[Ed. Note: Jenny Nelson is a writer, student, and — most importantly — Videogum intern. She’ll be taking us through this season of Saturday Night Live.]

An important part of the television recap blog post, I’ve learned, is the image at the top. Or, um, it’s certainly a part of the post, so you can’t argue with that at least. Think about the job it’s doing! If the reader didn’t see the episode of TV, then they are judging a whole episode by a single picture! If they did see the episode, they’re remembering a whole episode by a single picture, which is still a big thing, respectively when compared to other things in the real world. Can you imagine this pressure? For SNL I’ve realized it’s best in the image to probably include this week’s host, because duh-doy, and then I like to include in the image either an SNL cast member or an object that looks like obviously part of the studio or set, just so everyone is sure what show this is that we’re going to recap. Anyways, my point is I’m choosing this image of John Goodman dressed as a lady! Good choice or bad one? Let me know!

John Goodman’s episode certainly got off to a start. The cold open was an Obama press conference with that fake sign language interpreter (Kenan) from Mandela’s funeral, and also Kate McKinnon as Angela Merkel thrown in for good measure. Poor real-life people who got involved in this situation that has gotten really blown out of proportion I think!

The monologue was about as meh as the cold open. John Goodman sang a Christmas song about booty with Kenan. Kenan was in this episode a lot, I wonder if him and John Goodman got along well! That would be nice. Oh, and John Goodman wore a very nice suit for this part of the show. But otherwise meh.

The “Guy Fieri Christmas Special” I think could have used more from John Goodman perhaps, but I liked it in the meantime. I think Bobby Moynihan played every person from the show Pawn Stars which is so funny on its own! Can a whole sketch be hinged on that one joke? I’m curious.

The next sketch was about John Goodman and crew being the snowflakes at a Christmas pageant for adults. Instant laughs, for me at least. I don’t know, I just really liked this sketch. Everything about it. I don’t even know what to say here that could add to it, so I guess just watch this clip!

Then, special holiday-time guests Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone stopped by for this “Three Wise Guys” sketch which I guess was very exciting. This part had some very old-timey laughs, in that they were all jokes about Jesus, like “What’s this kid’s name?” “Christ, I don’t know!” There were also better jokes then that. Not bad, but I’m still not going to see Grudge Match, haha!

For Weekend Update, Kenan came out again, this time as Santa (who is black) to talk about FOX News’s Megyn Kelly. That was good, and relevant, too! I’m going to include this clip of Drunk (and Drunker) Uncle(s) though because, like Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy did last week, they say a sweet goodbye to Seth Meyers who is leaving soon.

After that there was a sketch called “Too Hot” featuring John Goodman in drag, Cecily Strong as his lawyer, Taran Killam as the other lawyer who doesn’t think John Goodman is a very pretty lady, and Beck Bennett as a business guy who does think John Goodman is a pretty lady. They dance. I respect John Goodman as an actor, and also I think he made a good lady. It’s possible to do both at the same time, y’know!

Shallon, Nasim Pedrad’s little girl who couldn’t wait to jump in unmarked vans full of candy in the Ed Norton episode, returned this episode, this time to argue with fire fighter John Goodman about if it’s okay to jump into the fireplace to save Santa from danger. I think this sketch hit its stride when the kids start accusing poor John Goodman he’s not doing his job right if he’s just going to let a girl burn on Christmas.

The final noteworthy sketch of the night was a song, led by Jay Pharoah but much more welcome than the “What the Fox Say” parody he did. It was about H&M and how John Goodman doesn’t fit in, figuratively OR literally, because he can’t fit into their tiny pants. Get it? Also, umm, I loved this sketch?

There were other sketches that I didn’t like as much and Kings of Leon played music and wore a cute pink cardigan. (One member wore a cute pink cardigan I mean.)