Expectations were high for Justin Timberlake’s fifth time hosting Saturday Night Live, and this weekend’s show almost delivered.

A few duds dragged down the show’s momentum, including an awkwardly unfunny faux rom-com trailer and the “Sober Caligula” sketch, which for some reason handed one of SNL’s most charismatic regulars the role of an ancient buzzkill.

But ultimately, it’s hard to hold down a host with so much talent and natural charm, and Timberlake scored hits with yet another reprise of his crowd-pleasing “Omeletville” bit and the “It’s a Date” skit that united Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s “Dick in a Box” duo with the classic Festrunk Brothers (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd).

Between the return of “two wild and crazy guys” and an SNL alumni-filled monologue inducting Timberlake into the five-time host club, the episode felt like a celebration of the SNL tradition just as much as a comeback for Timberlake.