‘SNL’ Fans Trigger Backlash After Finn Wolfhard’s ‘Disgusting’ Joke
Saturday Night Live is used to stirring reactions, but a recent episode caused anger instead of laughs. The backlash followed a sketch and monologue featuring Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, who appeared on the show alongside his longtime castmates Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo.
The controversy began during Wolfhard’s opening monologue. While talking about growing up on Stranger Things, he joked about how much of his life happened on camera. He mentioned puberty, his voice changing, and his first kiss. Then the joke took a turn that many viewers found uncomfortable.
“My voice changed on camera, my first kiss was on camera and, I can’t actually believe that I’m admitting this but the first time that I learned what a woman looks like down there was on camera as well,” Wolfhard said.
The monologue then cut to an old clip from Stranger Things showing his character Mike watching a Demogorgon open its mouth. The joke compared the monster to female anatomy. Many viewers felt the comparison was crude and unnecessary, and criticism quickly spread online. Fans on social media accused both Wolfhard and the show of crossing a line.
Finn Wolfhard’s monologue! pic.twitter.com/aJMwIACmYG
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 18, 2026
The reaction only grew stronger once a later sketch aired. The segment, titled Mike in Manhattan, imagined the Stranger Things boys ten years into the future, living in New York City. The sketch was styled like Sex and the City, with Wolfhard parodying Carrie Bradshaw and narrating his dating life.
“And just like that, I was in a new Upside Down, New York, and it doesn’t take a hive mind to know that after you’ve dated an Eleven, even 10s fall short,” Wolfhard said during the sketch.
Things escalated when McLaughlin and Matarazzo joined him at a restaurant scene. McLaughlin, playing an older version of Lucas Sinclair, joked about his relationship with Max Mayfield, a character played by Sadie Sink. In the Netflix series, Max spends time in a coma after being attacked by the villain Vecna, a storyline that carried heavy emotional weight for fans.
“Well, Max and I started off hot and heavy, right?” McLaughlin’s character said. “Then, a couple of years in, she just lies there like she’s back in that coma.”
Many viewers were shocked by the line. Fans felt the joke made light of a traumatic storyline and suggested something deeply inappropriate. According to reactions posted on social media after the episode aired, many people called the writing “disgusting” and “weird.”
Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin star in an SNL skit about potential ‘STRANGER THINGS’ sequel shows
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 18, 2026
“Remember that mysterious 9th episode the Internet was convinced existed? It didn’t but it does now!” pic.twitter.com/htQoBNe8G9
One viewer wrote on X, “What kind of game was going on on SNL? These jokes were so flat and disgusting.” Another added, “They made a joke about Lucas having s** with unconscious Max on SNL. What has this show come to?”
The sketch also took aim at Will Byers, another central Stranger Things character. Will’s absence in the skit was explained by saying he was still stuck in a scene from the show’s emotional coming-out moment. That scene had been widely praised for its sensitivity and representation.
In the parody, SNL cast member Jeremy Culhane played Will as overly dramatic and slow to speak. “Guys, I’m gai-ning the courage to tell you the truth, and the truth is I’m gai-zing at all of your faces, and you should know that I like D…and D – Dungeons and Dragons, just like you guys,” the character said.
Fans were quick to criticize this part as well, saying it mocked an important moment for LGBTQ+ representation. Many felt the sketch showed a lack of care and understanding toward the original show and its characters.
The information about the jokes and sketches comes directly from the SNL episode itself, while the backlash comes from viewer reactions shared across social media platforms shortly after the show aired.
Stranger Things ended recently with its fifth and final season, closing a major chapter for Netflix. Since the show began in 2016, its young cast has grown into major stars. Wolfhard has stayed busy with acting, music, and directing. He recently co-wrote and directed the horror-comedy Hell of a Summer and appeared in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
McLaughlin has focused on film roles, earning praise for movies like Concrete Cowboy. Matarazzo has returned to Broadway and received strong reviews for his role in Sweeney Todd. Sadie Sink continues to build a serious acting career with projects like The Whale. Noah Schnapp has balanced acting with college and business ventures.
Because fans still care deeply about the show and its characters, the SNL reunion came with high expectations. Instead, many viewers walked away disappointed and upset, questioning whether comedy should go that far when dealing with stories that meant so much to people.
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