Entertainment

Kristen Wiig returns home to ‘SNL’

Kristen Wiig (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

A year later, and Kristen Wiig came home again.

The “Saturday Night Live” alum returned to host this weekend’s episode, reintroducing her famous characters and bringing a nostalgic touch to the show.

Wiig joined the cast in 2005 and left at the close of the 2011-2012 season. Her final episode was an emotional one, featuring a graduation sendoff set to the Rolling Stone’s “She’s a Rainbow.”

The graduate returned to Rockefeller Center campus this weekend to party with the undergrads.

“It’s so amazing to be back home,” Wiig said during her monologue. “Even though I left the show only 11 months and 30 days ago, it really feels like it’s been a year.”

The monologue continued with an SNL-themed version of the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited.” Wiig walked backstage, misidentifying her friends before hopelessly pushing against a bolted door.

“It’s the fire door. It’s always locked,” cast member Jason Sudeikis said.

“Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I knew that,” Wiig responded. “I used to work here.”

The tour continued to a janitor’s closet – “my old dressing room,” she said – to show fellow SNL alum Maya Rudolph (quite pregnant, by the way) smooching with actor Jonah Hill.

“We’re trying to make a baby,” Hill said.

“But you’re already pregnant,” Wiig quipped.

“It worked!” Rudolph responded, high-fiving Hill.

The song and tour continued. Kenan Thompson got a Taser to the ribs. Fred Armisen asked for money. Eventually Wiig passed SNL creator Lorne Michaels in the hallway.

“I feel like I don’t know where anything is anymore, and someone told me if I screw up the monologue that I could never host again,” Wiig said.

“Nonsense. You’re doing great,” he said.

As Wiig scatted away in red heels, the video cut back to Michaels, now confronting Wiig’s trouble-making character Gilly.

“Did you tell Kristen that?” Michaels asked.

“What?”

“Gilly …”

“Uh huh.”

Gilly …”

“Sorry boss.”

A cavalcade of Wiig’s memorable skits and characters followed. A giggle-fueled Californians. The ugly duckling on “The Lawrence Welk Show.” The Target lady. Garth and Kat.

Other Wiig appearances were mixed in. A cougar at lunch. A 1-800-FLOWERS commercial. A ghost mom. An acupuncturist (in one of the grossest SNL skits in recent memory).

Wiig was everywhere on this weekend’s episode, a criticism that also carried throughout her SNL tenure. Imbalance was one of the drawbacks to Wiig’s star, with her fellow cast members losing proper opportunities to shine.

Wiig was simply that special. And here she was once more, laughing into her palms, finally home after 11 months and 30 days away.