and writers that I got to work with over the years made me laugh harder than I knew was possible. I love you and thank you from my whole heart," Bryant wrote, and you can check out the full post below:

Here's a look at Davidson continuing his tribute to Michaels that he began during "Weekend Update," followed by a look back at Davidson, Bryant, McKinnon & Mooney's "goodbye" sketches:

In the cold open "Final Encounter," McKinnon's Colleen Rafferty makes one final return, being questioned at the Pentagon alongside Lyonne & Cecily Strong by Bryant & Mikey Day's agents before volunteering to go away with her alien abductors- but not before McKinnon shared some sweet, tender & thinly-veiled words at the end (though McKinnon does reappear near the end of the show in the "Women's Commercial" sketch to join Mooney for his "goodbye" sketch):

During "Weekend Update", Bryant and Bowen Yang's Trend Forecasters joined Michael Che at the desk to offer a final round of what's in & what's out before an especially touching exchange at the end. Following that, we have a look at Davidson's final visit to the desk as an official SNL cast member:

During a tour behind-the-scenes of SNL's show night with CBS Mornings host Gayle King for his Kennedy Center honor before the end of the year, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels revealed that he had been thinking of retiring and thought it was a "really good time to leave." But first and foremost, his commitment is to see the show make it to that milestone. "I think I'm committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years. I'd like to see that through, and I have a feeling that'd be a really good time to leave," Michaels explained.

"I won't want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It's been my life's work. So I'm going to do everything I can to see it carry on and carry on well," he continued. And while Michaels was loathed to discuss details on something that wouldn't happen for three more years, he did admit when it comes to who would take on the role next that they had "a sense of where we're headed with that."

NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 47 cast includes Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Ego Nwodim, Chris Redd, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Melissa Villaseñor, and Bowen Yang; feature players include the returning Andrew Dismukes and Punkie Johnson, as well as new players Aristotle Athari (Future Man, All Rise), James Austin Johnson (Silicon Valley), and Sarah Sherman (The Eric Andre Show).

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