‘Saturday Night Live’ Gives Natalie Portman the Rap Sequel You’ve Been Waiting For

It’s been 12 years since Natalie Portman first hosted Saturday Night Live, but she finally returned to Studio 8H this past weekend to have fun with an almost entirely new cast.

The last time Portman hosted, Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island were making waves with SNL Digital Shorts, and Natalie Portman was part of one of the best in the form of a rap music video. Upon her return this weekednd, the writers were bold enough to delivering an all-new rap, and surprisingly enough, it delivered pretty damn well. Plus, Portman reprised her role as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and even played Eleven from Stranger Things.

Let’s run through the best and worst sketches from the Natalie Portman hosted Saturday Night Live.

The Best

Natalie’s 2nd Rap – Portman Portman Portman Portman Portman Portman. When Natalie Portman hosted 12 years ago, she became part of one of the best sketches in SNL history with her rap music video revealing the darker side of her life. Topping that moment was never going to happen, but in her second hosting stint, they came pretty close to matching the greatness of that original sketch, especially with their reference to the Star Wars prequels and another perfect ending. Plus, they even got Andy Samberg back.

Revolutionary War – SNL has done plenty of sports sketches before, and they’re usually either from the perspective of the fans, the players or sports announcers, but this was truly a unique premise that was executed rather well. Set in 1775, colonists are meeting with leaders in Philadelphia to discuss the progress of the Revolutionary War. The patriots from New England are proud of the five victories in battle while citizens from Philadelphia are eager to prove themselves. Yes, it’s a guise for the Super Bowl rivalry, complete with Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey cameos, and it’s just a great sketch.

Bunny – It’s been awhile since Aidy Bryant has had a juicy character to dig into, and while this one is certainly reminiscent of Kate McKinnon’s Sheila Sovage character from the recurring “Last Call” sketches, she’s also different enough to still be hilarious. I love that Cecily Strong tries to be the voice of reason as two of her friends give in to Bunny’s poor advice, and all she gets for her trouble is left alone at the bar.