Just over a year ago, SNL and 30 Rock alum Tracy Morgan was in a car wreck that left him critically injured and unable to speak or walk. With scant information on his recovery, fans feared the raucous funnyman would never make people laugh again.
Last, night, Morgan proved those fears were misplaced.
In his first major television appearance since the crash, Morgan hosted the third episode of the 41st season of SNL. It was good to see him back on his home turf.
Stepping onto the stage of NBC’s Studio 8H, Morgan was quick to clear the air: “People are wondering, ‘Can he speak? Does he have 100-percent mental capacity?’ But the truth is I never did.”
Joke aside, Morgan struck a somber chord in the opening monologue when he thanked fans and comedy kin for their abiding support: “You may have seen on the news I was in a terrible car accident a year ago. It was awful. But it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world.”
The rest of the show, however, was hilarious. In a pitch-perfect blend of SNL nostalgia and levity, Morgan brought back some old characters and even tried his hand with some new ones. His 30 Rock co-stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer and fellow SNL alum Larry David also stopped by to provide a few laughs.
Here, the five best moments from Tracy Morgan’s triumphant return to SNL:
1. Monologue & 30 Rock Sketch
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2. The return of Brian Fellow, the zealous zoologist who doesn’t actually know anything about animals
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3. The return of Woodrow, the homeless man who sang “take a doo-doo pie” to Britney Spears back in 1999
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4. The return of fan-favorite Astronaut Jones featuring Demi Lovato as a sexy Martian
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5. Extended Family Feud
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Photos by NBC Universal via Getty Images