Culture

SNL's Adam Levine Episode: 5 Best Scenes

By Sage Stossel

SNL rebounded this week with a strong episode, featuring cameos by Jerry Seinfeld and Cameron Diaz, the return of Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island, and a charismatic performance by host Adam Levine. Musical guest Kendrick Lamar performed "Swimming Pools (Drank)" and "Poetic Justice."

Some highlights...

The monologue: Andy Samberg, Cameron Diaz, and Jerry Seinfeld vie—Voice-style—to get picked as comedy coach by an obligingly shirtless Adam Levine.

From the network that brought you The Carrie Diaries, it's The Sopranos Diaries, featuring Tony and the gang as teenagers in the '80s. (Bobby Moynihan as Tony Soprano, Fred Armisen as Paulie Walnuts, Kate McKinnon as Carmela, Adam Levine as new kid Salvatore, and Cecily Strong as Tony Soprano's high school guidance counselor.)

An emotional Ray Lewis (Kenan Thompson) drops by Weekend Update to discuss his Super Bowl prospects. ("If we win, I'm going to go to the 50-yard line of the Superdome, kneel down... and then I'm going to ascend into heaven.")

Digital Short—Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island team up with Adam Levine to perform a Drake-inspired YOLO (You Only Live Once You Oughta Look Out): "There's no such thing as too much Purell... Don't take the stairs: they're often unsafe..."

Catfish the TV show: a preening Nev Schulman (Adam Levine) helps Aidy Bryant track down her online boyfriend, "Ace Applebees." ("He doesn't have a cell phone or a landline, and nobody in the world knows him, except me...")

Also: Arianna Huffington (Nasim Pedrad) drops by Weekend Update to discuss Hillary and women in politics ("These Republican committee members go after Hillary like she's Casey Anthony. Then John Kerry shows up, and they pat each other on the back like a garage band in a Viagra commercial..."); Cold open: Obama (Jay Pharoah) gets a post-inauguration visitation by Martin Luther King, Jr. ("It's 2013 and there's not a black child in One Direction?..."); Rosetta Stone, the language training program that teaches useful Thai phrases, like "How much?" and "Is that for the whole night?..."; (Not currently online) Maroon 5 faces off against Train's Pat Monahan (Taran Killam), Jason Mraz (Jason Sudeikis), and John Mayer (Bill Hader) in a barroom dance-fight. ("Rule #1: no punching. Rule #2: no hitting of any kind. Rule #3: fanny pinching OK...").

NEXT, on February 9: Justin Bieber as host and musical guest.