Saturday Night Live has returned on the 2026 TV schedule to resume its 51st season, and the cast for Season 51 was down a member. Fan-favorite Bowen Yang officially said his goodbyes to Studio 8H in December following the Christmas episode, hosted by his Wicked: For Good co-star Ariana Grande. It was an emotional affair, but after hearing about Yang returning to 30 Rock this week to pick up his “wonderful detritus,” I can’t stop imagining him sneaking around the building.
On the latest episode of his podcast Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers, Yang revealed he had to swing by 30 Rock to pick up some things that were still there, and he really couldn’t have picked a worse time since hiatus was done and everyone was back at work. So he had to sneak around, likely so as not to create much of a spectacle, and I wish I could see the security footage of it:
I just came from my dressing room at SNL. Today was my actual last day. So, I had to sneak in there, we’re about to go to Japan, everyone is back at work from hiatus. Everyone is going back today for Monday pitch, but I had to really sneak in there before everyone came back, clean out my stuff, a lot of wonderful detritus.
I am just imagining him sneaking around 30 Rock like he’s in some spy movie, trying not to make a sound or cause a distraction, and it’s making me laugh so much. What I would give to have been a fly on the wall, especially when Yang walked out with a wig mold of his head from the hair department! He showed off the mold on the podcast, and it included a sweet note from hairstylist Jodi Mancuso.
Yang also said it will be his new hat stand, while Rogers suggested he could bring it back when and if he eventually hosts. While they were both joking around, it couldn’t have been easy for Yang to clean out his dressing room. SNL alum and Las Culturistas guest Kristen Wiig knows exactly how he feels:
I know that feeling of cleaning out that room. Cleaning out my office was hard. Because you don’t do it when everyone is there, and you’re like, ‘How can I move that box?’ You fill it up, and then no one’s there, and you’re just like, ‘Goodbye, building.’
SNL has had plenty of stars come and go over the years, and it sounds like the departures are often similar, no matter how long someone has been on the show for. If anything, many SNL alums have returned to host or make surprise cameos, so it might just be a matter of time before Yang comes back to Studio 8H with his wig mold. At the very least, he is certainly not alone when it comes to sneaking around after leaving the series.
Meanwhile, his exit prompted many tributes from SNL stars after his final episode aired, which included a very emotional final sketch. Yang’s departure came after five cast members left ahead of Season 51, so he joins Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim in walking out the door. Since Yang has cleaned out the last of his stuff at 30 Rock, it can be assumed he’ll not want to return for a cameo or to host right away, just so he can get used to not being on the show. He's shared his gratitude for the series, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if his return came earlier than expected.
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