10 Best Episodes Of Saturday Night Live, According To IMDb

Online, it always seems like the loudest "Saturday Night Live" viewers are the ones who hate it the most. Sure, there have been some forgettable episodes over the past decade – if we could expunge Elon Musk dressed up as Wario and Donald Trump doing "Hotline Bling" from our collective cultural memory, we would.

But to describe the series as unpopular would be grossly inaccurate. "SNL" is now in its 51st season with no signs of slowing down, and has even expanded with an international franchise play via "Saturday Night Live U.K." The biggest stars in the world — from Bad Bunny to Ryan Gosling — still jump at the opportunity to host. All this apparent hatred, deserved or otherwise, exists apart from an active audience that seems to be sustaining the show just fine — and leaves us wondering what episodes of "SNL" those fans actually like.

The answer lies on sites like IMDb. In taking a closer look at their best-reviewed episodes of all time, we're able to see what actually resonates with the most passionate fans of "SNL."

Few hosts in "Saturday Night Live" history have had the talent and credibility necessary to serve as their own musical guest. Even fewer have been able to perform as a musician and comedian with equal success. In his ability to genuinely excel in both duties on a single night, Justin Timberlake stands alone.

When he appeared on "SNL" in March 2013 (presumably to promote the release of his album "The 20/20 Experience"), Timberlake had already hosted the show four times and won four Emmy Awards as a result — two trophies for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and two for Outstanding Music and Lyrics. This, in concert with the numerous awards he's received from the music industry, made him one of the more decorated inductees into the elite Five Timers Club. Five-time hosts are inducted through a recurring sketch that stretches back to 1990, when Tom Hanks achieved the milestone. Hanks was present for Timberlake's induction, as were fellow Five Timers Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen, Paul Simon, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin. And though Martin Short only joined the club in 2024, he joined the latter two for a "Three Amigos" reunion to introduce Timberlake's hit single "Mirrors."

Despite some of Justin Timberlake's notable duds, the episode is an infectious celebration of his unlikely romance with sketch comedy. Andy Samberg even helped him revive the "D*** in a Box" characters for a cameo in "It's a Date." It was successful in its core ambitions and is arguably the best Justin Timberlake "SNL" episode overall. It's not surprising at all that IMDb users recognized its quality, especially given how much they seem to love Timberlake's work on the show.

Justin Timberlake has only chosen not to serve as his own musical guest twice — once in 2009, when he shared the night with Ciara, and on May 21, 2011, when he shared it with ascendant pop sensation Lady Gaga. It's interesting to consider why the two were paired together when Timberlake would have been an exciting musical guest himself. The move could have helped establish Timberlake's growing presence outside music — after his standout performance in "The Social Network" in 2010, Hollywood spent 2011 experimenting with his stardom in "Bad Teacher," "Friends with Benefits," and "In Time." Ultimately, this "SNL" appearance would prove more successful and impactful for his career than three feature films — it even won him an Emmy Award.

The background context is admittedly more interesting than the episode itself. Most of the sketches were recurring bits — Bill Hader quietly carries the episode with performances as his aging newscaster Herb Welch, his iconic Stefon, and the host of "What's the Name? — Celebrity Edition." Gaga showed some comedic talent in the latter sketch and the digital short (another "D*** in a Box" reunion for "The Golden Rule"). She would go on to host the show herself two years later – though even she admits her debut aged poorly in the years that followed. As for this episode, it's disappointingly safe and forgettable compared to other Timberlake episodes. As fun as "The Golden Rule" and "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" (a recurring sketch he does with Jimmy Fallon) are, it feels like IMDb users were mostly swayed by familiar jokes and the finale factor.

It might be surprising to some readers to see an episode from the 2020s make it onto this list, but diehard "Saturday Night Live" fans are still very active online. In fact, this isn't even the most recent episode to break into the top 10.

Pedro Pascal appeared on the series for the first time in 2023, following the career momentum built from acclaimed starring performances in "The Mandalorian" and "The Last of Us." He was so beloved that he hosted months after the two series finished airing their respective 2023 episodes, and with nothing else to promote other than his own unmatched charisma. If that was what he hoped to showcase — mission accomplished. Pascal was so much fun to watch on "SNL" that even when he broke character, it was entertaining.

The writers wisely used the first-time host and his unique cultural cachet to introduce new, accessible sketches. "The Last of Us" was spoofed in a memorable promo for the episode, and was riffed on in the actual episode through a digital short that imagined Pascal as the star of a gritty "Mario Kart" HBO series. He also played a teacher at a school obsessed with making fancams for him (with a surprise cameo from Sarah Paulson) and a quiz show contestant struggling to keep up with prestige TV. The marquee sketch of the night was "Protective Mom," a sketch so funny and fully realized that Pascal was asked to revive it two years later with Bad Bunny. Overall, the episode had a strangely timeless quality to it — even the choice of musical guest (Coldplay) felt like a decision to entertain rather than chase clicks. It's a surprisingly comfortable, confident episode from the modern-era "SNL."

In the 1980s, a young Jim Carrey auditioned to be in the cast of "Saturday Night Live" no less than three separate times. He was turned away after all three auditions. He then joined the rival sketch show "In Living Color" on Fox, where he quickly became one of the most electric comedians on television. Then, Hollywood came a-knocking. By 1996, in the wake of an unprecedented string of hits, including "Ace Ventura," "The Mask," and "Dumb and Dumber," that made him the highest-paid and most sought-after comedic talent in the industry, it was clear "SNL" had made a mistake. Carrey came to the studio in May, a month before the release of "The Cable Guy."

This episode is peak '90s "SNL" in all the best ways. Darrell Hammond's Bill Clinton kicks off the episode, Norm Macdonald delivers one of the many O.J. Simpson jokes that would get him fired from "Weekend Update," and pre-"Just Shoot Me!" David Spade says farewell with one last "Spade in America" segment. Also departing after this episode is future "The Office" and "Anchorman" actor David Koechner, whose presence is so slight that you'd be forgiven for missing it.

The quintessential nature of this episode makes an even more compelling case for why Carrey should've been part of the cast all along. He fits in perfectly with Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri's Spartan Cheerleaders, the Roxbury Guys, and even Mark McKinney's impression of Jim Carrey (on an installment of "The Joe Pesci Show" that ends with Carrey doing an impression of Jimmy Stewart doing an impression of Jim Carrey). Jimmy Tango's "Fat Buster" gave us a small hint of what kinds of wild characters he could've brought to the table himself.

It's hard to argue that Justin Timberlake's second hosting job was his best. It did, however, give "Saturday Night Live" fans the gift that kept on giving in the form of the show's most memorable and enduring musical sketch.

Yes, we're talking about "D*** in a Box," the Lonely Island classic about... some things best left unsaid on a professional site like ours. It's a blatantly stupid premise executed with the apparent budget and production value of an early YouTube video — most of the visuals come from Timberlake and Andy Samberg aggressively step-touching in an empty New York City park on an overcast day, which clashes with the rest of the video's vibe so much that it reads less like an artistic choice and more like Lorne told them to finish it before lunch. And yet, because the premise is funny largely due to how impressed the characters are with their mediocre offering, the low-effort production paired with high-intensity performances reads as genuinely brilliant in hindsight. Rewatching "D*** in a Box" again nearly two decades later, it's still laugh-out-loud funny.

Comparatively, the rest of the episode is fairly middle-of-the-road. Timberlake does his recurring Dancing Mascot character for the second time, he reunites with Jimmy Fallon for a fine return to "The Barry Gibb Show," and the musical performances from his then-new album "FutureSex/LoveSounds" are entertaining enough. But it's pretty safe to say that it appearing above his milestone 2013 episode on this list is mostly due to how undeniable "D*** in a Box" is.

The same year Justin Timberlake celebrated his fifth hosting gig, he returned to "Saturday Night Live" as a musical guest once more. It's actually quite rare for a musical guest to do so in 21st-century episodes of the series, making this episode notable for that reason alone. More than that, this episode effectively served as the coronation of Jimmy Fallon as the presumptive new King of Late Night. It had been announced that the "Late Night" host would succeed Jay Leno in the new year, and making him the face of "SNL" Christmas that year was intended to build excitement among NBC audiences.

Timberlake features prominently throughout the episode. He had actually released a second album that year — "The 20/20 Experience–2 of 2" — and performed a few fresh singles. He also reprised his characters for the Dancing Mascot and "Barry Gibb Talk Show" recurring sketches. This was all but a farewell to the latter sketch, which transcended "SNL" to Fallon's "Late Night." It was unexpectedly revived in 2024 when Timberlake returned with Dakota Johnson.

Otherwise, the night belonged to Fallon. His portrayal of "Big Bang Theory"-era Jim Parsons on "Celebrity Family Feud," a musical ode to holiday hanky-panky in your hometown, and a riff on the awkward connotations of "Baby It's Cold Outside" make for amusing "SNL" sketches. But arguably the best moment from the episode came when Fallon joined Seth Meyers for one of the latter's final "Weekend Update" segments, following the announcement that Meyers would be succeeding Fallon on "Late Night." The pair acknowledged the genuinely touching full-circle nature of the moment, as Fallon — formerly the segment's host — once introduced a young Seth Meyers on his first-ever "Weekend Update."

Ryan Gosling has hosted "Saturday Night Live" multiple times since his debut in 2015. In fact, with his recent (as of writing) appearance to promote the 2026 film "Project Hail Mary," the actor is now just one hosting gig away from joining the Five Timers Club. While that episode is probably his best in terms of overall quality and comedy, it's understandable why his 2024 visit to 30 Rock is his most popular.

Gosling himself had reached a new peak in his career in terms of popularity, melding his reputations as both a respected actor and a living internet meme for a transcendent turn as Ken in "Barbie." He paid tribute to the bygone "Barbenheimer" era in his opening monologue, performing a musical number memorializing the cultural event (to the tune of Taylor Swift's "All Too Well"). It's strangely more bittersweet and nostalgic than it has any right to be, due mostly to how distant that moment of cinematic celebration feels now. Gosling was joined onstage by his "Fall Guy" co-star Emily Blunt, who was also his supporting-actor counterpart in "Oppenheimer."

The other highlight of the night was the unexpected return of Kate McKinnon for the recurring "Close Encounters" sketch. Back in 2015, McKinnon famously made Gosling break down throughout the same sketch. While its return is charming, it feels like it fails to recapture that earlier moment from Gosling's career (it also blunted the impact of McKinnon reprising the character for "SNL 50" a year later). Nonetheless, Gosling's 2024 was a moment in and of itself for "SNL." He helped bring the program to a 28-month ratings peak and set a Peacock viewership record.

Eddie Murphy's 2019 hosting of "Saturday Night Live" was something of a historic moment with a lot of baggage. Murphy was one of the biggest breakout stars of "SNL" in the '80s–arguably one of the few who reached the same critical and commercial heights as Jim Carrey. However, while Carrey spent the late '90s and early 2000s doing some of his most interesting work, Murphy's career declined with several notable disappointments.

His 2019 film "Dolemite Is My Name" was regarded as a major comeback and his first truly great role since 2006's "Dreamgirls" — though he still wouldn't have returned to "SNL" even if he'd stayed at the top. In a segment of "Spade in America," the "Tommy Boy" actor jokingly derided his fellow "SNL" alum as a "falling star," which led to a decades-long silent feud between Murphy and the show he once called home.

That's all to say, the announcement of Murphy's return to "SNL" was almost a bigger deal than the episode itself. It earned its highest rating in over two years thanks to him and continued to amass viewers through DVR in the following days. His revivals of "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" and Velvet Jones were triumphant, but still dwarfed by the power of his monologue (it helped that Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle were there to welcome him back). Overall, the episode is one of Season 45's best — and that's even without emphasizing how spectacular Lizzo's "SNL" debut was.

Though he was never a full-time cast member, Steve Martin was integral to the show's DNA from the very beginning. He served as a host twice in its second season and three times in its third. So when he returned for his fifth overall hosting gig in 1978, it didn't have much reason to stand out — yet it still became iconic.

From his opening monologue (with a cool, late-night-ready air and an absurdly physical pickpocketing gag with Bill Murray), it was clear Martin was ready to lead the episode through a hot streak of weird, high-energy sketches. Few likely expected them to become the best of the original cast era. Theodoric of York, the Festrunk Brothers, and "Dancing in the Dark" are all exceptionally evergreen in terms of their humor. Even Martin's performance of his novelty song "King Tut" is a strange kind of earworm that lingered for decades afterward, and arguably paved the way for the silly musical styling of the Lonely Island.

What pushes the episode from peak "SNL" to a contender for best of all time is the bizarre musical guest — the Blues Brothers. Widely considered their first real introduction to the "SNL" universe, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's blues duo went on to become two of the series' most popular characters.

In hindsight, it's hard to remember how surprising it was that Betty White hosted "Saturday Night Live." The comedian's sudden and unexpected resurgence after "The Proposal" and her Snickers Super Bowl commercial sustained her career so successfully and for so long that it's more surprising she didn't host more than once. White had actually turned down Lorne Michaels' invitation to host several times during the show's early seasons, and was only invited in 2010 because of a Facebook petition. Even then, she had to be convinced by her agent. She is now regarded as one of the best one-time hosts in "SNL" history.

With White leading the charge, "SNL" delivers a standout 2010s-era episode. Her "Grandma MacGruber" character doesn't overshadow the abrasive humor of the recurring sketch but instead gives Will Forte one of his strongest scene partners; the "Thank You for Being a Friend" digital short bridges the gap between White's "Golden Girls" years and the broader, brasher comedic persona she'd embraced in recent years; and the Scared Straight sketch with Kenan Thompson is exactly the kind of irreverent, unpredictable scenario fans hoped White would be thrown into on the show. It's also worth mentioning that the "Weekend Update" reunion between Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey makes the episode even more nostalgic.

Suffice it to say, White's "SNL" episode was a hit when it aired and ultimately earned her an Emmy Award. When she passed away in 2021, NBC re-aired the episode in tribute.