Ep 12. Gwyneth Paltrow / Cee Lo Green

In the 12th episode of the 36th season of Saturday Night Live, award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow hosts the show accompanied by Grammy Award-winning singer Cee Lo Green as the musical guest.

The show begins with a cold open sketch in which Fred Armisen imitates Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak addressing the situation in Egypt. Paltrow starts the show with a monologue, joking about her career and celebrity status. A monologue that highlights Paltrow's humor, sarcasm, and a few self-deprecating jokes that announce the tone for the evening.

The first sketch is a spoof of “The Bachelor” called, "The Bensonhurst Dating Game." Paltrow plays the role of a girl on the show and gives an honest answer about how she fell out of love with her brother while also managing to keep the audience in fits. The sketch highlights the humor in the most controversial of thoughts as it lures between awkward giggles and disturbing thoughts.

The next sketch is titled "Secret Word." Paltrow and Wiig are secret word contestants in a parody of an old game show. The secret word being "lick" and Paltrow's inability to say it makes for a hilarious exchange of words.

Following these two sketches, SNL takes a jab at "The Social Network" with a parody titled "The Creep." Andy Samberg and musical guest Cee Lo Green star in, "Digital Short" song, a party anthem for creeps that features a hilarious dance routine.

The next sketch is "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers a regular weekend fixture. The segment delivers an impressive overview of some of the most noteworthy news stories of the week, along with some potent punchlines. This segment sets up various abstract events of the week as the cast pokes fun at the events along with Meyers' hilarious commentary.

Paltrow didn't shy away from her musical talents during this episode. The actress sang on stage with Cee Lo Green in his hit song, “Forget You,” and played a harmonica on her hosting gig, showcasing her impressive skills and demonstrating to the audience her versatile range.

The final sketch of the episode is called "Country Club." It takes one back to Paltrow's popular film, "The Royal Tenenbaums" as she and Bill Hader play the parents of two tennis prodigies who also happen to be morons. Throughout the sketch, more characters are introduced, and the sketch unfolds into a playful escalation of unlikely twists that leave the audience in stitches.

The episode highlights the cast's versatility in creating clever humor like usual, but also allows Gwyneth Paltrow’s versatility to shine on the show. With an adventurous sense of humor and noteworthy acting skills, Paltrow and the cast deliver an encompassing performance that is both remarkable and memorable.