Will hosting SNL save Lindsay Lohan's career?

While Maya Rudolph was lapping up laughs and critical praise for her well-received stint hosting Saturday Night Live over the weekend, NBC made the surprising announcement that Lindsay Lohan will be the sketch show's next host, presiding over the upcoming March 3 episode. It will be the actress' fourth time hosting the show, though her last go at it was more than six years ago. Since then, Lohan has been in and out of rehab, courts, and prison for her litany of personal troubles. Other recent attempts at recapturing the spotlight have all fizzled, as Lohan was removed from her role in the biopic of porn star Linda Lovelace and her nude Playboy spread was widely ridiculed. Could a return to the SNL stage help Lohan finally launch a comeback?

Absolutely: SNL is the "perfect place to launch a career comeback," says Kate Ward at Entertainment Weekly. The SNL cast and crew have been in Lohan's corner throughout her recent troubles, and showrunner Lorne Michaels is reportedly so fond of the Mean Girls star the he refused to mock her when she hit rock bottom. Lohan's attempts at a comeback with roles in Inferno and Ugly Betty, and by posing for the cover of Playboy, "have only led to more ridicule." Hosting SNL will allow her "to be in on the joke."

"Lindsay Lohan hosting Saturday Night Live March 3"

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And not a moment too soon: It's about time, says The Huffington Post. Booking SNL is a tell-tale sign that "things are looking up for the troubled actress." Lohan has reportedly been dutifully completing her community service and regularly attending therapy, suggesting that we really ought to take this comeback attempt seriously. And it comes just in the nick of time. "You can only watch someone crash and burn for so long."

"Lindsay Lohan to host Saturday Night Live with Jack White as musical guest"

This will probably fail, too: Enough already, says Instinct Magazine. Lohan is a talented actress, especially when she's showcasing her comedic chops on Saturday Night Live. But the star has already been given "chance after chance, only to screw it up everytime." Yes, "this is America, and everyone loves a comeback." But Lindsay is "on her seventh, at least," and there's no reason to think it will stick this time.

"Lindsay Lohan returns to SNL"