SNL: Kenan Thompson, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, Natasha Lyonne, Kate McKinnon

Big weekend for Natasha Lyonne. She was spoofed by Jinkx Monsoon in the Snatch Game on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, and now she’s hosting the season finale of a little show called Saturday Night Live. She’s a New Yawker, SNL‘s a New Yawker, I bet it’ll be right up her alley.

And what about Michelle Zauner? I guess it’s only appropriate that her band Japanese Breakfast would eventually end up on SNL, considering that they probably actually are eating breakfast in Japan while SNL is airing in America. Actually, now that I look up the time difference, it might actually be lunchtime instead. Or maybe a late breakfast could still be happening! If anyone knows Japanese mealtime traditions, let me know.

Now on to the review section of this review! This whole season, I’ve been listing the sketches in various oddball orders, so for the season finale, I’ve decided to repeat the order that I enjoyed the most. And that order is… Views on SNL‘s YouTube channel (Most First). What can I say, I like getting a sense of what’s popping with viewers.

Final Encounter Cold Open: Hurray, Colleen Rafferty finally gets her happy ending!

Weekend Update: Pete Davidson: Oh boy, besides the cold open, Petey Boy’s last hurrah is by far the most popular. What can you say: everyone loves this guy! Even though he’s always yakking about how he’s constantly insulted by the chattering classes, I suspect that there’s actually wonderment on their part deep down.

Weekend Update: The Jokes: So we know for sure that Kate, Aidy, Kyle, and Pete are on their way out, but what about the longest-running Update anchors? After all these seasons behind the desk, I have to wonder… In the meantime, I quite enjoyed the zing about Prince Charles tying the queen to train tracks and the Arby’s pee pee shakes announcement.

“The Places We’ll Go”: The whole time, I was wondering what was up with the fixation on Rachel Finster. And then we got an explanation! Ergo: satisfying ending, atypically so.

Stupid People Vote PSA: It’s good to know that decades after Gilda Radner stood up for them, stupid people are still being watched out for by SNL.

Natasha Lyonne’s Monologue: Monologues of first-time hosts are generally most useful for them explaining their whole vibe/aesthetic, so if you didn’t know Natasha Lyonne before, now you’re all set with the knowledge (and knowledge is power!) that she’s a “Little Orphan Annie type who talks like Dee Ramone.”

grey adult pigtails: Usually when Kate and Aidy team up, it’s an all-ladies affair. But then there was Richard…

Weekend Update: Trend Forecasters: Good to know navel oranges made it back in. We wouldn’t want Aidy burning Fruit Bridges on her last episode, after all!

50s Baseball Broadcast: You know, I don’t think the inappropriateness on the part of Natasha’s character really had anything to do with the methamphetamine.

Weekend Update: Guy Who Just Bought a Boat: Worth it for the utterance of “This is the worst thing to ever happen in Germany.”

9:15 to 5:10: Hoo boy, I love it when a 9 to 5 parody turns into a Weekend at Bernie‘s homage!

Treece Henderson Trio: Treece Henderson is one of those inexplicable SNL musical recurring characters that I’ve never quite been able to fathom. But now I understand that he existed so that Natasha Lyonne could eventually collaborate with him.

Japanese Breakfast, “Be Sweet”: This is like a disco (maybe even a roller disco), but more ethereal. (Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this song on a commercial. Please help me out if you know which one.)

Japanese Breakfast, “Paprika”: Weird. There were plenty of flowers, but even more light bulbs.

Well, that’ll just about do it for another season of wacky SNL episode reviews! I’ll offer some thoughts (also wacky) about the season as a whole soon, so keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks.