From beginning to end, Adam Sandler gave comedy fans a memorable performance as host of ‘Saturday Night Live.’

‘SNL’ great Adam Sandler hosted his former show for the first time this weekend. There were many, many ways — and by this, I mean characters — the writers and cast could have approached his long-awaited, triumphant return. Surprisingly, there weren’t too many throwbacks to characters from Adam Sandler’s glory days at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. But make no mistake, the return of Opera Man at Weekend Update, for instance, was funny in ways that only the Sandman could deliver.

From singing his opening monologue…

to singing as the iconic Opera Man…

and his emotional acoustic tribute to close the show…

Adam Sandler proved why he’s a still such a fan favorite after all of the years as he combines humor with heart in pointed yet good-natured punchlines.

And while NBC’s timing and rationale for Adam Sandler’s firing (along with Chris Farley and Chris Rock) still makes absolutely no sense, NBC’s timing and rationale for bringing Adam Sandler back to ‘SNL’ — sparked by the success of his Netflix stand-up special titled ‘Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh’ — were pitch-perfect.

Have a Better Week Than Last Week.