SNL with Jonah Hill recap: His glasses keep getting smaller and his scarves keep getting bigger

So this review is obscenely late, but let’s be honest, I’m still recovering from the finally-broken sexual tension between Stefon and Seth Meyers. Aren’t we all? This past Saturday on SNL, Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill hosted, and musical guest the Shins performed. On a side note, the Shins were stellar (did I really just use that word?). They performed “Simple Song” and “It’s Only Life”, and while people may not have liked it, I supremely doubt they wanted to turn on mute on their television screens. And I’m speaking from someone who has previously done that. Nothing out-of-the-ballpark stunning, but I can completely see why they were invited back to the show.

The Good

• Opening Monologue: This featured a pre-taped routine of Jonah Hill practicing around set with the cast, high off the success of his Academy Award nomination. I liked how it differed from a normal opening monologue, and I liked his interaction with the cast. Especially Jay Pharoah (Because I’m black…?) It just worked and it got even better when Tom Hanks stepped onto the stage. Did anyone catch him holding the Oscar above Jonah’s head? Oh Jonie.
• Adam Grossman: Once again, Jonah Hill reprised his character as Adam Grossman, a 6 year old who sounds alarmingly like a Jewish mother. It was sterotypical, to say the least, but this skit was also preformed the first time Hill was ever on SNL, so I got nostalgic feels. And factor in Vanessa Bayer’s face the entire time, Bill Hader’s stunning awkwardness, and Adam’s “Real Talk” moment with Keenan Thompson, and you have yourself comedy.
• Weekend Update: As per usual, Seth Meyers, Samberg and Stefon stole my heart on Saturday. The weekend update consisted of the usual, yet still amazing, satirical political humor, but led into another Sarah Palin skit. Thanks to “Game Change” this apperance was completely relevant, but this time it wasn’t Tina Fey in the chair. Andy Samberg took her place because “Tina couldn’t make it.” Samberg kept on getting all of the typical Sarah-Palinisms wrong, but what was even more hilarious was that the voice impersonation continued. “I can see my house from Russia!” After that, Stefon, my admittedly favorite person on SNL, filled Seth in on cool spots to go to for St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness. Then they kissed and the whole world sighed after waiting in anticipation for so many years for this to happen. There was tension, people.

The Bad

• Rush Limbaugh: The cold opening this week was Taran Killam appearing as Rush Limbaugh, whom previously made statements calling a college student a slut for stating that her college health insurance doesn’t cover contraceptives. He spent the whole skit describing how while he lost some of his many sponsors, he did gain some Z-list ones. I didn’t particularly like this skit, because while it wasn’t unwatchable, I do think they could have done more by poking fun at the actual comments made, not just the repercussions.
• Liza Minelli: There isn’t that much to say about this skit to be honest. Kristen Wiig dressed as Liza Minelli danced around and tried to turn on a lamp. While Wiig’s impersonation was great, the skit failed to reach her level.
• J-Pop: For the third time this season, J-Pop was performed, a college station with less-than-non stereotypical ideas about Japanese cultures and people. Hill guest starred as the students friend from Jewish summer camp who just happened to know a lot about samurai fighting. I never did like these skits, and the fact that this is the third time performing them kind of made me tune out. Admittedly, I did crack a smile at Hill’s slight break in character, as well as the high pitched singing with words I can’t even slightly make out. I’d just try something a little different next time.