Pharoah was hired strictly as an impressionist, but came into his own as a sketch performer, devising recurring characters like the wheezing high school Principal Frye. With Obama soon to be out of office, one of Pharoah’s most crucial roles would have been diminished; nonetheless, it’s a step backward for the cast’s diversity, unless SNL is looking to add new performers of color. Rudnitsky, a stand-up comedian, was added to the cast last year but never distinguished himself as a sketch performer, and was dogged by early controversy over tasteless old jokes on his Twitter feed.

All of which raises the possibility that the show didn’t go far enough with its overhaul. SNL was noticeably rusty last season, with its brightest spot involving a guest star, Larry David, playing Bernie Sanders. The show failed to capitalize on the charged Republican primaries and the rise of Trump, delivering softball political humor and drawing criticism for having the GOP candidate host an episode, seemingly lending him free publicity in a cheap ratings grab. A slightly slimmer cast could lead to more opportunities for its younger players, but SNL could need a more drastic revamping if it wants to see real results.

The show has one undisputed star—Kate McKinnon, who has been around for four seasons and is already turning heads on the big screen. Her Ghostbusters co-star Leslie Jones also feels primed for a breakout, and has earned the love of SNL’s parent network NBC for her passionate Olympics coverage on Twitter (so much so that she’s going to Rio to help cover the second half of the Games). Aside from that, the show’s cast are mostly reliable utility players who’ve had a few years to prove themselves, and have struggled to attract wider attention. SNL’s Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che are still trying to figure out their chemistry, while the digital shorts made by Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett haven’t drawn the viral appeal or online audience Andy Samberg enjoyed a decade ago.

The stakes for season 42, then, are pretty high. In 2008, as the Obama/McCain election hit fever pitch, the show struck ratings gold and re-entered the national conversation; the fall of 2016 will be similarly potent. “I think of change as just being part of the show. It has to be renewed every year, and you have to be building for the future,” Michaels said in an interview with Indiewire this June. “This is the first election in my lifetime where I can’t tell you where it’s going. For me, to be able to have a voice in it is important.” Perhaps this shakeup comes from Michaels being dissatisfied with SNL’s voice so far. The recalibration could end up being what the cast needed—or it could be a portent of bigger changes to come.

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