Welcome back to Studio 8H.
Donald Trump’s least favorite television show is back for season 43, with the ever-delightful and perpetually handsome Ryan Gosling making his return to the stage. The Blade Runner 2049 star first hosted Saturday Night Live back in December 2015, and at the time, he proved himself capable and charming … albeit prone to breaking. Here, he delivers more of the same.
In all, the first episode of the new season had its highlights, but it didn’t quite feel as exciting and spectacular as SNL season premieres past. There was a starry guest, a few celebrity cameos, and some decent political jokes, but really, it felt like a kind of boring start to the new season.
Gosling kicked things off by reminding us all that he was in La La Land and that he, singlehandedly, is responsible for “saving jazz.” It’s a premise that might have felt a little fresher had it not aired seven months after the Oscars, but Gosling was, as always, delightful, swapping Harrison Ford stories and puffing on a cigarette while “playing” the piano. Add in a cameo by his costar Emma Stone and Gosling’s pronunciations of “Nerlins,” “Chicagee,” and “NYC City,” and you’ve got a solid monologue.
