For the finale of what has been a fairly lackluster 36th season of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels and this year’s troupe of not quite ready for prime time players chose two superstars, Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga, to take us into summer. Timberlake, hosting the show for the fourth time, is a known quantity, cranking out internet explosions such as “Dick in a Box,” and “Motherlover” with SNL stalwart Andy Samberg.
In a departure from two of his first three hosting gigs, Timberlake was not the musical guest. SNL’s producers chose Lady Gaga, who recently has been giving birth to golden goose eggs (more on that in a sec) with literally everything she’s done. It was a good choice.
(PHOTOS: Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters)
The show began with a smart and actually funny skit, poking fun at Dominique Strauss-Kahn using macroeconomics (and prison rape; it is, after all, a comedy show). When it was finally time for the SNL short video, we waited with baited breath for what reliable sources told us would be a sequel to “Dick in a Box.” The video actually picks up where “Motherlover” left off. This time the duo, perfectly outfitted with the best early ’90s gear, find themselves showing up for a booty call at the same time, and the more-than-willing conquest is none other than Lady Gaga. See more about the skit — and watch the video — here.
But SNL’s bread and butter, the skits, were hit and miss. Timberlake reprised his “Liquorville” mascot to perfection and willingly made fun of himself at nearly every turn. Lady Gaga got in the act in a few sketches too. When she wasn’t miraculously becoming pregnant during her rendition of “Born this Way,” Gaga displayed some pretty deft comedic chops (For proof, check out the “What’s His Name” sketch). Maybe the only real weak link in an otherwise solid episode was the “Secret Word” sketch that was a complete bore.
In the morning after haze, the interwebs revealed that a Timberlake-as-Mozart sketch got tossed on the cutting room floor. Too bad–the 36th season finale was one cut short of truly awesome.