Nine Direction?

Paul Rudd and One Direction on Saturday Night Live? Sounds like a great Saturday to me.

A cold-open based upon the Sound of Music special that aired on Thursday that featured departed cast members Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen began the show. It was going to be a good hour and a half. The opening monologue had Paul Rudd happily remarking how he was finally the star of the show without having a musical superstar overshadow him. One Direction then walked on stage. Oops, sorry Paul. But the English boy band would have to contend with Rudd's own 'Man Band'  consisting of Anchorman co-stars Will Ferrell, David Koechner and Steve Carell. The men proclaimed themselves 'Nine Direction'. Hilarity Ensued. It was a fun episode following a few duds. Some standout sketches include Rudd as a middle-aged directioner in a sea of tween girls; a slimmed down Santa sharing his new life with his horrified elves; and a bittersweet Weekend Update with special guests Jacob the Bar Mitzvah boy and 1860's newspaper critic Jebidiah Atkinson. Bittersweet because Seth Meyers days as cohost of the SNL staple are numbered as he will soon move to another late night show, replacing Jimmy Fallon (who happens to be hosting SNL on Dec 21) on Late Night.

 Then of course there were the boys. Singing hits off their swoon-worthy new album Midnight Memories. They had me smiling, that's for sure. Okay, maybe I cried a little too, but that's besides the point. 

Overall, it was an episode better than most in what has been an inconsistent season of the NBC classic.  

-Rachel Ruecker