After over three hours of montages, retrospectives, impressions, sketches and 6,000 celebrity cameos, it’s hard to describe the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live in actual words instead of using only exclamation marks.

But I’ll try. To put it plainly, SNL40 jumped-started what has sometimes seemed like an endless, strained marriage between the show and its viewers. It reminded us that four decades of tight writing and performances trump an off-season or string of poor episodes, and that comedy as we know was largely created by Lorne Michaels and his Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Also: Wayne’s World never gets old. (Which I’m sure we all already knew.)

Starting with a song-and-dance retrospective by Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon, the celebration continued with cameos during Steve Martin’s monologue by (deep breath) Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Rock, Peyton Manning, Miley Cyrus, Billy Crystal, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney. Then followed the first of many trips down memory lane: first, a live update of Dan Aykroyd and Laraine Newman’s 1976 Bassomatic commercial. Then came Celebrity Jeopardy, complete with Norm McDonald’s massive Burt Reynolds hat and Kate McKinnon’s perfect Bieber tribute.

But what kept this special from getting bogged down by self-importance or its history was its heart. Never-before-seen audition tapes (easily one of the most emotional moments), a tribute to New York City, political and musical montages, Weekend Update clips and a particularly heartbreaking in memorium anchored monologues, impressions and extended celebrity addresses to the audience. (Minus, of course, Bob Odenkirk’s expressions in the background.) Also: the humour. This was a comedy tribute that was actually funny. SNL40 may have been an event celebrating the past, but it cemented its relevance today by offering material that delivered real laughs.

Sure, the Californians was a family reunion, but an extended make-out between Betty White and Bradley Cooper upped the ante. Andy Samberg may have delivered another Lonely Island-esque jam, but That’s When You Break – his and Adam Sandler’s tribute to cracking up during sketches – is one of Samberg’s strongest tracks ever. Weekend Update returned Jane Curtin, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to the roles that made them famous, but Emma Stone (as Roseanne Roseannadanna), Edward Norton (as Stefan) and Melissa McCarthy (as Matt Foley, motivational speaker) brought impression A-games (and also the Land Shark, played by Bobby Moynihan). Everything rooted in history also showed us why we should care now.

And then there were the musical performances. (Oh man, were there ever.) Paul McCartney’s Maybe I’m Amazed was made even more poignant by the images of himself projected behind him, while Miley Cyrus’s haunting cover of Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover should keep naysayers at bay for the foreseeable future. Kanye West’s Jesus Walks, Wolves and Only One (performed alongside Sia and Chicago rapper Vic Mensa) offered true Kanye minimalism. And then Paul Simon beautifully performed Still Crazy After All These Years in what looked like a sheer shirt. (Let’s assume it was so he wouldn’t be upstaged by the other Paul.)

Kanye West debuts Wolves at Saturday Night Live's 40th celebrations Read more

So was SNL40 perfect? Of course not. (For example: Robert DeNiro has many gifts, but none are live comedy.) And that’s exactly what makes Saturday Night Live something still worth caring about. Uniquely, every week, writers, performers and crew produce material intended to entertain millions of people. And at least once per episode, they usually succeed.

Ultimately, the special basked less in SNL’s awesomeness as an institution and more in the notion that it’s a team effort. (Even Wayne and Garth thanked the crew – as they should. Party on.) So, like the series itself, the night seemed collaborative: friends celebrated friends, actors and comics worked to bring written material to life, and Kanye West “yes and’d” all references to him rushing the stage at the Grammys. Like most weeks, during the end credits (when everyone hangs out onstage and hugs) SNL40 seemed like a reminder of what can come from late nights working alongside a bunch of funny, talented people.

Or, at the very least, it proved that a three-and-a-half-hour comedy special can seem too short when it’s peppered with comedy legends and happy-to-be-there celebrities. Here’s to 40 more years, with at least one of them including Kanye West as host.