Ep 15. Ben Affleck/N.E.R.D.

Ben Affleck hosted the 15th episode of the 29th season of Saturday Night Live, which aired on February 14, 2004, just a day before Valentine's Day. The musical guest for the evening was the American alternative rock and hip-hop band N.E.R.D, which consists of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley.

The episode opened with a skit called "A Message from George W. Bush" in which Will Forte played the then-President of the United States, who addressed the nation about the looming threat of Valentine's Day and warned citizens of the dangers of "not getting it right". He also joked about the controversy surrounding the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Super Bowl halftime show.

Ben Affleck's monologue was a humorous one, in which he talked about the recent controversy surrounding his relationship with Jennifer Lopez and how it affected his public image. He also made fun of his own acting skills and referenced his upcoming film "Jersey Girl" in which he starred opposite Jennifer Lopez.

One of the highlights of the episode was the recurring sketch "The Prince Show", in which Fred Armisen played Prince and Maya Rudolph played his Beyoncé-inspired sidekick, Beyoncé Knowles. In this episode, the special guest was actor Ben Affleck, who played himself and had an awkward encounter with Prince.

Another memorable sketch was "Zings vs. Burns", a parody of the TV show "Crossfire", in which comedians Horatio Sanz and Jimmy Fallon played hosts of a political talk show. The sketch featured Ben Affleck as a celebrity guest who was asked to weigh in on a serious topic but instead opted to make fun of the hosts' hairstyles.

The musical performances by N.E.R.D were energetic and well-received by the audience. The band performed their hit songs "She Wants to Move" and "Maybe" from their album "Fly or Die". In addition to performing, Pharrell Williams also appeared in a recurring sketch called "The Falconer".

In "The Falconer", Will Forte played a man who reclaims his life as a falconer after his wife leaves him. In this episode, his falconry skills alarm the neighbor, played by guest-star Ben Affleck. When Ben goes to confront the situation, he ends up getting injured and receiving a falconer's glove.

Overall, the 15th episode of the 29th season of Saturday Night Live featuring Ben Affleck as the host and N.E.R.D as the musical guest was an enjoyable watch. The episode had several entertaining sketches and showcased the comedic talents of the ensemble cast as well as the guest stars.