The SNL Shake-Up: Who's Out, Who's Back, and Who We'll Miss Most in Season 51

So, like, okay, you wanna know about the whole Saturday Night Live Season 51 cast, right? It's been a total roller coaster, you guys. Like, seriously.

(Photo Credit: Image Credit: Todd Williamson/NBC) Who's Out, Who's Back, and Who We'll Miss Most in Season 51

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Okay, so first things first, there are some pretty big names that are GONE. It's a bummer. The biggest news, I think, is that Heidi Gardner is leaving. After, like, eight seasons, which is a really, really long time. She's so good at those weird characters, like Bailey Gismert, the film critic girl. I'm going to miss her. She said she had "sketch fatigue" or something, which makes sense, I guess. It's a long time to be writing and performing sketches every single week.

Also, three other people are leaving too. Ugh. Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim. I think Michael Longfellow's post on Instagram was super sad, like he said he wished he was coming back but, "so it goes." It was a total gut punch. Emil Wakim was only on the show for one season, so that's a bummer for him. And Devon Walker, he wrote something on his Instagram that it was "toxic as hell" sometimes, which is like, oh my gosh, tea. But he also said it was a family, so it was like, a complex relationship. You know?

But, let's talk about the good stuff. The people who ARE coming back! Because that's what you asked for. The list is still being figured out, you know, because Lorne Michaels, the big boss, he likes to keep us guessing until the very last minute. It's so annoying! But here's what we know so far.

Chloe Fineman: She totally, like, spilled the beans herself. She commented on one of the goodbye posts and said she'd miss the person "at pre-tapes." Pre-tapes! That's a huge giveaway, duh. She's so good at impressions. I can't wait to see who else she's going to do.

James Austin Johnson: Okay, so Lorne Michaels himself, the man, the myth, the legend, said that James is coming back for sure. He's the guy who plays Donald Trump, and he's super good at it. So, yeah, he's definitely coming back to do more political stuff this fall.

The Weekend Update guys: Michael Che and Colin Jost are most likely coming back. Che made a joke about becoming a barista, which is so funny, but come on, you know they're not going anywhere. They're the face of Weekend Update and have been for what feels like a million years. It's comforting.

The rest of the gang: It looks like a lot of the other main cast members are also probably coming back. People like Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Marcello Hernández, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, and, of course, the king himself, Kenan Thompson. Kenan's been on the show since, like, the year I was born or something. It's wild. Bowen Yang is also a safe bet to return, especially after his emotional moment at the end of last season. And the Please Don't Destroy guys? We don't know for sure, but I'd be shocked if they weren't back to make more hilarious digital shorts. They're the best.

So, yeah, it's a mix of goodbyes and hellos. But mostly hellos, so that's good! The new season starts on October 4th, I think. Get ready!