(S34E20) Seth Rogen returned to host for the second time to promote his new mall cop movie (yeah, I know). Unlike last time, when there were one or two stand-out sketches, this episode didn't have any particularly memorable moments. However, there were Muppets, Mogwai and a thinner Seth Rogen involved, so maybe things weren't too horrible.

(S34E19) It's a great, big homecoming party for Tracy Morgan and he brought enough jaunty delivery for us all. I'll admit, if anyone else were to try and pull off this type of delivery, I'd be pretty annoyed. However, it's Tracy Morgan and he's got this choppy, unrealistic speech down to an art. It has become him, I guess. This episode had a few strong moments here and there, but overall, it was an "all right" episode. At least we got to revisit some old favorites from Tracy Morgan's featured player days.

Now, check out some video highlights from the evening. Also, note to self: I will stop typing "Tracy Jordan", I will stop typing "Tracy Jordan"...

Who knew this was George W. Bush in reflection week? I must have missed the memo. But when I tuned in to watch the HBO debut of Will Ferrell: You're Welcome, America, his take on President Bush since the end of this presidency, I couldn't help but recall that just a couple of days ago on Hard Ball, MSNBC's Chris Matthews was going at Bush's former press secretary Ari Fleischer hammer and tongs as Fleischer defended his old boss.

Don't these post-mortems usually take a few years to take place? But this post isn't about politics. It's about Will Ferrell, and my thoughts are mainly about Ferrell's show, which has a certain raunchy charm, which apparently offended quite a few people when it played on Broadway. All the raunch is still in place in the HBO version, so if you're curious about Bush's little George (allegedly), check it out.

(S34E18) When I heard The Rock -- I mean, Dwayne Johnson -- was hosting again, the first image that popped into my mind was him in that Mr. Peepers sketch with Chris Kattan back in the day. I believe red overalls, apples, and aggressive humping was involved. Though Mr. Johnson traded in his red overalls for a sequined black halter top in this episode, he still did incredibly well. I had forgotten: Those aren't muscles; the guy has had charisma surgically inserted into his upper body over the past decade for easy access. Anyone else would have looked like an idiot trying to pull off The Rock Obama. Check out some video highlights and see what I mean.

There is no better way to get inside a character's head (without resorting to charging up some power cutting tools and laying down some newspaper) than writing in a dream sequence.

Some of them, however, try to explain too much or cover too much ground and end up becoming the kind of dreams that keeps our Paxil dosage high and GlaxoSmithKline's stock price higher.

These are those mindfreaks.

(S34E16) It was pretty obvious there was going to be at least two sketches with the Jonas Brothers. I called it! I mean, no one apart from the people in my apartment know I called it, but that doesn't change the facts or my sad sense of accomplishment. I had to tune out once they started singing (sorry, 15 year-old girls), but their skits were all right. Alec Baldwin did a fine job of hosting as well, though there weren't any particularly striking sketches. I suppose after doing something like "Schwetty Balls", just about everything else will pale in comparison.

To celebrate the release of The Lonely Island's debut album "Incredibad," we've compiled this list of the top ten Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts. For almost four years, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer have brought us these videos, and they've managed to keep us laughing and humming their tunes weeks after they've aired. We hope this countdown makes you feel just as SNL-y in your digital shorts as when you first saw the videos, and if not, that's okay too. We're glad you're here anyway.

Of course, the rule is that they must have been prefaced by the "An SNL Digital Short" card to qualify. We know how much you love "Virgania Horsen's Hot Air Balloon Rides," but it's not happening. Sorry.

(S34E15) Bradley Cooper, who are you and what are you doing on Saturday Night Live? I IMDb'd him before watching the episode and despite having seen many of his projects, I still couldn't attach him to anything. Is he best known for something? Or is He's Just Not That Into You his big break-out? Well, regardless, his performance in this episode wasn't mind-blowing, but at least it wasn't cringe-worthy either (exceptions can be considered for the Christian Bale sketch). The writers didn't give him anything terribly exciting and in the end we were left with a pretty forgettable episode. Here are some video highlights.

(S34E14) This episode marked Steve Martin's 15th time hosting and one millionth appearance on SNL. My expectations are always a high for a returning show-favorite, as I picture the whole week of writing and rehearsals to be a wild, wild party praising the host and, between celebratory keg stands, they write bang-up material that uses the host to their full potential. Yes, it's my own fault for thinking like that because I'm inevitably let down, but every once in a while there's a hit. This episode was all right in general, but it certainly wasn't worthy of Steve Martin. Here are some video highlights from the night.

Steve Martin, who rose to fame in the 1970's with the help of Saturday Night Live, will appear for a record 15th time on the show on January 31st. Just in time for sweeps.

Obviously, he'll be there to promote the Pink Panther sequel and his new Banjo CD. Once again I will put on my old person's hat and recall the times he hosted in my youth and how funny he was back then. While he obviously doesn't have the vigor of youth anymore, he has the sort of stage presence and timing that livens up the sort of comedy that SNL does (even when the sketch itself is lame). He's a better sketch performer than most of the current cast.

I loved the irony and intellectualism of the stand-up comedy of Martin's early career. I hope he returns to it some day and does an HBO special like Robin Williams did in 2002.

(S34E13) I don't have much of an opinion on Rosario Dawson. I've seen a few of her movies, like Clerks 2 and Death Proof, but instead of blowing my mind with every film, she's left me in a state of indifference. I'm sure there are plenty of gentlemen here who strongly differ. Sorry, boys.

That said, Dawson did a pretty good job hosting this episode. The writing wasn't particularly exciting, but Dawson's delivery was smooth and very professional. Just like Neil Patrick Harris from the previous week, her enthusiasm was very evident and greatly appreciated. Here are some video highlights from the night.

(S34E12) It's just as we thought, everyone: Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. Why did it take SNL so long to bring in NPH? It seems cruel, almost, to make us wait like this. Even though the sketches this week were not particularly spectacular or groundbreaking, NPH's delivery and enthusiasm made the ride really fun. Unless his backstage demands and antics were too crazy for the SNL gang to handle, there's no reason to hold back on multiple returns.

Manofest has this great list of the twenty funniest Will Ferrell moments, picked from various moments of his career. There are a few clips from his film career (sorry, but no part of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby should be on this list, let alone exist), but most of the points harken back to his Saturday Night Live days. There are a lot of interesting choices; it's fun to look back and re-visit where Ferrell got his big break.

Check out the full list for videos. I don't recommend lingering on the Manofest site for long stretches of time, because they promise "masculinity times infinity." Halfway through the list, I blacked out and crushed four beer cans on my forehead. None of them were empty.

It seems that there has never been a period of time when critics (and the masses) didn't chide Saturday Night Live, claiming the show to be in a "creative slump," or even going as far as calling it - get this - "Saturday Night Dead."

But for stalwart fans like myself who tend to consider every nuance and minor detail of the show's sketches, the sentiment is either only partially true or not true at all. Sure, the show saw a spike in viewership thanks to Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impression, leading critics to praise SNL's "creative resurgence." But the buzz was just as strong when Will Ferrell played George W. Bush nine years ago. (And, furthermore, it wasn't as if the show didn't have its culturally resonant hits in recent years, not limited to Maya Rudolph's Donatella Versace impression or Andy Samberg's fusion of Internet humor into the mix).

So to those who say SNL is back, I say, have you ever seen Molly Shannon's Jeannie Darcy? Because it is, by far, one of the most brilliantly executed, underrated characters to ever appear on the show. (Or maybe I just have a thing for mullets and bolo ties. Same difference.) See what I mean in the video after the jump.

Christmas is the easiest holiday to make fun of because it can be so hokey and jolly. It's like the office jolly holly -- someone who's always smiling, always bringing gooey sweet goodies to the office for no reason, always cackling at everyone's jokes, no matter how bad they are or what MadTV episode they were taken from.

But deep down, you know that anyone that happy has to be making up for something equivalently dark and sinister. They are hiding a dark secret, something they can't even admit to themselves. You just know that the rises in sick leave usage after she brings her secret recipe brownies aren't coincidences.

Christmas wears the same mask. All it takes is a little scratching to find something dark and funny behind its red and white veneer. SNL has had some great success taking pot shots at Christmas, even during the down times, for this very reason. It's hard not to find something funny about Christmas, but it's hard to keep finding something funny about it long after the turkey has been picked clean and the eggnog has left a thin layer of plaque on the inside of your small intestine. Here are the best of the best.