Saturday Night Live: The five best hosts of season 45…so far

4. Scarlett Johansson

When Scarlett Johansson hosted on Dec. 14, it was one of only two episodes this season that did not feature a celebrity cameo. This may have been because Saturday Night Live knew what it had in Johansson as a host.

Johansson was also given one of the holiday episodes which are routinely among the season’s best at SNL. The above sketch, “Singing Elves,” “Children’s Clothing Ad,” and “Hallmark Dating Show” all helped SNL fans get in the holiday spirit while also showcasing why Johansson is one of the best hosts in recent history.

Casual viewers may have also tuned in to see how the show addressed Johansson’s engagement to co-head writer and “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost. Passing references to their relationship have been made in the past but Johansson’s turn as host let the show speak about it directly. Johansson and Jost shared a tender moment on stage at the end of her monologue. For some it may have been all that needed to be said while others may have been looking for something a bit more.

But Johansson delivered where it mattered and that was in the sketches. Perhaps it was her familiarity with the cast or it was the Christmas spirit,  but things looked to be a bit more relaxed than previous shows. Johansson ensured that she will be back to host Saturday Night Live again and again and made her contributions to what will be some of SNL”s best holiday sketches of all time.