Kenan and Kel's "Saturday Night Live" reunion is exactly what their fans needed

Angelina Velasquez
·6 min read
Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell
74th Primetime Emmys - Show
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Nickelodeon fans from the ’90s have had their fingers crossed for years hoping they would one day see their dream of a “Kenan & Kel” reboot come to fruition. On Saturday (Dec. 3), those dreams came true, sort of.

While hosting the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live,” actress Keke Palmer managed to pull off the impossible in the most dramatic and comical way. In one of last night’s skits, Palmer pitches a reimagining of the popular show to “SNL” castmate Kenan Thompson — but there’s a twist. The only caveat is that the fictional reboot would feature Thompson and the Nope star.

As most people are aware, Thompson and his goofy comedic equal, Kel Mitchell, starred in the original series in the mid-’90s. “I had already sold the show before I even met Kenan. I told the producers we wrote it together,” Palmer said in a scene intended to mock an interview about the reboot, “Kenan & Kelly.”

Elsewhere in the skit, the “Kenan & Kel” theme song gets a special tribute, with Thompson even wearing a wig resembling his former locs. They also recreated the series’ main setting, Rigby’s convenience store. When fans least expected it, Mitchell entered the scene, pleading for his favorite orange soda, just as he did on the original hit show. However, his presence is short-lived, as he is fatally shot by a robber. He dies in Kelly’s arms just as she reveals he is the father of her unborn child — the same baby she claimed belonged to Kenan moments prior. “Keke was gunning for an Emmy Award, so she wanted gritty and dramatic moments, and I thought, ‘That won’t work.’ And I was right,” Thompson said in a solo shot.

See how fans reacted to the reunion below.

The reunion was just one of the show’s surprises. In her opening monologue, the 29-year-old finally put those ongoing pregnancy rumors to rest by revealing her baby bump. See her exciting announcement below.