There was no way the Saturday Night Live crew was going to let the Vice Presidential Debate slip by without a skit…and they didn't disappoint.
On the show's hilarious vice-presidential debate cold open, a smug Paul Ryan (Taran Killam) and a disruptive Joe Biden (Jason Sudeikis) faced off for the debate, with a snappy Martha Raddatz (Kate McKinnon) on hand to moderate.
And the trio's impressions were spot on.
During the skit, Biden kept laughing really loud and making smart comments at anything Ryan said, Ryan refused to be specific with his answers, and Raddatz showed a tough-as-nails attitude.
"I'm sorry Martha, but with all due respect, this is malarkey," Biden said with a hearty laugh at one point. "A bunch of malarkey? What does that mean?," Raddatz said in response. "Um, it's Irish," Ryan quipped. "No, Irish is I come over there and smack that dumb look off your face."
Usain Bolt also popped up during the debate, after Ryan claimed he won the 100-meter dash at the London Olympics.
"You didn't finish," Bolt said. "You weren't even there."
And then it was time for Christina Applegate to kick off the show.
It has been nearly 20 years (!) since the Hall Pass star stepped on the SNL stage as host, but when she returned this week, she was better than ever (and even showed off her singing voice).
In "The Californians," the Valley-speaking gang was back for a wedding episode, with Applegate on hand to play Stewart's (Fred Armisen) fiancé Bree. Applegate put on her best Valley Girl accent, talked about directions in typical "Californian" fashion, and stared longingly in the soap opera's famed, random mirror.
"It was so hard growing up in the Long Beach area. I just wanted to take the 105 and get the hell out of there," Bree (Applegate) said at one point.
But, that wasn't Applegate's only standout moment.
Just like the Vice Presidential Debate, the "Taken Trailer" skit, in which all the kids at a CIA daycare were taken, was packed with spot-on impersonations. Killam played Liam Neeson, who said he had "a very particular set of skills like fighting and growling", Applegate took on Uma Thurman, quipping, "you'll recognize me. I'm dressed like a taxi," and Sudeikis took on Mel Gibson, saying, "I'm telling you, the Jews took my daughter," among other great impersonations.
And then on "Tech Talk," Applegate played host Kaitlyn Owens on a segment about the iPhone 5. After three techie iPhone 5 reviewers showed up on the show to complain about the new phone, comedy ensued when Owens invited Chinese iPhone 5 factory workers to sit in on the discussion (and mock the reviewers).
On "Choreographer," Applegate played an over-the-top choreographer who pops up in a dance class to teach students her, um, interesting, Fosse dance techniques that no one in the class can pick up or understand…until they have a miraculous discovery at the end.
Electropop band Passion Pit was on hand to perform "Carried Away" and "Take a Walk."
So, tell us, what did you think about last night's show and Christina Applegate's hosting stint?
Sound off in the comments.
(E! and Saturday Night Live are a part of the NBCUniversal family.)