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Last Night on "SNL" Jimmy Fallon Was Brilliant! Four Stars! And He Was Also Pretty Good

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 18, 2011 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 18, 2011 |


Jimmy Fallon returned to his old stomping grounds at Studio H last night and brought damn near his entire cast with him. For those of you who grew up specifically on the Fallon/Fey/Poehler cast, it must have been like returning home and sleeping in your old bed. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder that Fallon, Fey, and Poehler are so much better now than they ever were on “SNL,” which is not a knock against their “SNL” work. I’m just saying that those three are now three of the most vibrant, energetic, creative, and good people on television right now. And last night’s show was so good, in part, because Fallon — who is like a pocket full of earnest, a heavy dose of graciousness, and six parts great guy — brought his energy from “Late Night” to “SNL” and gave us an episode that rivals, and may even edge, Melissca McCarthy’s episode as the best of the season so far.

To the highlights:

Sully and Denise: Fallon kicks off the show with his second most famous recurring character, and hey! Look! Rachel Dratch. Their make out scenes are still just as hilariously uncomfortable.

Monologue: An awesome combination of Fallon and Bruce Springsteen’s Christmas song provide an extra dose of nostalgia for this stroll down memory lane. Unfortunately, NBC is not embedding it. You’ll have to wait for the full episode later today on Hulu. Worth it.

The Today Show: Fallon as Regis, and Kristen Wiig does a mean Kathie Lee.

Buble Duets: An excuse for Fallon and Co. to trot out a lot of impressions, and probably the best sketch of the night.

Jimmy Mirror: I don’t know why it was funny, but it was. It really was.

Weekend Update was brilliant all around, starting with the Headlines, cutting to Get in the (Nic) Cage with Jude Law (making a guest appearance) and ending with the spectacular joke off between Meyers, Fallon, Poehler, and Fey.

Tebow: The show made great use of Fallon, and unlike most hosts, he actually dominated the show last night. However, he was not in the night’s final skit, a tour de force by Jason Sudeikis.