Pete Davidson Isn’t SNL’s Biggest Loss. It’s Aidy Bryant.
Saturday Night Live’s typical demi-decade exodus took place during its Season 47 finale this past Saturday. I know you’ve already heard about it: Anything concerning Pete Davidson—celebrity culture’s favorite BDE supplier, latest Kardashian boyfriend, and my fellow 1993 Saggitarian—is big news. Even if you don’t know why you care about him, and even if you hardly care about the show, Davidson’s departure was unmissable news.
But Pete’s exit is hardly surprising. Since shacking up with one-time SNL host Kim Kardashian in November, Davidson has appeared in just one episode, in which he killed off his fan-favorite character Chad. By fan-favorite, I also mean “only;” Davidson was known best as a Weekend Update fixture, in which he did his self-effacing stand-up as himself, not a character. A good bit, but not a show priority.
That defines most of Davidson’s tenure on the show. By his own admission, he was uncomfortable in and underskilled at sketch comedy. He was, and is, an excellent stand-up. And there are places for that on SNL, like Weekend Update. Davidson was the best part of the show’s worst segment for the majority of his run.