In his eight seasons as a castmember on “Saturday Night Live,” Bill Hader mastered impressions ranging from Julian Assange to Charlie Sheen, but it was an original character, Stefon, that continuously kept the audience (and himself) laughing.
The October 11 episode of “SNL” not only saw the return of Hader as host for the night, but a return to the “Weekend Update” news desk for Stefon. And yes, the sketch had everything — even those notorious breaks.
New York’s hottest club is Whimsy, according to Stefon. They’ve got congas, MTV’s Dan Cortese (remember “Rock ‘N Jock”?), and even the TV channel at the hotel that’s about the hotel. It’s the kind of place that will make you feel weird the next time you see your parents.
For the dumb folks looking to get murdered, Stefon suggests Jan’s New Backpack, a place filled with asbestos, lupus, Dan Cortese (again), a doorman who always high-fives children of divorce and the “Prozac Dooby Brothers.”
Oh, and if you’ve been wondering what Stefon and Seth Meyers have been up to since they got married, they’re going house-hunting because Stefon is pregnant!
With A Little Help From His Friends
Hader opened the show alongside a monologue-crashing Kristen Wiig (his current “Skeleton Twins” co-star), who provided moral support/peer pressure to get him to sing.
With some coaxing, a reluctant Hader belted out lyrics to the ’80s rock-inspired tune, but the sound of his lower-than-low voice elicited the reaction “With love, yikes.” In popped Harvey Firestein, another victim of Hader’s impressions, and the three finished out the song with Wiig jumping in on saxophone.
Bill Hader As Herb Welch
Hader reprised his role as the crotchety broadcast interviewer Herb Welch, who is reporting on a virginity pledge at a Staten Island high school. He repeatedly jammed the microphone into a student’s face (Pete Davidson) while spouting one-liners back at Taran Killam’s anchor: “I know you’re smooth down there.”
Bill Hader As Al Pacino
Kate McKinnon took on the role of “America’s #2 lesbian,” Jane Lynch, hosting “Hollywood Game Night.” The sketch was filled with celebrity impressions, with Cecily Strong as Pepsi-hawking Sofia Vergara, Taran Killam as Austrian Christoph Waltz, Jay Pharoah as wise Morgan Freeman, Beck Bennett as a convincing Nick Offerman, Bill Hader as Al Pacino and a special cameo from Kristen Wiig as Kathie Lee Gifford with her forever-filled wine glass in hand.
Special Shout-Out To Pete Davidson
Pete Davidson once again played the role of resident young person on “SNL,” this time breaking down the effects of buying a gold chain.
He was watching MTV when his favorite rapper, 2 Chainz, came on and declared “you’re a bitch if you ain’t got a chain.” Davidson promptly went out and spent half his net worth on some hardware. The 6’3″ kid from Staten Island only weighs 145 pounds and has a problem with wind, so he sticks to wearing the chain around the house to give him confidence.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go
We saw the adult side of Dr. Seuss’ storybooks when Linda (Cecily Strong) and her kids spoke in rhyme, summoning the Cat in the Hat to appear with their imagination.
Well, it turned out that Linda and the Cat in the Hat have “met” before, sharing a tender reminiscence and paternity reveal before Thing 2 (now known as Jonathing) entered the picture. The Cat in the Hat recoiled, but not before letting Jonathing know about “the places she let me go.”
Hozier Takes You To Church
Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known as “Hozier,” made his debut “SNL” performance with his gospel-rock ballad, “Take Me To Church” (which already claims both Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift as fans).
Hozier-Byrne told MTV the song is about sexuality and the act of sex itself, taking a swipe at religious organizations that undermine humanity based on sexual orientation. “It’s about asserting your own humanity through a very natural act, because there are very few things more human than that act itself.” Hozier followed-up by singing “Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene.”
Jim Carrey and Iggy Azalea will host and perform on October 25.
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