Saturday Night Live closed its milestone 50th season with a curtain call full of laughter, speculation—and conspicuous silence. While fans braced for tearful exits or nostalgic tributes, the finale instead leaned into its usual irreverence, with no formal sendoffs for any cast members.

Amid a 17-person ensemble, six cast members—Colin Jost, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim, and Kenan Thompson—are now SNL veterans. Che has hinted in the past at leaving, but no announcement came during the finale. Thompson, now 22 seasons in, remained tight-lipped.

The biggest surprise? A fake-out. Host Scarlett Johansson teased in her monologue that Sarah Sherman was leaving, only for Sherman to react with genuine confusion: “Wait, what?” It was played for laughs, but fans were left parsing every interaction for deeper meaning. Bowen Yang’s long embrace with Sherman and Nwodim during the curtain call sparked further speculation.

The finale also winked at succession rumors, with Che making Jost joke on-air, “Lorne, retire b*tch! Let me run the show.” Michaels, who previously floated retirement after Season 50, has since walked that back.

Whether big changes are coming—or just cleverly delayed—remains to be seen. For now, it’s business as usual at Studio 8H.

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