SNL 50: Meryl Streep Appeared In Her First Ever SNL Skit, And Everyone Absolutely Lost It

The fan reactions are in to Meryl Streep's first ever Saturday Night Livesketch, and audiences are losing their minds. Saturday Night Live had its first episode in October 1975, making this the 50th year of the long-running, highly Emmy-nominated comedy series. As such, this past weekend saw the release of SNL50, a special that celebrated the show's legacy. The special included iconic former cast members like Adam Sandler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Fred Armisen, and Kate McKinnon, as well as high-profile Hollywood guest stars like Streep.

Now, viewers are reacting to Streep's sketch on Saturday Night Live. The internet was quick to celebrate how the actor's SNL50 appearance saw her act in her first Saturday Night Live sketch. Overall, people loved her performance, saying that she deserved an Emmy for her role. Check out some of their reactions below:

@stanmatina noted that it was "meryl's first sketch" and said "omg i am so happy!!!"

A similar statement was echoed by @SpencerAlthouse, who also noted excitedly that it was her first Saturday Night Live appearance.

Some went so far as to say her performance was award-worthy, like @brandonwrites, who felt that both Streep and McKinnon deserved Emmys for their work, and that their sketch was the best part of SNL50.

Others were baffled by how well the sketch succeeded, like @s0phja, who wrote "i have never imagined pedro pascal could have chemistry with meryl streep but now that i know about it i want to see it happen."

@olirettas added "thank you #snl50 for giving us meryl streep flirting with pedro pascal."

@mfjenks loved everything about Streep's appearance on Saturday Night Live, posting screenshots from the whole night and writing "meryl streep snl weekend is absolutely the best timeline to live in."

In another excited response, @LustrousLynx said that they "literally screamed" when Streep came on screen for her Saturday Night Live sketch.

What This Sketch Meant For Saturday Night Live

Streep's Sketch Was A Follow-Up To A 2015 Sketch

Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Ryan Gosling in close encounters alien abduction skit on Saturday Night Live

Streep appeared alongside McKinnon, Pedro Pascal, Woody Harrelson, and Jon Hamm in SNL 50's "Close Encounter" sketch. The sketch was a follow-up to the 2015 sketch of the same name, wherein McKinnon played a person who experienced an alien abduction, but had a much more sexually intense experience than two others who were also abducted. That original sketch was extremely popular, amassing just under 64 million views on YouTube to date, and is considered one of McKinnon's best performances.

In the "Close Encounter 50th" version of the story, McKinnon returns to her role after her character has experienced another abduction. She has her charismatic and over-the-top McKinnon flare, but this time, she is joined by her mother, who is played by Streep. The skit gives Streep the chance to put on a wild accent and even flirt with Pascal, both of which were well-liked parts of the sketch. Streep may have never been on Saturday Night Live before this weekend, but her first foray was certainly a successful one.

Our Take On Meryl Streep's SNL50 Appearance

Meryl Streep Is A Versatile Performer (And A Good Sport)

Kate McKinnon, Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal SNL50 in the Close Encounter sketch

The "Close Encounter" sketch was not the only iconic part of Streep's SNL50 appearance. As an audience member for the show, she was also seen flipping someone off as they mentioned her name, a moment which has also been commented on post-broadcast. Saturday Night Livemoments like these show that Streep is not just an intense dramatic actress, but a good sport that can easily adapt herself to comedy.

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