Why did SNL50 feel chaotic in spite of being well received? Details explored 

Saturday Night Live featured a three-hour-long special event, SNL50, to mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary live show.

The event was played live in New York, where many former and veteran SNL hosts and celebrity guests joined in to celebrate a successful five decades of live television.

Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter opened the event with a duet on Simon's Homeward Bound, while Steve Martin gave a promising opening monologue.

Many veteran stars and hosts, like Andy Samberg, Adam Driver, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crystal, Leslie Jones, and Dave Chappelle, were featured on SNL50 to deliver a three-hour-long amazing event.

But despite getting all this star power and amazing sketches, some fans still think the event was underwhelming in some aspects, especially in writing and landing of some sketches and jokes.

More on SNL50 in our story.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

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SNL50 felt chaotic and underwhelming to some fans

While every generation was excited to see SNL50 unfold, the event that would mark 50 years of the legendary show, the show felt short in places. Partly because of the legacy it has created since 1975, SNL has uplifted the careers of many famous comedians like Eddie Murphy, Kristen Wiig, and Will Ferrell.

While the event was a big nod to the show's legacy, some sketches and writing felt short and not up to the mark. Some jokes don't always land, sure! But for an event of this stature, fans were expecting to see a flawless event, reminiscent of the old SNL. One of the reasons that the skits felt flat at times was because, as actress Amy Poehler revealed on the red carpet, jokes were still being tweaked on the D-day.

As is typical with a live show, changes in the script are always happening, but it seems like many jokes and even guests, as confirmed by Steve Martin's opening monologue, were last minute.

"I can't believe I even made it here in time. It was only a few days ago that Lorne told me I was doing the monologue, and I was actually vacationing on a friend's boat down in the Gulf of Steve Martin, and I finally—it took me a while to get here, but I did."

This did not escape the audience's attention, as many took to discuss how they felt about this anniversary episode. Some Reddit users commented:

''I thought many of the skits were more cringy than funny," one noted (u/TodayTomorrowTravel)

''That was beautiful but also disappointing at the same time. I truly enjoyed so many moments and yet I feel they could’ve done better,'' another netizen pointed out (u/hopefulyak123)

Another Reddit user (u/notjohnfrusciante) also shared that they felt the show failed to capture its essence:

''There’s been a few funny moments but I think SNL suffers from making the sketches too long."

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SNL50 banked on the nostalgic factor

While SNL50 had its shortcomings, people still seemed to enjoy it because of the legacy it is honoring, as one Reddit user commented:

''My dad was in high school when SNL started, and we'd watch the classic episodes, and then I got old enough to watch live with him. All the grandkids know about a man that lives in a van down by the river. We literally spent Thanksgiving pulling up youtube and watching our favorite sketches and getting judged lol.'' as one fan shared (u/preferencedue)

People have attached many memories to SNL, and they knew what they were doing when they got the veteran stars on board for the event. When your favorite actor is on the SNL stage after a long time, who cares if they fumbled up their lines, right?

Because more than if the jokes landed or the punches were delivered, people tuned in to celebrate a legacy of actors and comedians they have grown up watching, and SNL50 rightly delivered the nostalgic factor.

So, while SNL50 messed up on some occasions in the technical department, it did get the feeling on point, which the fans seemed to have enjoyed.

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