Tracy Morgan made a grand return to comedy Saturday night hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live with the help of some members of the 30 Rock cast.
"I'm back! It feels so good to be back!" Morgan told the audience at the start of his opening monologue.
The episode marked Morgan's return to acting after recovering from a traumatic car crash that left him in a coma for two weeks. He suffered a serious brain injury and broken bones. Comedian James McNair, a passenger in Morgan’s limo bus, was killed in the crash.
Morgan said he called Saturday Night Live Lorne Michaels, whom the comedian described as his "Obi-Wan Kenobi," months ago to say he wanted to "come home" when he was feeling better.
"And here I am!" he said triumphantly.
Morgan, who received a standing ovation during the 2015 Emmy Awards, then threw to a "very special episode of 30 Rock" in which his character almost died.
Morgan's former castmates on the show — Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer — all then appeared on stage in a sketch ripped straight from the 30 Rock universe.
"We’re so happy you're OK," Tina Fey, as Liz Lemon, told Morgan. "We’re even happier you're ready to make people laugh again."
Morgan seemed geared up to do just that: make people laugh again, even appearing as Brian Fellows, one of his classic SNL characters, in a short sketch with a beaver and camel handler.
Welcome back, Tracy.