Coming out of the woodworks.

I'm happy for Lorne Michaels and the gang at Saturday Night Live. I really am. I fell in love with the show when I was in junior high, about the time when Will Ferrell was beginning to find his way in the topsy-turvy world of sketch comedy. The world that SNL created for 90 minutes on Saturday nights made a strong impression on my young brain. And yes, I consider it a world unto its own because it definitely was an escape I looked forward to during the week. In a lot of ways it established the guidelines for the type of humor I enjoy. Going through my "Best of [Insert Cast Member's Name Here]" DVDs usually welcomes a certain sadness because I've yet to come across another character with the brilliant absurdity of a Suel Forrester (played by Chris Kattan) or the inimitable comic sensibilities of Will Ferrell impersonating Robert Goulet.

I'm glad I persevered through the meager talent of both writers and performers over the past few years because it's so thrilling to see the show reinvigorated once again.

Lately, the show's been killing in the ratings due to the wild popularity of Tina Fey's interpretation of media-pariah Sarah Palin. The show has also garnered some less-publicized cameos from former cast members Chris Parnell and Bill Murray, as well as spots from Hollywood royalty like William Shatner, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg.

But Will Ferrell's reprisal of George W. Bush on Thursday night affirmed what was already openly known: Saturday Night Live is back.

View the video here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/40684/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-thursday-1023

Allow me to qualify that statement: SNL isn't back because Will Ferrell made a cameo. SNL is back because Will Ferrell, whose recent films have been terrible, capitalized on the resurgence of SNL. Now, I'm not hating on Will. As you can tell from what I already wrote, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for his comedic genius. But let's take a step back and think about his last few films. Talladega Nights and Semi-Pro are films which merit a comparison to light beer: they leave a bad taste in your mouth and when you wake up the next morning, you find yourself wishing that you had done something else the night before.

So, my long-winded point is that Mr. Ferrell probably noted the fact that everyone was buzzing about SNL's consistently funny sketches this election season, figured (correctly) that he needed to score a few points with the hockey moms and the Joe Six-Packs, and lined up his spot on their Thursday night special. And I'm also saying that it's okay with me, because it's wonderfully, wonderfully funny.

The gang at SNL probably won't have the Palin punching bag after November 4, but hopefully this resurgence will carry over into the new presidency.