Charlize Theron Hosts SNL: The actress plays a confused tourist, The Black Keys perform songs off Turn Blue (VIDEO).

On SNL Last Night: Charlize Theron Is a Confused Tourist, The Black Keys Rock the House

On SNL Last Night: Charlize Theron Is a Confused Tourist, The Black Keys Rock the House

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Slate's Culture Blog
May 11 2014 12:26 PM

On SNL Last Night: Charlize Theron Is a Confused Tourist, The Black Keys Rock the House

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Charlize Theron returned to Saturday Night Live after a 14-year hiatus last night.

Dana Edelson/NBC

Charlize Theron hosted SNL last night, fourteen years after she last helmed the show. The South African actress led a particularly strange and often weak episode, one in which the skits felt more predicated on kooky premises or off-kilter tone than any apparent punchlines.

That approach wasn't always the best use of Theron's talents, but one sketch worked well: "Tourists," which had her don a fat suit and play one of many confused foreigners wandering around New York City, peppering civilians with strange queries and nonsensical photo requests.

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The episode was also redeemed by musical guest The Black Keys, who turned in great performances of "Fever" and "Bullet in the Brain," both off their new, terrific album Turn Blue. The record will hit stores May 13.

Sharan Shetty is on the editorial staff of the New Yorker. You can follow him on Twitter