Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin toasted to Wolfhard’s hosting debut.

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

Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin toasted to Wolfhard's 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 17, 2026 11:54 p.m. ET

A$AP Rocky, Finn Wolfhard, and Sarah Sherman in a promo for 'SNL'. Credit:

Rosalind O'Connor/NBC

** 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 Hernandez 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 mid-terms 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.

Follow along for live updates...

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW SNL”