Finn Wolfhard Hosting’s best sketches

Finn Wolfhard traded the Upside Down for 30 Rock to echo the post-Bowen Yang era. Photo: Esther Kuhn/NBC

Please zoom in on Finn Wolfhard’s chin hair. It’s barely there, but it’s there. The Stranger Things actor is ready to reintroduce himself as an adult now that the show is over. “I have to say, I think it’s amazing that 400 million people got to watch my adolescence,” he says in his monologue. So it makes sense that his first stint hosting Saturday Night Live was a way to establish himself beyond being Mike Wheeler. And when it comes to first-time hosts, Wolfhard is a good candidate. Outside of Stranger Things, he has pursued comedy and reportedly even helped cast Bill Hader in It: Chapter 2 because he was a fan of his. His talent for comedic acting is demonstrated early on when he effortlessly spits on Marcello Hernandez (the alcohol was “too spicy”).

But he looked a little nervous. Wolfhard felt more at ease when he was joined by co-stars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin at the end of the monologue. That’s not to say he didn’t do well with different characters. In addition to reprising his role as Mike Wheeler in a pre-recorded sketch for Stranger Things (well, sort of), he played a naughty Harry Potter, a frustrated Space Emperor, and an overconfident child Twitch streamer. But it felt like there was something preventing him from fully taking the reins as host.

This was also the first episode since Bowen Yang left. In my last recap, I said that I felt like he was ready to fill the void left by the departed cast members, but I was quite wrong about that. i miss him! But despite the absence, this episode was very powerful. The cold open kicked things off with Colin Jost’s flirtatious and cocky Pete Hegseth and Ashley Padilla’s Kristi Noem repeating the brutality of Trump administration cabinet members, including their recruitment of ICE agents. (“Is your neck wider than your head? Are you wearing a Punisher T-shirt right now? Have you ever punched a hole in the wall just because your son is in dance class?”) The only notable clunker was the final sketch, which was inspired by the free-soloing guy who seems to be trying to scale a skyscraper this week. I think everyone’s New Year’s resolutions are different.

This week, I was pleasantly surprised to see several notable players getting more screen time, in addition to cameos from Sabrina Carpenter and Jason Momoa. I love that Ashley Padilla dominates the episodes, but I was happy to see more of Jeremy Culhane, who takes over as Jan’s J.D. Vance, and the always charming Veronica Slawkowska, who took to court as a “man’s daughter” in a character sketch.

The main points are:

Heated rivalry content has reached a saturation point, and this parody sits comfortably below it before becoming annoying. (This may reflect my own exhaustion with the show.) This digital pre-tape answers the question, “What if the new Harry Potter TV show deviates too much from JK Rowling’s vision?” I think it has improved. Ron Weasley, played by Ben Marshall, and Harry Potter, played by Wolfhard, are inseparable teammates in “the first series written entirely of girls with tails.” In addition, Jason Momoa, who plays Hagrid, makes a surprise appearance saying, “You’re gay, Harry.” Side note: Is Lorne just texting Find My Friends to stop by if you see him near 30 Rock?

Stranger Things may be over, but that doesn’t mean Netflix can’t make money from its IP. This pre-recorded sketch explores the show’s new sequels, prequels, reorganizations, and spinoffs. Notable inclusions include “The Wheeler Report” (the scene where Chloe Fineman’s Nancy Wheeler falls out of the back of a van while investigating the O.J. trial was a real laugh) and “Oops! Everyone’s Mike’s Dad.” The best film was “Mike in Manhattan,” a Sex and the City parody starring Wolfhard’s “Stranger Things” character Mike Wheeler. Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin reappear as adults Dustin and Lucas, but Will does not appear. He’s still stuck in a never-ending coming-out scene. The last item in the promo also referenced “Conformity Gate,” a conspiracy theory in which fans believed a secret Stranger Things finale would be released on Netflix on January 7th. That didn’t happen, but at least they cast Kenan Thompson as Eleven!

We bring you a powerful weekend update, especially on a week when we find it hard to laugh at the news. Colin Jost’s ScarJo jokes, slashes, and self roasts were a highlight. The next joke told by Michael Che was similar. “During a recent podcast appearance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized President Trump’s eating habits and said, ‘I don’t know how he survives.'” Well, that’s it, images of the Trump assassination attempt were displayed. “It’s a little windy.”

I loved Jane Wickline as Tamara. A woman named Tamara has a confusing New Year’s resolution about buttons, but she gets even more passionate when asked for details. She’s very good at playing the quiet, controlled weirdo. My own ignorance of football hindered my understanding of Cam Patterson’s Michael Irvin character, but he has an infectious energy (I enjoy it more when I try to forget all about Kill Tony).

The Emperor of the Universe (Wolfhard) is seated on the throne by his faithful disciples. But one of them, a passionate servant (Mikey Day) whose entire job it is to feed him snacks, keeps shoving increasingly distracting space snacks into his mouth. Day’s performance as a sniveling, comically devoted subject is entertaining in its own right, but what’s even more pleasing is how much of a breakthrough it gives Wolfhard. At one point, Day offers him a second marshmallow-like snack, and Wolfhard says, “Okay!” The level of surprise is such that it feels almost unscripted. All I know is that some teenager is making a fan edit of Day shoving a bottle of intergalactic fruit melting like chocolate syrup into Wolfhard’s mouth.

The boys’ hangout is interrupted when one of the guys (Wolfhard) invites his girlfriend over. But don’t worry. His girlfriend, played by the sassy Veronica Słokowska, is one of them. In a Bears jersey, she’s loud, annoying, unruly, and yet somehow endearing (at least to us). Her face, voice (yes, there’s more than one, this sibling character has range), and Miles a Minute escalation are mesmerizing. She zigzags around the room, squirts beer with a shotgun, and hides Wolfhard’s character’s face under her shirt. And I love the legend of how they met. “She showed me her panties at Starbucks. I guess she liked what she saw.”

• Special thanks to the person who styled Wolfhard. I love the combination of purple suit, navy shirt, and ribbon tie during the monologue.

• It was a little surprise when Danny Elfman and Thundercat joined A$AP Rocky to perform “Punk Rocky”!

• Against my will, I found out too much information about the “Bayler” movement. We hope that the Byler and Gayler communities can provide moral support to each other.

• “Well, I bought some sweatpants to wear to the wedding.” 2026 is already a success.

• We rolled our eyes for a second, but since Rihanna’s husband has a family to support, we decided to allow her to promote Rap Snacks® during the “Snackhomiez” sketch. Dare I say, it’s an indicator of economic recession…

• Sabrina Carpenter sighted! I hope Sabrina Carpenter becomes the new Jon Hamm era of SNL.

See all