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Django Unchained‘s Jamie Foxx hosts this week’s Saturday Night Live with musical guest Ne-Yo. Is he an exxcellent host? Wonder no longer!

Cold Open: I’ve written in the past how I’ve felt that Jay Pharoah’s Obama character works better when he isn’t the center of a sketch, and once again that’s been proven right. Even though this was mostly a one-joke sketch about John Boehner being bullied, it was still far funnier than I would have expected from a cold open. Score: 7 out of 10

Monologue: While I’ll admit I preferred a rambling monologue more than a purely song-based or audience-question monologue, this one was a head-scratcher. The first half started off well, even though he was making some easy jokes, but then he sat down at a piano for no reason and then 2 Chainz came out. I’m glad Saturday Night Live was willing to mix it up – or just let Foxx improvise – but next time they might want to think of better stuff to do. Score: 5 out of 10

What’s The Answer: The first thing that stood out about this sketch was how evident it was that Jamie Foxx used to be in sketch-comedy. For the most part, Foxx blended in to the sketch and didn’t stand out like so many hosts do. As for the sketch itself, it wasn’t very original and hammered home the same joke, but I still found it pretty funny. Score: 6 out of 10

J-Pop America: Okay, I laughed at the ninja star joke. I mention that because it’s the only time I laughed throughout the sketch. I’ve laughed at other jokes in this sketch in the past, but it was far less funny now that I’ve seen them repeat the same jokes five times. Score: 3 out of 10

Alex Cross 2: Madea: Special Ops: All it took was someone making fun of Madea for me to finally laugh it her. He’s only been in three sketches and Jamie Foxx is already the best host we’ve had this season. Now I want to actually see this movie. Score: 8 out of 10

Weekend Update: I’ve given up on analyzing the joke segment of Weekend Update, which is pointless given how consistently hit-and-miss they are, so instead I’ll jump right to the guests. Aidy Brandt finally got a showcase and nailed it as Mrs Claus, who is far more worldly than one would expect. Jamie Foxx’s Ding-Dong (I know what you’re thinking, and no…) wasn’t as funny, but was still fun and included some good crowd-work. Sadly, that was all there was to this Weekend Update, and without a powerhouse like Stefan or Drunk Uncle, this was more miss than hit. Score: 5 out of 10

Dylan McDermott or Dermot Mulroney: Oh no, another game show. But wait – it’s funny! This sketch finally addressed the age-old conundrum of “is this person McDermott or Mulroney?” and as expected, everyone fails. And hey, it’s Dermot Mulroney! Score: 8 out of 10

Tree Pimp: Once again, Saturday Night Live is killing it with their Digital Shorts. Kenan Thompson gets a lot of flack, but I thought this was one of his strongest outings on the show. Hopefully SNL keeps it up with these delightfully weird shorts. Score: 8 out of 10

Maine Court: Why is this just now appearing on the show? Why are they stuffing this at the end? This is one of best things I’ve seen on the show in a long time. The increasing bizarreness of this sketch, from Sudekis’ Colonel Sanders to lighthouses filled with alligators, was a thing of beauty. And hey, it’s Charlie Day! What is he doing here? Guys… it’s Charlie Day! Score: 1o out of 10

Swarovski Crystals: What a great back half of Saturday Night Live. This was another weird but hilarious sketch that finally gave us an episode with a good ending. Score: 8 out of 10

Final Thoughts: In a season that gave us hosts like Louis CK and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I never would have expected the best host would be Jamie Foxx. I knew he had been in sketch-comedy, but he fit right into the show’s groove and outdid most of the cast. The first half of the show was shaky, but the back half was fantastic. This would have been worth remembering for just the Maine Court sketch, let alone a great rest of the show. Good job, SNL! You’ve got Martin Short and Paul McCartney next week, so don’t screw that up!

Sketch of the Night: Maine Court. And I don’t think I have to explain myself.

MVP: As tempted as I am to say Charlie Day, I have to stick to my “cast member only” rule and say Jason Sudekis, if only for his Maine Court judge.

-Jeremy