Ryan Gosling still unhinged in sequel to cult SNL bit

Last Updated on April 25, 2024

We may not know if there will be a Barbie 2, but Ryan Gosling is all in for a sequel to “Papyrus.” What’s “Papyrus” you ask? Only one of the greatest runaway skits on Saturday Night Live of the past decade. For those unfamiliar, the instant fan favorite saw an increasingly obsessed Gosling going absolutely insane over Avatar using the Papyrus font for its title card. And now, in his third SNL hosting gig, Gosling has revisited it, bringing us the gift of “Papyrus 2”…and now we totally need a feature length adaptation.

“Papyrus 2” catches up with Gosling’s character, Steve, years after the events of the first one as he still tries to cope with the fact that Avatar used such a by-the-books font, only to be consumed yet again by it. But when he sees that The Way of Water has updated the font, he sees hope in the world – until he discovers that it’s still Papyrus just in bold, thus retriggering his obsession. Spiraling, Gosling again seeks out the designer, leading to moments and revelations that we won’t spoil here; just know that, like the original, this sequel is absolutely worth a watch.

Although he has only hosted SNL a handful of times (he’ll most likely become a member of the Five Timers Club, joining La La Land co-star Emma Stone), his commitment to bits like “Papyrus” and its sequel show just how seriously he takes the job, evoking comedy and drama at a depth that seems far too intricate for SNL; at the same time, we have seen just how much Gosling gives in every performance, whether on the big screen or the Oscars stage or shorts, and would expect nothing less.

The rest of Gosling’s night at SNL was pretty solid as well, with little nods to Ken (which his The Fall Guy co-star Emily Blunt turned up to tell him to move on from) and a hilarious rendition of Beavis to Mikey Day’s Butthead.
How do you like Ryan Gosling as an SNL host? What has been your favorite sketch he has started in? Drop your pick in the comments section below.