The last episode of Season 32 is here. Will the season go out with a bang? History says no. Over the five seasons I’ve covered SNL for whatevs (dot org), we’ve yet to get a finale that ranked above the average range. Kevin Spacey’s episode last May perhaps came the closest with that great Usual Suspects parody from Samberg (not to mention a time traveling Falconer, Neil Young’s anti-war CD and the legendary history of Phillip Sarc). Still, often times the sight of that finish line after 20 long episodes proves too much to ignore and the writing gets sloppy, the music gets boring and the show turns into an absolute mess (see Season 29’s Olsen Twins/J-Kwon finale).

Looking to buck this trend, Zach Braff and Maroon 5 have been booked to close out 2006-2007. Braff, who’s latest film “The Ex” debuted at #12 on the box office chart last weekend, is great at getting a few geeky laughs here and there, but I doubt he’ll prove to be as effective as Molly Shannon was last week. With this in mind, I’m curious if SNL went after any stars from the May box office blockbusters? I would have loved a Mike Myers, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley or hell, even a Thomas Haden Church episode to send the season out in style.

Still, for a season that can probably be viewed as the strongest since the departure of Will Ferrell, maybe they can pull off one more memorable show. Afterall, we are coming off the best episode since Piven stopped by in January. As for this being anyone’s last show? No solid rumors are floating around, but I’ll again guess Hammond and/or Maya. Both have been overdue for years.

In the fall of 2001, Entertainment Weekly’s annual “IT” issue praised SNL’s then crop of female cast members by writing, “Saturday Night Live’s mythic
boys club is officially over thanks to this clan of X chromosomes: Dratch, Gasteyer, Rudolph, and Fey deliver trenchant comedy and flawless impressions on camera.” The accolade was dead on, but failed to point out one thing - the girl power revolution really started in 1995 when Molly Shannon got nervous and smelled her armpits for the first time.

Thankfully, the “Saturday Night Live in the 90’s: Pop Culture Nation” special NBC aired this past Sunday gave her a bit more credit. Within two years of Shannon’s debut, she established two definitive ’90s era SNL sketches: Mary Katherine Gallagher and, along with Gastayer, “The Delicious Dish”. One also can’t forget Molly’s half of “Leg Up”, “Goth Talk”, “Dog Show” or her unapologetic takes on female singers of the time (she tackled everyone from Bjork and Courtney Love to Gwen Stefani and Tori Amos).

Sure she was a little burnt out and less effective by her final season (‘00-’01), and her post-SNL film career can’t exactly be compared to Adam Sandler’s, but Molly’s mark on the show is undeniable. It has been nearly six years since Shannon was last spotted in Studio 8H and I, for one, welcome her back.

With their third studio album “Minutes to Midnight” due for release later this month, Linkin Park rounds out the schedule on the music side. Unlike Shannon, I say, no buzz. Nu-metal. Who cares?