The Queue

Poehler, a “Saturday Night Live” all-time great, returned to host Oct. 11. Here’s a look back at her best sketches.

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Calling Amy Poehler underrated feels like an insult. 

In 2009, the year after she left “Saturday Night Live” and began starring in “Parks & Recreation,” she was given a best-of episode. In 2015, Rolling Stone’s comprehensive ranking of every “SNL” cast member placed her eighth all-time. And though she has moved more into producing roles in recent years, she and Tina Fey are still at the top of any awards show producer’s list of potential hosts.

Nevertheless, the Burlington native sometimes gets overlooked when considering the long and storied history of “SNL.”

Poehler was hired as a featured player in 2000, putting her squarely between two eras. She caught the tail end of the late-90s cast (which included Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, and Cheri Oteri) and was a firmly established veteran when the legendary freshman class of 2005 (Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis) arrived. 

And unlike dominating performers like Ferrell or Kate McKinnon, Poehler’s collaborative nature meant that she often ceded the spotlight, whether alongside Tina Fey as Sarah Palin or with Seth Meyers at the Weekend Update desk.

In honor of Poehler hosting “Saturday Night Live” on October 11, here are three sketches to remind you why Amy Poehler is one of the greats. (You can also watch her entire best-of episode streaming on Peacock.)

3 classic Amy Poehler “SNL” moments

Bronx Beat with Jake Gyllenhaal

While Poehler arrived at “SNL” between two major cast transitions, she also anchored a powerful group of “SNL” women that took center stage in the early aughts, including Maya Rudolph, her co-host on “Bronx Beat.” You could pick almost any of the many iterations of this sketch, but the one with Jake Gyllenhaal is a particular highlight.

Christopher Walken family reunion

“There is exactly one thing in the entire range of acting Amy Poehler does not do well: impressions. So we make her do them constantly.” That quote from “Parks & Rec” creator Mike Schur may be technically true, but even a bad impression can be funny when fully committed, as was the case with Poehler in this ensemble sketch. (You can also watch a compilation of her bad “Parks & Rec” impressions here.)

Weekend Update: Sarah Palin Rap

The more obvious pick would be Poehler playing Hillary Clinton alongside Fey’s Sarah Palin, but this Weekend Update segment (alongside the real-life Palin) showcases Poehler’s fearlessness, as she performs a deeply silly rap while nine months pregnant.

Play or Skip

Have a show you can’t stop watching? Email me about it at [email protected], and your recommendation may appear in a future edition of The Queue.

Press play on these movies and shows:

“How to Train Your Dragon” (2025): I generally find Disney’s torrent of live-action remakes to be a deeply cynical cash grab. But DreamWorks fares better than its animation rival at the remake game with this slightly reimagined (but still quite similar) reprisal of its 2010 animated hit. (Peacock)

“Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars” (2025): With Boston now joining the cities whose restaurants are eligible for prestigious Michelin stars, this eight-episode Apple TV+ docuseries chronicling top chefs as they fight for their place among culinary royalty is especially timely. (Apple TV+)

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” (2025): This charming comedy-drama from across the pond stars Tim Key (“The Paper”) as an eccentric two-time lottery winner (imagine the odds!) who uses his windfall to reunite his favorite folk duo (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) years after a personal and professional breakup. (Prime Video)

But go ahead and skip this one:

“The Woman in Cabin 10” (2025): In the mystery genre, there’s a fine line between keeping your audience guessing and insulting their intelligence. “The Woman in Cabin 10,” starring Keira Knightley as a journalist aboard a luxury cruise ship, does the latter, going way overboard with a deluge of red herrings and foolish plot contrivances. (Netflix)

End Credits

That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.

Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!

— Kevin

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