Justin Timberlake joins the 'Saturday Night Live' five-timers club

Justin Timberlake had quite a great weekend. The 32-year-old actor and singer can now add comedian to his growing resume. I say this in all seriousness: J.T. did a bang-up job hosting Saturday Night Live, once again. He's now hosted the show five times, putting him in very elite company.

The build up to Justin Timberlake's SNL hosting gig this season was huge. I didn't think he could possibly live up to the sky-high expectations everyone seemed to have. Guess what? He did. Not only was Timberlake funny in his opening monologue and in the skits, he showcased his spectacular new tunes as the show's musical guest. The man has mad skills. I can't believe I ever doubted that.

Justin Timberlake started out a bit shaky with an OK cold open as Elton John, paying tribute to Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's recently deceased, more than a little wacky leader. I wasn't rolling at that point, but boy did I laugh once the long monologue got going. Timberlake was finally granted access to the elite "Five-Timers Club." He donned a fancy jacket and proceeded to rub elbows with the other incredible comedic talents who've graced the SNL stage as hosts as many times as he has: Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Alec Baldwin, Paul Simon and even Candice Bergen.

You can check out J.T.'s Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club monologue here, in case you missed it. I highly recommend it if you're a longtime SNL fan.

The absolute best skit of the night, for me (and I suspect for many others) was the "It's a Date" bit. In it, Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake reprised their roles from the "Dick in a Box" SNL Digital Short (which originally aired back in 2006). The duo tried to win a date with bachelorette Vanessa Bayer, competing against the totally boring Bobby Moynihan and...the Festrunk Brothers!

Yes, Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd appeared as the Two Wild and Crazy Guys, Czech brothers Yortuk and Georg Festrunk. I can't tell you how much I loved seeing these two together again. Both men are icons, and they never fail to make me laugh.

While I was a little too young to remember seeing their original Saturday Night Live skits, I do remember Steve Martin and "King Tut," and I've watched them via reruns for years. Seeing them pull out these goofy characters for the first time since 1998 was worth staying up late on Saturday night.

I'd rank the Festrunk brothers right up there among the best SNL characters of ever, alongside The Church Lady, Buckwheat, Samurai Futaba, Jake and Elwood Blues, Mr. Bill and Wayne and Garth. Did I just name my favorite Saturday Night Live characters of all time? I think I did. Throw in Dan Aykroyd's Irwin Mainway and the Land Shark, and I've got my list. Oh, and Bill Hader's Stefon, he's on my list.

We got a dose of Stefon's fabulousness last night, too, which was just a huge bonus in an already solidly funny show. This SNL was certainly the best of the season, and quite possibly one of the best in the last five years.

I'd be remiss if I wrote any review of the Justin Timberlake SNL five-timers hosting show if I didn't mention that yes, he did in fact perform as a rapping street barker again. This time, he was dressed as tofu, promoting Veganville (as opposed to Liquorville and Homelessville). The skit worked, period.

When I discussed the J.T. SNL with friends today, that's all anyone could talk about (and yeah, I've been singing "Bring it on down to Veganville" all day long). If you'd like to sing along, you can check out the Veganville skit here, complete with the instant classic, the "Vegan Shake." Awwwww, Veg Out!

The rest of the show kind of went by in a blur. While the skits were OK, they weren't even close to the ones I just mentioned. One thing I know: Justin Timberlake is a natural born comedian. He's gifted. It's something I think most of us realized the first time he hosted Saturday Night Live, back in October of 2003. In the decade since, he's become a must-see SNL host.

Before you think I've forgotten the fact that Justin Timberlake is, in fact, an actual musician, I haven't. J.T. busted out two stellar musical performances in this show: "Suit & Tie" (with special surprise guest, Jay-Z) and "Mirrors." Of the two, I much preferred "Mirrors," but I have to say I like the new music and I will be buying Timberlake's first new studio album in seven years, The 20/20 Experience, when it drops on March 19, 2013.

OK, what did everyone else think? I could continue to gush, but I'll spare you -- except to say I can't wait until Justin Timberlake hosts Saturday Night Live again. I definitely think J.T. is one of the best SNL hosts ever.

And also? I really, really want a Stefon movie. Who's with me?

Photos courtesy of and UsMagazine.com and Billboard.com