SNLYes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Bill Hader returned to Saturday Night Live and made his hosting debut on Saturday, where he brought back one of his most popular characters, Stefon, and was also joined by another SNL alum.
Kristen Wiig, who stars with the actor in the new film The Skeleton Twins, appeared in several skits, while Broadway star and Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day alum Harvey Fierstein also made a cameo.
Hader made his debut on SNL as a performer in 2005 and left the series officially in 2013, a year after Wiig, to concentrate on his acting career, although he did return for two cameos earlier this year.
Saturday's episode also featured a musical tribute to former SNL cast member Jan Hooks, who died at age 57 on Oct. 9, as well as a performance from Irish indie rock musician Hozier.
Check out five highlights from Hader's SNL hosting debut.
1. Monologue: Bill Hader "sings"
Hader, joined by Wiig, talked about his ambition to sing on SNL and cited his lack of singing skills, which meant, naturally, that he would try anyway.
"Don't be scared," she coaxed, singing herself.
You, however, might be.
2. The Return of Stefon!
Hader reprised his popular character during "Weekend Update," expressing his approval of the show's casting shakeup to feature for the first time two male hosts—Colin Jost and Michael Che.
"Mmm. One of each," "Stefon" said.
As he detailed information about New York City hotspots to promote the fall tourist season ("If you are some dumb folks looking to just get murdered, I know just the place for you"), Hader appeared to keep breaking character while referencing former MTV personality Dan Cortese, who later responded to the tribute on Twitter.
Yo @nbcsnl & #stefon I would've responded sooner but me & Winger are killin' it #Rocknjock style at Hooters in Cleveland! See u next week!
? Dan Cortese (@dancortese) October 12, 2014Stefon also reveals some exciting personal news.
3. Traumatized Puppeteer
Hader played a war veteran and Purple Heart recipient with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder who takes an advanced puppet class and freaks everyone out with his doppelganger, who recalls horrific tales of battle during the United States' 1983 invasion of Grenada.
When coaxed by the teacher, played by Taran Killam, to tell a joke, he and his puppet replied, "Here's a joke. God."
4. The Group Hopper
SNL newcomer Pete Davidson, who is 20 and the show's youngest performer, played the hero of a mock trailer spoofing several teen dystopian films—The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Giver and The Hunger Games. Hader dressed in drag to play a memorable character from the latter film.
5. 39 Cents not enough?
In a skit spoofing fundraising ads for impoverished people in an African village, Hader donned a white wig, mustache and beard to play star Charlie Daniels.
There, he is confronted on-camera by several residents, including one wearing a Buffalo Bills "1993 World Champions Shirt" (a gag at what happens to pre-made Super Bowl T-Shirts after a team loses, as they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys that year) who point out that a donation of 39 cents a day is not enough to live on. Show writer, comedienne and occasional Weekend Update commentator Leslie Jones makes a cameo.
Bonus: Jan Hooks Tribute: "Love Is But A Dream" waltz
As a tribute to Hooks, the show aired one of her most memorable SNL moments, a musical fantasy short titled "Love Is But a Dream," starring her frequent show co-star Phil Hartman, who died in May 1998 at age 49.
The video was created by SNL contributor Tom Schiller. It is set to a 1932 Bing Crosby song. Hooks plays an elderly woman who retrieves some family heirlooms, including a tiara, which triggers a flashback of a romantic memory of herself wearing a princess-style ball gown and dancing with a handsome soldier in a dress uniform, played by Hartman.
After Hartman died, SNL paid tribute to him with a special episode and "Love Is But a Dream" was screened then as well. According to The New York Daily News, it was Hooks who urged show writer Robert Smigel to include the video.
According to Mike Thomas' 2014 biography of the actor, You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman, Hooks also took part in another tribute show for him, which took place at Los Angeles' Paramount Theatre. She read a letter she had written to her late friend, whom she called Sandy, because of the color of his hair.
"My dear, sweet Sandy," she said. "How I wish I could have one more dance with you."
Next week's episode of SNL, which airs on Oct. 18, will be a rerun of Chris Pratt's hosting debut. Jim Carrey, who is promoting Dumb and Dumber To, will host the show on Oct. 25, which will mark his third time, while Iggy Azalea will perform.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)