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Wes Anderson horror, Tina Fey on 'Girls' among best of 'SNL' this season

A few favorite cast members moved on and some new faces stepped in, but "Saturday Night Live" barely missed a beat in delivering more memorable moments in its 39th year. The best live sketches and pre-taped video bits gave us something to laugh about long past Saturday night. Here are a few of our favorite viral clips from the late-night comedy this season.'The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intrud
Image: "Saturday Night Live"
NBC

A few favorite cast members moved on and some new faces stepped in, but "Saturday Night Live" barely missed a beat in delivering more memorable moments in its 39th year. 

The best live sketches and pre-taped video bits gave us something to laugh about long past Saturday night. Here are a few of our favorite viral clips from the late-night comedy this season.

'The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders'

You could be fooled into thinking “The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders” is a real film. The “SNL”-made fake movie trailer has that creepy home-invasion horror movie feel, and then it takes a sharp right turn and smashes right into quirky hilarious Wes Anderson parody. All the director’s trademarks are here: his muted color palette, his quirky props (one killer is hauling a gramophone, another petting a falcon), his dramatic classical music and more. The murderers fly their intentions in to the victims on a note made into a paper airplane — written on personalized stationery, because Wes Anderson. The family’s kids are dressed like forest animals and, when they collect their weapons, include a ship in a bottle and a picture of Edith Piaf. Alec Baldwin’s rolling purr is perfect for the trailer’s narration, and episode host Ed Norton, himself an Anderson standby, shines as frequent Anderson collaborator Owen Wilson. There’s also a murderous stop-motion mouse. Anderson fans would line up to see this movie if it were real. Give him time; maybe it will be. — Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

'Girls'

HBO's dramedy "Girls" gets plenty of laughs on its own, but "SNL" ups the fun factor with a sendup of the show for the season premiere. At first the skit simply seems like a spot-on parody set to follow the foibles of a quartet of self-focused 20-somethings — that is, until a fifth Girl hits the scene. In addition to Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna and Jessa, there is Blerta (played by former "SNL" writer and cast member Tina Fey), an Albanian immigrant with a not-so-Millennial attitude about life. Sure, Blerta bonds with Hannah over their shared struggle with OCD (though in Blerta's case that meant Old Cow Disease), but really, she is more worried about her next meal than her next man. ("Please, may I eat donut from your head?") — Ree Hines

'What Does My Girl Say?'

We'd barely figured out what the fox says when along comes this perfectly timed spoof on the Norwegian smash hit. Cast member Jay Pharaoh is the boyfriend caught texting with another woman. He's left to figure out what his angry girlfriend, played by host Kerry Washington, is getting at when she tears into him. Turns out it's, "Yanh yanh yanh yanh yanh yanh" and "Who that who that who that b----?" Pharoah appears to have the upper hand on his phone-snooping lady, but Washington goes to the cloud where she finds her man's photos of other women. "What does my guy say?" she counters. "You mean you mean you mean her? ... Please don't please don't please don't go" he pleads. It's all so much easier to understand than "Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding." — Kurt Schlosser

'Family Feud' celebrity edition

"Oh my gosh ... oh my gosh ... so great, so great." That's Justin Timberlake's impression of Jimmy Fallon, and it also sums up the comedy "SNL" delivers by pairing the two for the Christmas episode. The duo — who’ve worked together brilliantly on other non-“SNL” endeavors — give viewers plenty to laugh about throughout the show. But in the "Family Feud" sketch, they crack us and each other up. Fallon, who has made a name for himself with spot-on impersonations of other celebrities, seems to genuinely be caught off guard by Timberlake's portrayal of the "Tonight Show" host. Trying to pull off his own impression of "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons, Fallon is doubled over in laughter at one point. This only serves to solidify his other reputation — as someone who always loses it during his "SNL" bits. — Anna Chan

'Office Boss Baby'

“SNL” is no stranger to juvenile humor, but this skit takes a more literal tack. Featured player Beck Bennett is Mr. Patterson, a corporate executive with a brilliant mind for business ... and the underdeveloped body of a baby. The premise is flimsy (and not exactly original) and the script sparse. The real magic is in Bennett’s herky-jerky toddler movements. Playing against guest host Louis C.K., as an underling named Philip, Mr. Patterson stumble-stomps around the office on clenched bare feet, stiffly flails his arms, and regurgitates what appears to be pureed squash on his necktie. He expresses open-mouthed fascination at the birthday gift Philip brings him (an empty box), and when another coworker presents a cake, Mr. Patterson makes a big mess. Bennett’s portrayal is so realistic it’s troubling, earning a rightful spot in the hall of fame/uncanny valley of baby impressions. — Erin Quinlan

The season finale of "Saturday Night Live" airs Saturday at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. Andy Samberg is the host.