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Nick Jonas and Julia Louis-Dreyfus Get "Close" On 'Saturday Night Live'

Watch Jonas's performances of "Close" and "Champagne Problems"

Nick Jonas pulled double-duty last night on Saturday Night Live, performing “Close” (while joined by Tove Lo) and new single “Champagne Problems,” while appearing twice in sketches, once as a sexy landscaper and again as Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s sexy god-nephew. Jonas first appeared on SNL all the way back in 2009, when he appeared with the Jonas Brothers in an episode hosted by Alec Baldwin, where Alec appeared as the oldest Jonas Brother, Gary.

It was Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s third-time hosting SNL, and her first time promoting her hit HBO series Veep. She was joined by Veep co-star Tony Hale and by former Seinfeld creator Larry David (appearing again as Bernie Sanders), with Louis-Dreyfus appearing as Elaine Benes, asking a question at a Democratic presidential debate. Louis-Dreyfus also poked fun at her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in the 80s (on a cast with Eddie Murphy and Martin Short) and in films such as Troll and Soul Man.

It was an improvement over last week’s bumpy episode with Russell Crowe (of course, only a week after I made the case for the show being good again), but sadly, no Space Pants this week.

Here are some of the episode’s highlights:

Is God a boob man?

This send-up of films like Heaven Is For Real and God’s Not Dead (and of course, its sequel God’s Not Dead 2) features Vanessa Bayer as a cake-maker who fights for the right to discriminate against LGBT customers, and ultimately clarify that God is straight. It’s an incisive premise—likely why it was buried at 12:55—but does an admirable job parodying not only the genre of right-wing Christian films, but the wave of anti-LGBT legislation currently sweeping the country. Sketch of the night.

A more realistic pool boy.

For as much as “pool boys” are used as a trope in film and television as temptation for lonely housewives, this sketch imagines how a real-life 20-something maintenance employee might actually act: not very invested, and maybe sort of dumb.

Bernie Sanders gets a question from a very famous New Yorker.

The political cold opens this season have been hit-or-miss, but this one’s worth it, just to see Louis-Dreyfus play Elaine and needle Larry David-as-Bernie Sanders, who “breaks character” with some very Larry David-esque mannerisms and facial expressions. Also, the return of Vanessa Bayer’s impression of Rachel Green!

Cinema Classics with Reese De’What.

Louis-Dreyfus did the heavy lifting in this recurring sketch about insane classic movies, where she played an actress whose lines are written on objects all over the set. Very silly (and a little long at five minutes), but Louis-Dreyfus commits so hard to the premise, it’s hard not to like.

Paul Ryan, but not for President.

This sketch was cut for time (and would’ve made at least half the episode pre-taped), but this Paul Ryan presidential campaign ad masquerading as an announcement that Paul Ryan is not running for President (or is it vice versa?) pokes fun at Ryan’s possible future nomination to the presidency through a contested convention. Foreshadowing? Maybe!

SNL returns May 7th with Oscar-winner Brie Larson and musical guest Alicia Keys.

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