by Joel Keller

Even though rumors were running rampant thatEddie Murphy would make a surprise visit to“Saturday Night Live” to support his “Tower Heist” co-star, guest host Ben Stiller, the former “SNL” cast member didn’t show.

Neither did Tina Fey, who some hoped would reprise her Sarah Palin impression now that the former Alaska governor has dropped out of the race.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t surprises for the audience during what was the best episode of the young season. Hugh Jackman popped on stage in a sketch that made fun of his dual entertainment personality (more on this in a second), and smooth-jazz saxmeister Kenny G accompanied musical guest Foster The People on the song that can best be described as “The Song That’s Not ‘Pumped Up Kicks’.”

Highlights from last night include:

Cold Open: Mitt Romney – Chris Christie: Though it seems like old news now, the cold open still did a nice job encapsulating how dissatisfied the media is with Romney as a candidate and how in love they were with the blustery New Jersey governor. The only issue was that, while Jason Sudeikis played Romney to blow-dried perfection, Bobby Moynihan’s Christie felt more like a Tony Soprano impression than anything else. Not all chubby Jerseyans sound the same, Bobby.