SNL Odds: Who Will Return for Season 43?

Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer had an emotional send off during the season finale of Saturday Night Live. And recently, it was announced that Sasheer Zamata will not be returning for season 43 either.

Saturday Night Live seems to have a natural ratings ebb and flow. After a couple disappointing seasons, the long-running sketch comedy show hit a six-year finale high in the ratings. The Trump presidency has put the show back in the spotlight and season 43 will hope to pick up where season 42 left off.

But will it be able to do so without some of its most popular performers? The cast for next season hasn’t been announced yet, and it’s possible we’ll see a fair amount of SNL 42 cast members being cut. Change has been the only constant in the show’s long history.

Who will stay and who will go? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Odds to return to SNL for season 43

Kenan Thompson: 1/19

If he stays just one more season, Kenan Thompson will become the longest-tenured cast member in the history of SNL. The former Nickelodeon star joined the show back in 2003 and has been a main fixture ever since.

Whenever a skit is on the verge of falling apart, we can always count on Kenan to keep it going. If he’s renewed, it’ll be his 15th season on the show. Don’t leave us, Kenan!

Cecily Strong: 3/17

Lana Del Rey, Carly Fiorina, Ariana Grande, Khloe Kardashian, Megyn Kelly, Rachel Maddow, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Melania Trump. There is only one thing that ragtag list of celebrities has in common: they’ve all been lampooned by Cecily Strong on SNL. Since joining the show in 2012, Strong has been one of the most versatile cast members in SNL history. She even had a brief stint as host on Weekend Update.

SNL would be crazy to let her go.

Kate McKinnon: 3/7

Kate McKinnon had a field day this season with her impressions of Hillary Clinton and Kellyanne Conway. But Clinton has been out of the news cycle since the election and Conway isn’t as active as she used to be.

McKinnon, undoubtedly one of the most talented members of the current cast, could be eyeing a move into acting like so many SNL standouts before her. Just look at some of the films she was in last year : Ghostbusters, Finding Dory, The Angry Birds Movie, Office Christmas Party.

Pete Davidson: 2/3

Since joining the show for season 40, the young Pete Davidson has become a fan favorite. However, he’s been with SNL for two seasons and the show still hasn’t really found a role for him. He doesn’t do impressions and his style of comedy is more personal than it is political or topical.

At just 23 years old, he still has a lot of time to develop and there’s a lot more to come from him. The question is whether his future is at SNL.

Michael Che: 1/1

The Trump presidency, coupled with the absence of Jon Stewart, provided an opportunity for Weekend Update to flourish. Instead, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert have established themselves as the kings of political satire.

Being a stand-up comedian, Che doesn’t have many characters at his disposal, and his chemistry with fellow Update host Colin Jost is somewhat lacking. There’s no doubt he’s a talented comedian, but SNL may not be a great fit for him.