Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake might save SNL tonight

Fallon is hosting, and Timberlake — a five-time host himself — is the “musical guest.” It’s been an uneven season for Saturday Night Live (Kerry Washington episode was good, John Goodman episode was meh, and some episodes were entirely forgettable), but this has a lot of promise. First off, it’s a holiday show — so you know old-schoolers are coming back (because Timberlake and Fallon are involved, I’d say Andy Samberg is fairly likely to return, no?). There’s even a drinking game making the rounds. And then, even though it isn’t technically Seth Meyers’ last show, having Fallon and Meyers together there will potentially lead to something poignant.

The last time Fallon got the Christmas show, his monologue was ridiculously high-energy (“Buble’s doing cocaine!”). And of course, Timberlake and Fallon have a long comedic history themselves, including this gem:

And this gem:

And this gem:

The list could go on and on. Part of the appeal with them, I think, is that it appears they’re actual, legitimate friends — but both celebrities — which is always kinda cool to see. Here’s a full history of their bromance. (I wouldn’t expect a Gibb sketch per se, because Robin Gibb died last year, but who knows.) Here’s another “complete collection of hilarity” type link.

To recap: holiday episode, friends, bromance, celebrity cameos, energy, poignancy, etc. It should be a powerful night.

Ted Bauer