‘SNL’ host Finn Wolfhard has a ‘Stranger Things’ reunion and spoofs ‘Heated Rivalry’

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Now that the latest season of Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things” has finished, one of its stars, Finn Wolfhard, took on a new challenge: hosting “Saturday Night Live.” This is a common step for young actors as they transition into more adult roles.

While the show wasn’t a laugh-riot, and Finn Wolfhard seemed a bit hesitant in some scenes, it’s significant because it likely marks the beginning of many new projects for the “Stranger Things” cast. A pre-recorded sketch hinted at all the potential sequels, spin-offs, and other content Netflix might create with them.

In his first proper appearance on “Saturday Night Live” (excluding a brief cameo in a “Saturday Night” film), Finn Wolfhard played several roles. He joined the young cast of “Snack Homiez” (along with Sabrina Carpenter), portrayed a rebellious indie rocker whose father is a pop star (played by James Austin Johnson), acted as a comical, overindulgent space emperor, and played the boyfriend of a very outgoing woman (Veronika Slowikowska) whose personality didn’t win over his friends.

He’s probably most famous for a hilarious parody of the “Heated Rivalry” sketch, reimagined within the world of “Harry Potter.” We’ll discuss what made that particular bit so funny shortly.

A$AP Rocky performed two songs on the show: “Punk Rocky” with Danny Elfman playing drums, and “Don’t Be Dumb/Trip Baby.” The show also included a tribute to Bob Weir, the guitarist from the Grateful Dead, who recently passed away.

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James Austin Johnson’s Trump impression is still impressive, but the first sketch of the year felt like a rehash of old jokes. The sketch featured Marcello Hernández as a mostly silent Marco Rubio, who Trump insults for speaking Spanish. Tina Fey returned as Kristi Noem, delivering some funny lines, though the bit was very similar to one she did previously with Amy Poehler. Colin Jost played Pete Hegseth as an aggressive character, as he often does. The only new addition was Jeremy Culhane as J.D. Vance, who made a memorable entrance with a playful quote. Trump ended the sketch by jokingly canceling the midterms, hinting that we can expect many more sketches featuring his impression leading up to the November election.

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During his speech, Finn Wolfhard was joined by his “Stranger Things” co-stars, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin. He started with some funny video clips showing how he’s grown up on the show, even through puberty. Wolfhard playfully tried to prove he’s a mature 23-year-old, but jokingly highlighted he still doesn’t have much facial hair and doesn’t enjoy alcohol – he even playfully spat some out after congratulating a friend on his new comedy special. The three actors reaffirmed their close friendship before Wolfhard jokingly announced they’re “child stars now ready for adult roles!”

Best sketch of the night: ‘Heated Wizardry’ is the sexy reboot we didn’t know we needed

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The most memorable “Saturday Night Live” sketches aren’t always the funniest; sometimes they’re perfectly timed and feature the ideal host to capture the current cultural mood. This recent “Harry Potter” parody is a great example, cleverly coinciding with everyone’s fascination with HBO Max’s “Heated Rivalry.” The sketch reimagines Harry (Wolfhard) and Ron Weasley (Ben Marshall) as romantic Quidditch teammates, but with a twist: everyone is over 18 and Hogwarts is now a college. Expect a bit of pixelated nudity, a surprisingly approving Professor Snape (Johnson), and Jason Momoa as a hilarious Hagrid who delivers a memorable line about someone being a “long bottom.” It’s full of wonderfully awful puns.

Also good: Do you not find these snacks pleasing, emperor?

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Some people are saying the “Snack Homiez” sketch is one of the best “SNL” has done recently, but I disagree. I actually found the sketch about a cheerful “Snack Man” meeting an evil space emperor on “Dark Orbit” much funnier. Mikey Day always tries to make his castmates or the host laugh until they break character, and this time, his antics with Finn Wolfhard really worked – several people couldn’t stop themselves from laughing.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Tamara owes you no explanation for the button collecting

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This week on “SNL’s” Weekend Update, Kam Patterson impersonated football star Michael Irvin in a brief sketch about his love for the University of Miami. However, Jane Wickline, a cast member who often gets mixed reactions from viewers, stole the show as Tamara, the enigmatic figure behind the popular TikTok meme of someone collecting 365 buttons. Just like in the original TikToks, Wickline’s Tamara stubbornly refused to explain her button-collecting habit, playfully arguing with co-host Michael Che. The sketch ended with Tamara claiming she has the answer to Venezuela’s problems, but refusing to share it, stating she needs to “go there and understand how to want to know.”

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2026-01-18 11:01