It shouldn’t be that big of a shock when a Saturday Night Live cast member leaves after seven seasons, a respectable tenure by the show’s standards. But as with Heidi Gardner , the announcement that Ego Nwodim would not be returning to SNL for season 51 still feels gutting to the fans who have watched her ascend from featured player to reliable provider of highlights. Since she joined the cast in 2018, Nwodim’s improv-trained chops have established her as a stealthy scene-stealer, whether in her own character showcases or just with a well-placed line or two. Her SNL contributions aren’t always easy to encapsulate because she doesn’t do a lot of outsize signature characters — except for a famous one so outsize that she absolutely destroys each scene she’s in. (We’ll get to Lisa

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