'Saturday Night Live' Season Finale: Bill Hader and Fred Armisen Bye-Byes Upstage Ben Affleck
The final show for a "Saturday Night Live" cast member tends to be more emotional than outright funny. And as the final show for both Bill Hader and Fred Armisen (and maybe Jason Sudeikis), this season finale was doubly touching — but a little light on laughs.
The sweetest and funniest sketch of the night was Stefon's farewell. Over the years, we've grown to love Weekend Update's fabulous club correspondent and his wedding send-off was deservedly epic. It was also a nice nod to Seth Meyers, who will be leaving the show at the end of the year to take over "Late Night."
[Related: Look Back at Hader's Most Memorable 'SNL' Characters]
How hilarious was it when Stefon's groom turned around and was revealed to be Anderson Cooper? Who else applauded when all the Weekend Update recurring characters showed up to throw rice on Stefon and Seth?
Armisen's send-off was more sentimental than funny, but appropriate to him. His reprised his Ian Rubbish character and was joined by his "Portlandia" co-star Carrie Brownstein, as well as rockers Aimee Mann, Kim Gordon, and Steve Jones among others.
Though the evening's highlights were Hader and Armisen's farewells, host Ben Affleck proved he can be very funny. He gets knocked on his acting often, but his performance on "SNL" showed that maybe the Oscar winner should try a comedy next.
[Related: Five Times Affleck Was Really Funny (on 'SNL')]
Best Cameo: Jennifer Garner, "Opening Monologue"
Affleck didn't get a parade of stars for his induction to the Five-Timers Club, but his wife stopped by to mock his infamous Oscar speech. Their banter is very cute (when is Garner going to host again), but it's not a comedic highlight.
[Related: Who Else Belongs to the 'SNL' Five-Timers Club?]
Best Return: Amy Poehler, "Weekend Update"
The dream team is back together! Poehler returns to do another zippy edition of "Really?! With Seth and Amy" and shows what crackling chemistry she has with Meyers (and pretty much any living person on Earth). Seriously, Amy Poehler can do no wrong in our book.
Best: "Hermes Handbags"
"SNL" had a dismal year for launching recurring sketches, but this one featuring Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong as ditzy former porn stars selling stuff was a pleasant surprise. Their garbled pronunciations and glazed-over expressions are dynamite. Let's hope the show doesn't ruin things by running it too often next season.
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Runner-Up: "New Xanax"
All season long, "SNL" really nailed their parody commercials, and "New Xanax" was just as smart and funny as previous ones. It touts medication that "relieves the stress of attending a bunch of spectacular gay summer weddings," and all the little details — like the choreographed dance to an unreleased Beyonce song — are just perfect.
Worst: "Engagement Picnic"
This sketch about cops who can't express their feelings was just so awful that we're not including the clip here. Trust us, it's that bad.
Runner-Up Worst: "Depression Scene"
That this sketch aired right after "New Xanax" did not help. Affleck plays a businessman who tries to give a down-on-his-luck Hader a job, but ends up being conned. It was just a cringe-fest from start to finish.
Weirdest: "Bengo F--- Yourself"
Armisen plays Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who decides to play Ben Affleck in a movie about the making of "Argo." And Affleck himself plays a sound technician. Yes, it's pretty confusing. The sketch has some funny moments, but otherwise, it's just plain strange.
Check out photos from this season of "SNL":
