“Former child stars” Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin shared a toast with Wolfhard as he made his hosting debut.

Saturday Night Live recap: Finn Wolfhard joined by Stranger Things costars during opening monologue

"Former child stars" Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin shared a toast with Wolfhard as he made his hosting debut.

By Andy Hoglund

Andy Hoglund

Andy Hoglund is a writer at **. He has worked at EW since 2019.

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on January 18, 2026 2:19 a.m. ET

Finn Wolfhard delivers his 'Saturday Night Live' monologue with surprise guests Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin. Credit:

Saturday Night Live/YouTube

** Hi! Welcome to 2026 — and welcome back to SNL in Review, your one constant in a chaotic, confusing world. Our fair comedy show is back, ready to face a new year and a brave new world.

Tonight's host is Finn Wolfhard, fresh off the final season of *Stranger Things*.

I am joined tonight by former *Saturday Night Live *cast member Jeff Richards. He's most familiar with Wolfhard from Stephen King's *It*, where he played a young Bill Hader (Richie Tozier). Wolfhard has a few interesting links to *SNL *lore. He was in the last two *Ghostbusters *and played an NBC page in Jason Reitman's *Saturday Night*.

Tonight's musical guest is A$AP Rocky, who — in addition to acting in two movies last year — just released an album yesterday. Read below for more!**

Every 'SNL' season 51 host and musical guest: Finn Wolfhard, Teyana Taylor, Alexander Skarsgård

How Jimmy Fallon played a key role in Finn Wolfhard's 'SNL' debut — and which star he's ready to pitch next

A message from the President of the United States. James Austin Johnson gets the ball again. His Trump has been in the Cold Open for the vast majority of the time this season. Trump introduces his cabinet — Marcello Hernández plays Marco Rubio while Jeremy Culhane is our new JD Vance. (I think that’s a step in the right direction, replacing Bowen Yang. Johnson even comments on it.) Vance says he's here to kick bubble gum and chew ass, which feels right.

While Vance is addressing us, Trump wanders around the room. Kristi Noem (Ashley Padilla) is next — she does not have the situation in Minnesota under control. The crowd erupts when Colin Jost returns as "Secretary of War" Pete Hegseth. He talks about Venezuela.

"Also midterms are cancelled," Trump mentions before joining Hegseth in saying, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Bottom line here: Beyond catching us up on recent news since December, this Cold Open spotlighted Trump's rogue gallery straight from a Guillermo del Toro movie. And, hopefully, one of these cast impressions catches fire.

The last year has been bittersweet for Wolfhard — his hit show has ended, and millions of people got to watch him hit puberty and have his first kiss on screen over the past decade.

He jokes about his very meager facial hair, then welcomes Hernández out to name-drop his recent stand-up special. A spit take ensues.

His *Stranger Things *costars Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin join him on stage, where they toast to their graduation from child star roles to adult projects. Finn was charming here!

"He wolfs very hard," quips Jeff Richards.

“Snackhomiez"

It's the return of the "Boys Podcast" sketch! I am actually happy about this — they even got Sabrina Carpenter to come back. Finn plays Chloe Fineman's cousin Micah, who is an expert in achieving sigma status, chaddom, and max mogging. Like last time, they use phrases like "No Diddy" and call characters "Unc."

A$AP Rocky also appears — he doesn't even get formally introduced. He's here to plug Rap Snacks.

Beyond having some of the newer female cast members (and Sabrina) portray the youngest generation and having fun with their super-online lingo, I am a fan of the show playing in a podcast-style sketch format. Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs. And it's like a modern Da Bears! You can quote me on that. I guess the question is: Of Sabrina continues to be a part of the core crew…. is she George Wendt?

"Heated Wizardry"

HBO is adapting *Harry Potter —* and crossing it with *Heated Rivalry*, the popular gay-themed hockey show. But now quidditch is the sport. It's the first show ever written by girls who wear tails. Wolfhard is Harry, while Ron is played by Ben Marshall. Perfection. In a cameo, Jason Momoa plays the "old queen" Hagrid. Pretty funny — spot-on casting, the crowd loves it.

"Boy Band"

Hunter's dad, Robert, is about to come home from work, when he has something to tell his mom: He wants to use his college tuition savings for his indie band. His mom does not approve. She blames herself, she exposed him to the Pixies.

Johnson plays Robert, with quaffed, highlighted hair and a life vest on. When Robert returns, he says no to Hunter's plan — but not for the reason one would think: He resents the indie band angle. Instead, he wants his son to be a pop star… just like he was!

Johnson welcomes his fellow boy bandmates. They're straight out of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, etc. One of them is even much older than the others à la Kevin Richardson or Chris Kirkpatrick. I love how the aging boy band members, then later the indie band, all flirt with Hunter's mom.

Really good. The show is crackling.

"Stranger Things Promo”

After five incredible seasons, *Stranger Things* is back with sequels, prequels, and spinoffs!

There's the gritty *Strangerest Minds, *which* *features Steve Harrington (Andrew Dismukes) as an inner-city high school teacher. *The Wheeler Report* lets Nancy cover the biggest scandals of the '90s! *Mike in Manhattan* shows Finn's character chasing his dreams as a writer living in New York City, a la *Sex in the City*. Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin also pop up again as their characters Dustin and Lucas. Everyone is getting a show: Even Mike's dad, Ted (Mikey Day)!

Netflix has one message: *Stranger Things *is our *Star Wars***

A$AP Rocky performs “Punk Rocky”

"Punk Rocky" is the lead single for A$AP's fourth album, *Don't Be Dumb*. The music video actually features former *SNL *host and *Stranger Thing*s star Winona Ryder. This live performance is fun, as I spy a shirtless Danny Elfman on drums — kind of cool as Oingo Boingo never performed on the show. (Elfman collaborated with A$AP Rocky on the recent album, composing and scoring several tracks, even appearing as a drummer in the surreal music video.)

I should've mentioned this during the boy band sketch. Wolfhard was previously the lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Calpurnia, and has been a member of the Aubreys since 2020. I asked Jeff Richards about his own history with music, since he's releasing an anthology of songs later this month. He says he "started playing with a garage band in 2004. Billy Joel is my uncle so he really helped a lot," he jokes.

Weekend Update

Jost notes it's been a year since we got back together with Trump, and the same problems in the relationship still exist. Other topics: The Nobel Peace Prize, Minnesota, Diddy.

"What is your algorithm?" wonders Michael Che after Jost makes a *Heated Rivalry* joke. (Che lands a daring joke about how Trump is alive.) I like Jost joking about his movie's box office performance. We get another Staten Island Ferry joke too.

Sports legend and Miami football enthusiast Michael Irvin (Kam Patterson) gives some intense commentary — he discusses his health and running to Monday's game. Kam does a nice job here.

"Patterson reminds me a bit of Tracy Morgan. Very likable and funny with equal parts confidence," says Jeff Richards. Kam made some waves this week with his *SNL *remarks during his* Kill Tony* set on Netflix. (Richards was the first musical guest on *Kill Tony* episode 6, back when the podcast first launched.)

Tamara (Jane Wickline) comes out to discuss her button-related New Year's resolution. But what is her plan? It doesn't matter. The first big meme of 2026 is here to remind you that you don't always have to do everything. Or is it about time? Called "365 buttons," it's spawned a catchphrase people are embracing as an empowering mantra for the new year. Nice performance by Wickline here.

”Space Emperor"

Is this on Hulu or HBO or Paramount+ or what? *Dark Orbit *is a gritty sci-fi TV show. We meet an alien emperor (Wolfhard) on his throne negotiating intergalactic genocide, as he is visited by his snack man Shegun (Mikey Day). Oof. Day mugs, feeding him candies. Or, as they call them, "delights." He can't eat all of this now, Shegun! Ah, they want to go viral breaking using food props. Eh.

"Guy’s Girl”

A group of friends are hanging out watching the football game. One friend (Wolfhard) invites his girlfriend, which is a violation. But Michelle (Veronika Slowikowska) is a "guy's girl." She's like one of the guys.

"Sounds like a bitch!" she yells, after a tender confession from one of the friends, cracking a beer.

She's a lot. It's hard to be a woman in a room full of men — and she just wants to be liked. Really fun Slowikowska showcase, she captures that girlfriend type quite accurately.

Funny *Suite Life of Zack & Cody* reference.**

A$AP Rocky performs “Don’t Be Dumb/Helicopter"

The penultimate track on "Don't Be Dumb" is really two songs. The first half is earnest, almost singing, followed by rapping after the beat switch.

"Free Solo”

Was this episode sponsored by Netflix? We get another spoof of their content machine. This time, the filmmaker behind *Free Solo *(Mikey Day) is going to climb a skyscraper — so is Reggie (Kenan Thompson). But Reggie… has never rock-climbed before. Silly.

Final thoughts

- What did you think? Vote here please!

- Just add Padilla to the main cast.

- Very little Sarah Sherman tonight! Was she just in the 10-to-1? Lots of celebrity cameos tonight. Even Danny Elfman.

- Jeff Richards is releasing his music anthology, *Don’t Know You (But I Miss You)*, next week! It's a 31-track greatest hits collection that brings together music from across his many creative lives since leaving *SNL*. The album marks the first time Richards' songs, originally released across multiple projects and personas, are being officially released under his own name. Pre-save it now!

- RIP Bob Weir.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW SNL”