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When Saturday Night Live’s 40th season began eight months ago, it did so with yet another facelift. After five years, Nasim Pedrad had left to join ex-SNL writer John Mulaney’s new (and now cancelled) sitcom, John Milhiser, Noel Wells and Brooks Wheelan weren’t invited back for a second season, and Mike O’Brien – also with just one year at the Featured Player level – returned to the writers’ room. Lorne Michaels then shuffled around the Weekend Update anchors. Gone was up and coming fan favorite Cecily Strong, and in was former writer Michael Che to join Colin Jost at the Update desk.

Did all the moves works out? Sort of.

Che and Jost slowly improved from week to week, but overall, the show lacked the consistency it can have when not in a rebuild mode. That said, without the safety net of too many recurring sketches/characters, the cast was free to try all sorts of things. Not everything clicked, but 2014-2015 was definitely one of the show’s more varied years – which is all one can ask from a “variety show”.

Yesterday, we published Part I of the Top 40 Moments from SNL 40, and now we’ve got the Top 20 for you. Enjoy!

"The Dudleys"

EPISODE: Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar (11/15/14)
TYPE: Commerical Parody
NOTE: The Dudleys was the first of a few jabs SNL took over the season at an overly PC/all-feedback-welcomed world (the next being “Asian American Doll” in December’s Amy Adams episode), and it stands head and shoulders above them all.

"Blazer"

EPISODE: Scarlett Johansson/Wiz Khalifa (5/2/15)
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: TThe race card was played several times for laughs over the season, and Blazer is yet another standout in that department. Written by Michael Che, Tim Robinson (who also worked on October’s Whites segment) and Zach Kanin – this one literally had Taran spilling blood.

"Cinema Classics: Casablanca Alternate Ending"

EPISODE: J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo (1/31/15)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: Kenan’s Reese DeWhat sketches are always good for at least a “B�� letter grade, but this installment with Kate McKinnon’s Ingrid Bergmann worried about missing her plane is definitely the segment’s strongest outing to date.

"Depends Legends"

EPISODE: Taraji P. Henson/Mumford & Sons – 4/11/15
TYPE: Commercial Parody
NOTE: How does Bill Corsair’s tweet not have a thousand favorites and retweets? Anyone have a trade for my extra Clown Prince of the Piano?

"Holiday Gig"

EPISODE: Martin Freeman/Charli XCX (12/13/14)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: This is essentially an outlet for Kenan to perform a “What Up With That?” character in something besides “What Up With That?” – which isn’t a bad thing. Six months later and we’re all still curious about Roman.

"Whiskers R’ We Holiday Cat Giveaway"

EPISODE: Amy Adams/One Direction (12/20/14)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: Don’t be fooled by this sketch’s rehashed appearance in the recent Reese Witherspoon episode. Skip that one and stick to this Holiday edition – just keep your eyes off Barbara’s “falsies”.

"Musical Guest: Prince"

EPISODE: Chris Rock/Prince (11/1/14)
TYPE: Musical performance
NOTE: I’m not the only one who wanted Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL to play for the entire second half of the episode right? This nine minute, four song medley made for one of the most exciting music guest spots since Beck showed up with puppets and a dinner table back in 2006.

"Corner Boys of Bushwick, Brooklyn"

EPISODE: Kevin Hart/Sia – 1/17/15
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: Some argue that the (spoilers) violent ending took away from the characters coming to terms with their neighborhood’s gentrification, but it all worked for me.

"Match'd"

EPISODE: Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar (11/15/14)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: A list of 40 SNL moments is bound to have at least one game show parody, and this one’s twist of having the host also be the female suitor’s father makes it the season’s stand out (with a close second being Blake Shelton’s Farm Hunk). “Can’t shake hands with a ghost!”

"Matthew McConaughey for Lincoln"

EPISODE: Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea (10/25/14)
TYPE: Commercial Parody
NOTE: Just over a week after these spoofs aired, The Detroit News reported that, regarding Lincoln, “…the Saturday Night Live skit led to an increase — of more than 100 percent — in the brand’s visibility online via mobile devices and across social media the night and day after the episode aired.” So yeah, this one had people talking.

"I Can’t"

EPISODE: Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes (2/28/15)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: “I’m trying to can, and literally can’t.” This probably has no business being on a best-of list, but it makes me laugh from pits to wrists every time.

"High School Theater Show"

EPISODE: Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars (11/22/14)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: Just like Whiskers R’ We, this is another sketch revisited in the recent Reese Witherspoon episode with diminished returns. The Cameron Diaz installment is the way to go, and remains SNL high school humor at its best. And next time you’re at Starbucks, “Why not order a double shot of compassion”?

"Nick the Lounge Singer/Jaws"

EPISODE: SNL40 Anniversary Special (2/15/15)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: Bill Murray’s nine-minute Nick Ocean opener during 1999’s 25th Anniversary Special is still one of my favorite SNL moments, so I was initially upset to see the character barely get two minutes in SNL40. Don’t get me wrong, “You Bastard Jaws!” is classic Ocean, but I wanted more. Then I read the Vanity Fair piece about how this bit came together, and I was glad we got anything. Spielbergo to the rescue?

"Bad Boys"

EPISODE: Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande (9/27/14)
TYPE: Filmed segment
NOTE: The first film of the year from the Good Neighbor guys, and probably the season’s best. For the second year running, Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett prove you don’t need The Lonely Island to rule the digital short game. Really hoping these guys are in it for the long haul.

"Church of Neurotology Music Video"

EPISODE: Michael Keaton/Carly Rae Jepsen (4/4/15)
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: Take that Scientology. I believe this video was written by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, two of the show’s senior writer supervisors, so I’ll go ahead and credit their collective experience with crafting such a masterful ensemble piece. Also, don’t miss Colin Jost in a rare non-Weekend Update appearance.

"Grow A Guy"

EPISODE: James Franco/Nicki Minaj (12/6/14)
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: James Franco’s third stint as host started off a bit rough, then came this Mike O’Brien film to kick off a strong second half of the episode. Also, don’t sleep on Bennett’s looking-for-approval face at the :38 mark.

"Office Halloween Costume Contest"

EPISODE: Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea (10/25/14)
TYPE: Sketch
NOTE: These musical sketches that end with the cast parading through the studio (or numerous cameos joining in one-by-one) have become more common over the past few years—think 2012’s Jonah Hill’s Coolio Orchestra rap or 2009’s Goodnight Saigon—but with good reason. They always work.

"Whites"

EPISODE: Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5 (10/4/14)
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: I was initially upset when Mike O’Brien and Tim Robinson were pushed back to the writer’s room after just a season a piece, but if segments like this (of which they were the rumored writers), are the result, I’ll take it. [Watch “Whites”]

"Pete Davidson Talks Business"

EPISODE: Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande (9/27/14)
TYPE: Weekend Update desk bit
NOTE: “We’d like to thank Pete’s mouth for this wonderful feast”. With this line, any question around ‘how good can this new 20-year-old kid be’ evaporated. Pete’s debut was one of the strongest in recent memory, and despite revisiting some of the same topics during his Update appearance in the Louis C.K. finale, he’s quickly becoming SNL’s breakout talent.

"The Jay-Z Story"

EPISODE: J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo (1/31/15)
TYPE: Filmed Segment
NOTE: With his “Whites” and “Grow A Guy” also in the Top 10, one could say Mike O’Brien’s return to writing full time serves the show much better than having him as an official cast member. O’Brien’s Jay Z story was, in my opinion, the most quotable segment of the year (my favorite is probably his timid “Cocaine for sale”) – and this coming from a guy who once though Andy Samberg’s Blizzard Man was the pinnacle of white rap humor. O’Brien for life.

Jason Nummer still wonders what a second SNL season with Brooks Wheelan would have been like. You can follow him on Twitter at @jrnummer.