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Julia Louis-Dreyfus Powers Up SNL

Simply put, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a comedy powerhouse. In the '80s, she was a cast member on SNL. In the '90s, she starred on Seinfeld, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. Then, she headlined a sitcom of her own, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Now, she’s the commander in chief on HBO’s killer comedy, Veep. She even rocks it in those Old Navy commercials. There is no funny that she can’t do. When a pro like Louis-Dreyfus shows up in the SNL writer’s room for her week as host, you can bet everyone brings their best stuff to the table. So, what made the cut and actually aired? Did Nick Jonas stay in his lane or did we get a little extra Jonas for our money? (Hint: no and yes.) Here are three things from this week’s SNL worth talking about: 1. Mercedes AA Class: Ever wonder what a battery-driven car would be like if the batteries were run-of–the-mill AAs? This video short, in the classic tradition of SNL ad parodies, answers that question. The short is a full-on Mercedes ad, with the dramatic lighting, music, and script delivered by a high-powered celebrity. Louis-Dreyfus takes you through the features, including the car's touchscreen, its lifetime drivetrain warranty, and top speed of 52 miles per hour. The Mercedes AA-Class is powered by 9,648 batteries that can be changed all at once just by using the handy “ribbon release auto-dump” feature. The kicker for the luxury car that runs on Duracells? “Batteries not included.”

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2. Huge Jewelry: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Kate McKinnon break out their best Long Island accents for this send-up of a local jewelry store ad. As the name of the store suggests, Huge Jewelry is all about huge jewelry. Like Louis-Dreyfus says, “Why wear jewelry if you can’t see it from space?” Most of the female cast gets involved working as models for Louis-Dreyfus and McKinnon. Aidy Bryant’s earrings are so big they require shoulder supports. Sasheer Zamata wears a necklace with a pearl the size of a kickball that McKinnon explains is “filled with dirt.” Making his first appearance of the night was Nick Jonas, modeling an enormous gold plaque necklace with his character’s name: Antony Marco Prince Mortadella.
3. Who Works Here?: CVS takes it on the chin in this game show hosted by Louis-Dreyfus. Contestants have to guess if the random people walking around the CVS work there. Taran Killam has a knack for picking the workers out from the customers, proudly announcing, “I know my way around a CVS.” The lightning round is where the lights go on and off, and weird people come out of the back of the store. Kenan Thompson is a security guard from Rite-Aid, who comes in to use the bathroom. Pete Davidson is a guy who just came in and started handing out drugs. Kate McKinnon is a ghost of an assistant manager from 90 years ago. When Vanessa Bayer complains that someone else was the assistant manager, Louis-Dreyfus explains, “Everyone at CVS is at least an assistant manager.”
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Special Shoutout: The opening political sketch was a special moment. Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes grilling Larry David’s Bernie Sanders was the mini Seinfeld we didn’t realize we needed.
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