Throughout Saturday Night Live’s 50-season run, the series has produced a number of memorable and viral sketches and beloved characters. Former cast member Kate McKinnon was in quite a few viral sketches during her time on the long-running series, and despite playing countless characters, she was quick to pick her favorite, which was the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She also responded to a question about the perfect SNL sketch, and the answer, while a bit... err.. alienating, is perfect.
Considering the number of sketches SNL has pumped out over the years, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite, even if you narrow the parameter to one cast member or even a certain type of sketch, such as the commercial parodies. However, when McKinnon was asked by fellow SNL alum and The Roses co-star Andy Samberg for Esquire what SNL skit was perfect from start to finish, she didn't really seem to have to think about it. She said:
The first of the alien abduction character that I have done sketches of, and I had nothing to do with that. That was Streeter Seidell [and] Mikey Day, [they] just wrote it and handed it to me the morning of the read-through. They were like, ‘We wrote this, I don’t know.’
The specific sketch that McKinnon is referring to is, as she said, the very first “Close Encounter” sketch that kicked off a whole series of sketches that were popular for a time on the show. It's honestly pretty common for SNL to repeat sketches fans really love, and I think McKinnon's answer is a solid one.
The first sketch made its debut in the December 5, 2015, episode, hosted by Ryan Gosling. He, McKinnon, and Cecily Strong were the three people who were “abducted” by aliens, and you really didn’t know what to expect with the characters, their stories, or their interactions with one another. Hearing the backstory to the alien abduction and the fact that McKinnon was only pitched the premise right before the read-through is impressive, though.
Though Streeter Seidell and Mikey Day wrote the bit, McKinnon made sure to put her own twist on the sketch, especially when it came to the character of Miss. Rafferty. She revealed he take didn't change much in the lead-up to the show, but I do like the one addition that changed.
I think I pitched the word cahooters, and that was it. And it barely changed all week, and it was just flawless from start to finish. My only addition was that I was smoking, and that the folds of my vagina were visible in my jeans because they were pulled so tight.
“Close Encounter” has appeared on Saturday Night Live nine times over the last decade, most recently for SNL50: The Anniversary Special earlier this year with Meryl Streep, making it even more perfect. The sketch is arguably one of my favorites, and it’s always fun seeing how insane the stories are that are told by McKinnon’s character, and how much the host cracks up.
Even though the “Close Encounter” sketches probably wouldn't work without Kate McKinnon, I am always hopeful it will make a comeback every once in a while. It’s unknown who is hosting SNL Season 51, but perhaps McKinnon and “Close Encounter” will return to Studio 8H in the near future.
Luckily, the sketches are on YouTube and all episodes of SNL are streaming with a Peacock subscription, so now would be a good time to revisit one of the iconic sketches that double as McKinnon's fondest.
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