Maybe he was busyat New Yorks hottest club, Spicy?) Monologue Like most comics, Mulaney stayed in his wheelhouse with a lengthy stretch of straight stand-up. (The singing and dancing that is often seen here came later.) Credit: Will Heath/NBC What if you voluntarily signed up for it? What kind of horrible game show is this? Bodega Bathroom While Diner Lobster had the benefit of surprise, Bodega Bathroom proves to be a sterling sequel....

Fortunately, things got better from there. This week was no different if, perhaps, a bit more self-aware. One unique aspect of this sketch? Credit: NBC (Well, the latter wasprobably unavailable.) Theyre not allowed in now, because it turns out theyre a bunch of horny perverts, Fey says. When he finally does, its a sparkly womens top. (Its 2018, Fey quips, arguing clothing is now gender-neutral.) The repeated line in the short is Were gonna win....

… All you do is repeat yourself all day to a 2-year old. Women, I give you so much credit, you guys do so much, he began. It will soon be replaced by the War with North Korea. Credit: Will Heath/NBC (Nobody kicks Omarosa out the White House!) Now in miniature form, she gives a hilarious, brief monologue with some thoughts on the holiday season. I do not recall whos been naughty or whos been nice, Sessions says....

Nanjiani noted that hes frequently told to Go back to India! You will see the benefits…. Just because youre a racist doesnt mean you have to be ignorant. An informed racist is a better racist. Credit: Will Heath/NBC Nanjianis presence faded in the sketches, unfortunately, where his characters were rarely more than functional. But he did a solid job, and the show really got its act together otherwise. (Were ripping out all the vegetables in Michelle Obamas garden and planting McNuggets....

created that weeks Amy Adam-hosted episode. In truth, I have rarely had a bad word to say about the show since. CertainlySNLhas endured some low points in the years between. Credit: Will Heath/NBC Things seemed off almost from the start. The crime here was not a lack of taste but a lack of decent punchlines. God, youre screwed, youre so, so screwed, Trump informed his former campaign manager. Its a shame youre going to prison, because I was about to give you ayuuugetax break....

Cold Open And so it came time to bid farewell to Jeff Sessions. It always feels a little empty. Monologue This may surprise you, but Liev Schreiber is not a comedian! Credit: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Rather than reconnect with loved ones, McKinnon’s ghost ordered her to destroy his ex-girlfriend’s toilet. To demonstrate her ghost-ordered bathroom hijinks, McKinnon mounted Schreiber’s chair and undulated right in his face....

At least it provided a context for host Matt Damon to return as Brett Kavanaugh. Another rarity: anSNLmonologue with no singing, no backstage wandering, almost no jokes even. Did I say Damons monologue was heartfelt? Credit: Will Heath/NBC the ornaments that are only seen by the wall, as one of them says. Even the lesser holiday skits were entertaining enough. but it did treat us to Strongs version of Barbra Streisands version of Jingle Bells....

Portman actually only got a few jokes in during her monologue. The overall impact is to show how degraded Trump-era scandals are from even the worst vagaries of past presidents. This show sure loves its Obama hagiography. Credit: Will Heath/NBC Best Short: Natalies Rap 2 Well, what did you expect? It’s a college town with fishing pier." Kudos to the show for making a colonial-themed sketch in 2018 that didn’t make a singleHamiltonjoke....

Oh, and Pete Davidson broke character and got a little awkward again at the Update Desk. We decided to do this in the only format you’re free to understand. A TV game show with women holding briefcases. Credit: Will Heath/NBC On the day of theWomens March, Thompson quipped. Pete Davidson, as a fireman, had a hard time holding back the laughs. It also triples as a phone charger and a portable cup!...

Well, thank you, that’s me." “Did I just go from actor to big-ass deal?” Cold Open What did the busy cold opennothave? Credit: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images (Okay, Leslie Jones as Oprah.) What is a baby race? They were then joined by Steve Bannon, who has morphed from theGrim Reaperto Bill Murray. Despite being out of the White House andrecently booted from Breitbart and SiriusXM, Bannon, a.k.a. the “king of kingmakers,” isn’t letting that stop him from thinking big....

She was accompanied by musical guest Tame Impala. Read on for our full recap, asSNLreckoned with the big news events of the past few weeks. Cold open These last few weeks were a funny time forSaturday Night Liveto be off the airwaves. A lot has happened! Her monologue was an on-brand extension of that personal charisma. So she brought Leslie Jones to the stage for some tips in self-confidence. Clearly, Jones was the right person to ask....

A critical darling for movies likeBrooklynandAtonement, Ronan is finally picking up serious steam for the widespread hitLady Bird. A true saint among the Hollywood elite. The monologue can be super rough in the hands of the wrong person. Cold Open Its a Christmas miracle! The cold open is a perfectly painful summation of whats been going on this week in the news. The tax bill passed. Trump is retweeting anti-Muslim videos....

Brown is best known for his dramatic roles, earning Emmys for his work onThe People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime StoryandThis Is Us. His timing is clearly impeccable. Credit: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images In fact, its so good it almost makes me emotional. He continued to teeter on the edge of tears discussing working withSNLgreats like Kenan Thompson. Eventually, Leslie Jones had to step in and give him some tough love....