Entertainment

Celebrity Cameos Galore on Jimmy and JT's 'SNL'

by Ashley Hoffman

The eagerly anticipated Jimmy Fallon-Justin Timberlake Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live came and went at full speed. Fallon, as host, pumped every sketch full of energy and the writing merited was enough to fill anyone with Christmas cheer. Halfway into Season 39, the sketch comedy series has scored some unexpected wins (hello Edward Norton and Josh Hutcherson!), but having these two headliners back on the series was a triumph. Christmas for Jimmy Fallon means sharing the stage, but musical guest Justin Timberlake was the co-host he didn’t need.

But which were the best and worst sketches of the night? Read below to see the ones that made us feel festive, and the ones that left us feeling like a grinch. Without further ado: The best and worst sketches of the final Saturday Night Live episode of 2013!

WATCH: WRAPPINVILLE COLD OPEN

Competing gift-wrapping stations get the funny Omeletville treatment, but interesting that the series would choose an opening number that catered to its musical guest, and not host Fallon (who also boasted a fair number of great recurring characters throughout his run on SNL). Even though the choreography was off, this sketch is worth watching for the gift-wrapping puns and Aidy Bryant’s faces.

WATCH: MONOLOGUE

What you think would be a cavalcade of impressions (Fallon doing Dylan, Bowie, and McCartney) turns into a very sweet song to get you in the figgy pudding mood.

WATCH: FAMILY FEUD

The centerpiece sketch skewered a game show (surprise, surprise, SNL). In this sketch, CBS faces off against NBC stars. Watching Fallon go head-to-head with himself — thanks to Timberlake's impression of the Late Night host — was golden, and it forced Fallon to turn around to avoid visibly breaking.

WATCH: (DO IT ON MY) TWIN BED (BEST)

Best sketch of the season. They round up every female on the cast to give the reality of a guy staying in your childhood bedroom the Pussycat Dolls treatment.

SKIP: THE BARRY GIBB SHOW (WORST)

Yes, the Barry Gibb show was funny the first (and second) time Timberlake and Fallon teamed up for the sketch, but, unfortunately, this time around, the meandering sketch gets confused giggles for a reason.

WATCH: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, "ONLY WHEN I WALK AWAY"

Yeah, Timberlake can perform. He didn’t top Janelle Monáe’s fancy footwork, but, still: Watch it. It's JT!

WATCH: WEEKEND UPDATE

Kate McKinnon plays Billie Jean King, but Fallon and Mayor Bloomberg steal the show. Plus, Jimmy Fallon gets all verklempt passing the baton to future Late Night host Seth Meyers. Schmaw.

WATCH: KIMYE TALK

Nasim Pedrad's Kim Kardashian is flawless, with the comedienne's whine and the ability to keep a screwed-on smile.

WATCH: CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Jimmy Fallon does Pitbull. Plus, impressions of Alan Rickman, Alanis Morissette, and Andrea Bocelli.

WATCH: CHRISTMAS PAST

Here’s the twist on Scrooge’s Christmas Carol: Scrooge is alone because he didn’t embrace his sexual identity, and it takes him whining about the beefy man he won’t meet to realize this. Just trust us and watch it.

WATCH: BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

This sketch adeptly balances snark and schmaltz, thanks to respectable turns from Cecily Strong and Fallon.

SKIP: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE "PAIR OF WINGS"

Music-wise, the single’s boring, but watching Timberlake on guitar might make it worth it.

A “Wish It Was Christmas Today” with Paul McCartney and Madonna would have been the cinnamon to our egg nog, but we’ll more than accept Justin Timberlake. We might have to live without SNL for a few weeks — the series returns Jan. 18th with Drake — but the show gave us one heck of a Christmas gift with Saturday's episode. But what should their New Year's resolution be? More Timberlake and Fallon!

Image: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC