Finn Wolfhard, the actor best known for playing Mike Wheeler in the global phenomenon Stranger Things, took on a new role this weekend as the host of Saturday Night Live. His debut was marked by a biting sketch that directly parodied one of the most talked-about moments from the show's final season.
SNL's Scathing Parody of a Viral Moment
The sketch imagined a reunion of the Stranger Things characters in 1990s New York City. Wolfhard appeared alongside castmates Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin, but their friend Will Byers was conspicuously absent. A narrator dryly explained his absence was because "his coming out scene is still going on."
The scene then cut to Will, played by SNL regular Jeremy Culhane, in the midst of an agonisingly long and emotional speech to his friends. "Guys, I'm gay. I need the courage to tell you the truth, and the truth is I'm ga...zing at all of your faces," he stammered, his voice cracking. He continued, "And you should know that I like D...and D, Dungeons and Dragons, just like you guys!"
Backlash and Defence of the Original Scene
This spoof targeted the real coming out scene for Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, which aired in the second-to-last episode titled 'The Bridge' on Christmas Day. The nearly five-minute-long moment was widely criticised by viewers when the final episodes dropped on Netflix last month. Many felt it was poorly timed, occurring as the characters faced a major battle, and that it dragged on excessively.
The criticism grew so loud that it spawned viral memes, with one notably claiming that the recent U.S. raid in Venezuela "lasted less time than it took for Will to come out."
In response, Noah Schnapp, who publicly came out as gay himself in 2023, has staunchly defended the scene. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he insisted, "No part of that scene felt forced or produced." He revealed he cried when he first read the script, calling it "perfect," and felt a "weight off my chest" performing it with his co-stars.
Schnapp, who earned $7 million for the show's final season, also highlighted the emotional reaction of Charlie Heaton, who plays Will's brother Jonathan, as a particularly sweet and real moment for him.
A Milestone Hosting Gig
Beyond the parody, Wolfhard's turn as SNL host marks a significant career milestone, transitioning from child star to a performer capable of carrying the iconic live show. The sketch cleverly leveraged the audience's familiarity with Stranger Things and the recent online discourse, blending current pop culture critique with classic SNL humour.
While the fictional Will's coming out speech was played for laughs on the late-night stage, the debate around the original scene's execution continues to highlight the challenges and sensitivities of portraying such personal narratives in blockbuster television.
