Kristen Wiig Retires Two 'Saturday Night Live' Characters

Man, I knew Kristen Wiig was popular with "Saturday Night Live" creator/showrunner Lorne Michaels, but I can't imagine how popular one would have to be to say "I'm not doing this character anymore" and get away with it.

I love "Saturday Night Live" more than most, but even I can admit that when they find something that makes people laugh, they have no problem running that joke through the ground and out the other side.

So when, in an interview with Time, Wiig mentioned she put the kibosh on Gilly and Penelope, I could not have been more excited. Penelope was legitimately funny the first time through, but since then it's been a long trip to try to get the same laughs from the exact same joke with the most minor of variations. And Gilly? The only redeeming aspect of that was Will Forte saying "Gilly," and he's not even in the cast anymore.

Wiig's been building momentum these past few years with great small parts in big comedies, and is poised to become a full-on star (and prove men will see movies about women) with "Bridesmaids."

Imagine, if, throughout history, more characters were laid to rest at just the right moment...we may even have been spared "It's Pat."

Now if they would only can Garth and Kat, the singing duo with her and Fred Armisen...