Comedy superstar Eddie Murphy returned to the Saturday Night Live stage last night, and it was an absolute treat for fans. The beloved comedian and former Not Ready For Primetime Player went to some weird places, and almost all of it worked. During the episode, we were treated to a demonic take on a cooking show. We got Murphy as an emotionally raw witness to a North Pole massacre, and of course, we got a steady stream of the beloved characters he created during his original run on the show.
I’d honestly encourage you to watch all of it, but in the absence of a fresh DVR recording, we’ve gone ahead and embedded the sketches with Murphy’s returning characters below. Let’s start out with Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood. There’s no wrong time for another of the classic sketches, but given A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood delighted fans earlier this year, returning to Mr. Robinson almost feels timely. Check it out…
Can we talk about how good Eddie Murphy is in all the Mr. Robinson sketches? He’s able to just waffle back and forth between the Mr. Rogers-like mannerisms, posture and speaking voice in which he communicates with the children and the more aggressive packages he shows to adults. It’s a masterwork of control and in a weird way, illustrates why there’s a very real chance he may pick up his second Oscar nomination for his brilliant work in Dolemite Is My Name.
In addition to Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood, last night’s Saturday Night Live also gave Murphy a chance to return to Buckwheat, this time through a spoof of The Masked Singer. You can check that one out next…
A strong case could be made that Eddie Murphy is the most important cast member in Saturday Night Live history. He may not have stayed the longest, but many historians credit him with saving the show from cancellation after the original cast members left following the fifth season. He wasn’t the only talented person hired to fill the void left by Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and others, but he was the one who struck a chord with viewers and proved many would be willing to give new faces a shot. That dynamic was referenced a bit last night when Murphy rolled out Gumby, and the bit really worked well.
And last but not least, Murphy also treated us to another helping of Velvet Jones. The pimp character probably isn’t quite as well remembered as the others, but he was a perfect fit for Black Jeopardy. You can check that one out too below…
Here’s to hoping Eddie Murphy returns to the SNL stage sooner rather than later. He’s too good and too well-liked to not at least make the occasional appearance.
