Baldwin and McKinnon break up with their characters on 'SNL' 3:22
(CNN Business) --
"Saturday Night Live" closed out its 47th season by saying goodbye to two of its most beloved cast members.
On Saturday night's episode, the NBC variety show said goodbye to Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson in a subtle but emotional way.
The show first bid farewell to McKinnon by opening with a re-enactment of one of the comedian's most memorable segments, "Close Encounter."
Saturday's opening snippet brought back McKinnon's Miss Rafferty, an abducted alien who goes through a tougher ordeal than her counterparts.
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After McKinnon's Miss Rafferty explains what happened to her (in vivid and obscene detail, no less) during her alien abduction, two government agents played by Aidy Bryant and Mikey Day explain that she must now go with the aliens who abducted her. .
This led to a very moving moment for McKinnon, who stood in the makeshift spaceship and allowed her character and herself to say goodbye.
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"Well, Tierra, I love you, thanks for letting me stay a while," McKinnon's character said with his hand on his heart, looking out at the audience.
He then said the show's signature catchphrase: "Live... from New York. It's Saturday night!".
This was followed by thunderous applause for McKinnon.
❤️ pic.twitter.com/4bRmTszD0g
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) May 22, 2022
As for Davidson, he got one last segment on "SNL's" Weekend Update section.
"I never imagined this would be my life," Davidson said.
"Back then, I was just a skinny kid that no one knew what race I was. And now everyone knows I'm white because I made such a big deal out of just showing up for work. Look at me now, I'm getting old like an old banana."
Davidson added during the segment that "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels told him during his first audition that he didn't think Davidson was right for the show, but to "let's screw this up together."
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"And that's exactly what we did," Davidson said.
"And that's why people who don't think I deserve this job shouldn't hate me, since we have so much in common. If anything, it should inspire hope that literally anyone can be on 'Saturday Night Live.'"
Before the show, Davidson officially said goodbye on Saturday via Instagram, writing that he "shared so much with this audience" and "literally grew up in front of their eyes."
Pete Davidson's back at the Update desk.
#SNLFinale pic.twitter.com/7yOZJJSdlo
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) May 22, 2022
"We were together through thick and thin, through the happiest and darkest times," Davidson continued.
"I owe my life to Lorne Michaels and everyone at SNL. I am so grateful and I wouldn't be here without them."
Davidson thanked the show for teaching him "values of life," saying, "SNL is my home."
"I'm so happy and sad about tonight's show. For so many reasons I can't explain," she wrote.
Bryant also got a send-off during Weekend Update when he appeared alongside Bowen Yang as his recurring trend forecaster characters.
The segment ended with Bryant declaring "10 good years" as "in" and receiving roses and a kiss on the cheek from Yang and Weekend Update co-host Michael Che.
Variety reported Friday that McKinnon, Davidson, Bryant and Kyle Mooney are expected to leave the show at the end of this season.
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