Saturday Night Live -- Justin Timberlake & Ciara, May 9, 2009: Sketch-by-Sketch Review

Timothy Geithner talks about the stress tests that banks had to take and how the Treasury Department was afraid the tests would stigmatize the banks. Amusing premise, comparing the stress tests to standardized tests for kids. Its a rare opening skit (for this year, anyway) that is amusing from start to finish.

Justin Timberlake Monologue -- 8

How long has it been since they did a big musical number for the Monologue? While not as funny as some they've done (Steve Martin's was hysterical), Justin Timberlake gives it all and its amusing if not completely

Mom Celebrity Translator -- 8

Ever have a mom that can't remember the name of a famous person? The Mom Translator can help. Very funny commercial that doesn't involve turd jokes.

Target -- 6

Yikes...... First sketch is Kristin Wiig doing her Target girl? This doesn't bode well for the rest of the episode. Justin Timberlake plays an older lady in drag, and as always seems to be having fun. He's much funnier than Wiig here. The jokes about the full body waxing are crude but very funny. Maybe this isn't so bad after all.

Cornelius Timberlake at Ellis Island -- 7

Justin Timberlake's ancestor predicts that the success of Justin years later, which sounds incredibly strange to those immigrants standing next to him. He says he looks forward to the day when his grandson "brings sexy back". "He'll date a popular singer and claim publicly their virgins, and privately... he hit it." Soon, Moishe Samberg shows up to talk about his grandson making songs.

Digital Shorts -- We Should ___ Each Other's Moms -- 10

Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake decide to swap moms to make their mothers happy for Mother's Day. Patricia Clarkson and Susan Sarandon play the moms. Incredibly wrong and funnier than D--- in a Box.

Mascot Showdown -- 7

Justin Timberlake plays another costume wearing street hawker singing funny songs, this time about a plastic surgeon. Funny songs and Justin acting goofy make this one a winner.

Ciera and Justin Timberlake -- Love and Sex and Magic --7

Is it just me or is R&B getting back to having a real beat and a real tune? This is a good song, but Ciera's dancing is stiff and over choreographed.

Weekend Update -- 9

The joke that Seth Myers makes about using Photoshop instead of an actual flyover of Air Force One (in reference to the poorly thought out photo-op over Manhattan) was already done on the Daily Show, although showing different examples was funny.

"Guests" this week include Elliot Spitzer and David Patterson telling jokes about each other, and of course, New Jersey. Their is a weird vibe in the audience about the jokes with some loud groans. Bill Hader makes a great, cocky Spitzer, and the part where he does a high five with Patterson was so wrong I almost spit out my drink.

Also showing up on Saturday Night Live's Weekend UPdate are the new Star Trek film's Spock and Kirk, Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine to talk about how the film relates to the original series. As they try to discuss the lore and jargon, they break down and realize they have no idea what they're talking about, they just want the obsessed fans to leave them alone. Leonard Nimoy makes an appearance, disses Zachary a bit, and says fans that don't like the movie would be "Dickheads." One of the funnier Weekend Updates of the year.

Funny line:

"Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal were married this weekend. They wrote their own vowels."

Barry Gibb Talk Show -- 5

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake do another reprise of their Bee Gees talk show. While the two are impressive with their singing impersonation, the show goes the same place as their typical talk show sketches, which is nowhere. The only real laugh is when Fallon makes Timberlake laugh and doesn't laugh himself. This is really just an excuse for the impersonation, and wasn't very funny.

Pirates of the Carribean Shipping Error -- 9

A slight mishap in shipping has Somali pirates receiving prop swords and other plastic weapons while wandering Pirates of the Carribean characters at Disney World get the real thing. Chaos ensues as Disney cast members go down, while others start relishing their ability to kill tourists. For some reason the crowd doesn't seem to find it funny, but watching Pluto drop dead was worth it for me. Funny premise with a great turn from Kristin Wiig.

Ciara - Never Ever -- 3

Lame rewrite of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with lazy drum machine and even worse choreography. Bad.

Overall -- 9

An incredibly funny episode. Justin Timberlake has hit every appearance out of the park and the writers seem energized by time away and perhaps his hosting. If Lorne is smart, he'll sew him up for one or more appearances each year. By far one of the better episodes this year.