Roughly a year after a tragic car accident placed him in a coma, Tracy Morgan returned to “Saturday Night Live” to thunderous applause and a “30 Rock” reunion.
The October 17 segment featured the comedian who was once a “SNL” cast member in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Morgan returned to NBC’s Studio 8H to host the third episode of the season. He suffered broken ribs, a broken nose, and a broken leg when a Walmart truck hit his limo bus in June 2014, killing one and injuring several others.
“People were wondering, ‘Can he speak? Does he have 100% mental capacity?’ But the truth is I never did,” Morgan said during his opening monologue. “I might actually be a few points higher now,” he joked.
But, the night wasn’t all laughs. Morgan took a moment to thank his “comedy family” including “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels who he called his “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” before he was joined on stage for an epic reunion with his former “30 Rock” co-stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer. As anticipated, the crew broke into a sketch paying homage to a memorable scene from a 2012 episode of the former award-winning comedy.
“I just want to say one last thing, Tracy, from the heart and this part is no joke. We’re so happy that you’re okay and we’re happier that you’re ready to make people laugh again,” Fey said. And we couldn’t agree more.
For Morgan, the show celebrated all the absurd characters we’ve come to love, while also announcing to fans that he’s ready to return to the comedy career that was suspended due to the accident. Morgan said in his opening, “The accident was awful, but it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world.”
“I’m so lucky I have my comedy family,” he said. “When this happened, I knew they would all be there to support me.” Support that was shown at the close of the show, when he was joined on stage by the entire cast as well as his wife, Megan, and their 2-year-old daughter, Maven. “I love y’all, thanks for being here with me,” he said. “We out.”
Welcome back Mr. Morgan. We can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve.
