Aubrey Plaza hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, and she did not celebrate this career milestone alone. Amy Poehler made two cameo appearances in the episode alongside Plaza, giving Parks and Recreation fans a surprise treat. Social media melted down over this wholesome reunion.
Plaza is on a hot streak right now between her roles in The White Lotus, Emily The Criminal and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which won’t hit theaters in the U.S. until March. Her opening monologue focused more on looking back, however, as the actress got her humble start as an NBC page at Studio 8H. For old times’ sake, she took the audience on a mock “tour” of the studio, which is where she ran into Poehler the first time.
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“So, on every tour people would ask the same question: ‘Are we going to see a celebrity?’” Plaza said mockingly as she walked down the hall. “No, you’re going to see an old security guy eating a sandwich or a writer crying because their sketch got cut. Famous people don’t just walk—” there, Plaza was cut off when Poehler came into frame beside her.
The two shared a hug and a few jokes here, but for Parks and Rec fans their reunion later in the episode was even more exciting. During the “Weekend Update” sketch, Plaza rolled out on stage in character as April Ludgate. When she failed to answer Colin Jost’s questions with any enthusiasm, she called for her “old boss, Leslie Knope” to help her out. Poehler then sat at the news desk for the first time in eight years.
These reunions were funny and lighthearted, yet they made some viewers sentimental at the same time. Here’s a look at how fans freaked out over the surprise cameos.
Live
Fans can watch hours and hours of April and Leslie on Parks and Rec, but seeing them play the characters live was different. Many were pleased to see Plaza nearly break character and laugh at her long-time collaborator.
Life Imitates Art
Many fans joked that it was hard to tell when Poehler and Plaza were in character and when they were not. Some have a hard time separating the art from the artists when it comes to these characters.
In-Universe
The official Parks and Recreation Twitter account tweeted about this clip in character, and many fans played along with the roleplay.
Over the Years
Die-hard fans pointed out the parallels to other occasions when Poehler and Plaza displayed their friendship in real life. Many remarked on how much this relationship inspired them when they were younger.
‘Parks and Rec’ Memes
Parks and Rec has generated a lot of memes even by modern sitcom standards, and they were utilized to full effect on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
End Credits
While fans went wild over the two sketch appearances, some pointed out the more subtle moment between Poehler and Plaza at the end of the episode.
What’s Next?
Finally, after seeing them back on stage together many fans felt like they needed to see Poehler, Plaza and their other collaborators work together more. They wondered when they’d get a chance to watch these icons in action again.
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