【Busty Lifeguards (2010)】

It was just a few short months ago that the name David S. Pumpkins meant nothing to people.

The Busty Lifeguards (2010)2016 volume of Saturday Night Livewill obviously be remembered mostfor Kate McKinnon's portrayal of Hillary Clinton as well as Alec Baldwin's sputtering, in-over-his-head Donald Trump (not to mention 2015 SNLhost Trump’s thoughts about said characterization).

But great moments, both obviously political and not so political (you’re a hero, Tom Hanks), regularly populated our news feeds this year.

Below, we rounded up our 10 favorite SNLsketches of 2016. We're keeping this list strictly sketch-based, whether live or pre-taped, meaning no Weekend Update segments or monologues -- no matter how wonderful they were (looking at you, Lin-Manual Miranda and Dave Chappelle).

Give 'em all a re-watch when relatives start driving you crazy this weekend.

10. Stranger ThingsSNL's show parodies can be pretty hit or miss, but the conceit behind this one was pretty fun. Featuring an excellent Lin-Manual Miranda as Dustin, the sketch does a great job of pointing out all the absurdities of the cult hit: Namely, where are the parents?

"It's like the normal world, but it's scary and there's danger at every turn," Lucas says to his parents. His mother (Leslie Jones) responds, "Baby, people who look like us already live in the upside-down."

9. A Day OffMcKinnon may be best known for her excellent Hillary Clinton impression, but look for her frazzled but cunning Kellyanne Conway to break out in 2017 in continued appearances. In one of the character's first times on the program, SNLimagined the day-to-day craziness of being the public mouthpiece for Donald Trump and whatever the hell he decides to say and tweet on a given day. Oh, the horror.

8. Undercover Boss When Adam Driver hosted SNLlast January, it was clear he was going to spoof his iconic Star Warsvillain in some way. But instead of a phoned-in Star Warsimpression-off the show landed on the clever spin of having Kylo Ren appear on Undercover Boss. It made what could have been forgettable and one-note into something pretty special. It’s also worth noting that this sketch has 19 million views on YouTube thus far.

7. Hillary ActuallyNearly every appearance Emmy-winner Kate McKinnon made as Hillary Clinton could justify a spot on this list. From the debate sketches to her singing "Hallelujah" after the election, she took a woman who has been portrayed on the show for nearly 30 years and made her her own distinct, memorable and, yes, lovable creation. Attention must specifically be paid to “Clinton's” last appearance in 2016, which cleverly combined Clinton's aggressive perseverance with the silliest part of Love Actually. In the sketch, McKinnon's Clinton propositions an elector in hopes of swaying her vote away from Trump. The fact that it was a real hope many SNLviewers shared...well, that just made it all the better. Clinton may not have won the election, but we hope her likeness will continue to occasionally show up on the show in 2017.

6. The Day Beyoncé Turned BlackSNLhas always had particularly excellent insight into The Beyoncé Phenomenon (see: The Beygency), and this post-Super Bowl White People Freakout fake movie trailer was another excellent addition to the canon.

5. David S. PumpkinsIn the gross wasteland that was 2016, David S. Pumpkins came along at exactly the right time for a perfect, simple laugh (read: a week before the election). Why is this goofy/dumb sketch -- similar to "Kevin Roberts" earlier in the year -- so funny? Is it Tom Hanks' full commitment? The two dancing skeletons that are definitely part of it?I don’t know, but this deeply unexpected delight with one hell of a surprise ending is easily one of the most re-watchable moments of the year. Any questions?

4. First Presidential DebateEarlier in this cycle, Trump was portrayed by both Darrell Hammond and Taran Killam. For the 42nd season, frequent SNLhost Baldwin helped make America great again with his heightened, sputtering portrayal (McKinnon's Hillary, as ever, was perfect). We’re ranking the first debate high because – as the show found to be truer and truer every week – it is exceedingly difficult to parody the surreal nightmare that was the 2016 election, and this debate cold open was a great jumping off point. Trump himself is no fan of characterization, which, honestly, just makes it better. Sad!

3. MelanianadeAs previously mentioned, SNLis particularly adept at spoofing various aspects of the Beyoncé myth. Here, the Lemonademusic video opus got the political twist it deserved as SNLrounded up all the ladies in Trump’s life to tell him they are done with him – and not sorry about it one bit. Bonus points must be awarded for the moment toward the end when Beck Bennett as Mike Pence channels Bey’s iconic video pose. It’s nightmare fodder, but it made us laugh so we’ll allow it.

2. Black JeopardySNLhas broken out Black Jeopardya few times before, but its best installment -- not coincidentally, the piece with the strongest point of view – was this fall outing with Tom Hanks, which expertly showcased how much two seemingly quite different groups of people have in common. It zigs when we’re all expecting it to zag, and for that reason alone it deserves praise. It’s particularly interesting to listen to the studio audience, who seem a bit nervous at first but laugh more and more as they see where this is all headed. SNLis often slammed for not taking a point of view and producing satire that lacks bite, but segments like this show the insight the program can achieve.

1. Bern Your EnthusiasmHow do I love thee? Let me count the ways. First of all, it’s another winning installment for Larry David's instantly-beloved Bernie Sanders impression. It’s also deeply clever, specific and unexpected. Plus, the Curb... theme song became a regular Twitter joke on its own during the election, so in hindsight, it was only a matter of time before these worlds melded.