Scot Bertram

Filling a Kristen Wiig-Sized Hole in the Cast

It doesn’t make any sense that Saturday Night Live would actually improve when an all-time great cast member like Kristen Wiig leaves the show. We have seen what happens when a legend leaves in the past; the show’s quality dipped, for instance, when Will Ferrell left in 2002 after Season 27 wrapped.

But after Wiig’s post-Season 37 exit, the show not only maintained its quality, but got even better. That is in large part because the show’s success in previous seasons weren’t all because of her – great cast members like Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Fred Armisen were still around, and capable B-team players like Bobby Moynihan and Taran Killam bolstered the cast.

And, of course, once Wiig left, the women on the show finally got their chance to shine. For much of early Season 38, relatively new cast members like Kate McKinnon (started at the end of Season 37) and Vanessa Bayer (started at the beginning of Season 36) battle for the role of top female cast member. And by the end of the season, Season 38 newcomer Cecily Strong makes a hard charge for the title.

Season 38 is the last season for the Hader/Armisen/Sudeikis troika, and they make the most of it. It is also the one season in which Tim Robinson, who would go on to Netflix fame in the 2020s, appeared on screen as a featured player (he would be moved to the writer’s room the next year.)

We discuss all the cast comings and goings, plus some truly classic sketches on this edition of Wasn’t That Special. Please subscribe and join us for a trip through every year of SNL. And consider joining at the Executive Producer level, where you get a whole load of extra commentary and clips that will help you become an SNL expert.

And Happy Holidays!