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    SNL Faces Backlash Over ‘Stranger Things’ Will Byers Parody

    SNL is facing some backlash on social media over a recent parody of 'Stranger Things' that poked fun at Will Byers.
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    A Saturday Night Live segment referencing Stranger Things prompted backlash online after some viewers accused the show of handling a sensitive storyline in a dismissive way.

    The criticism followed Season 51, Episode 10, hosted by Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler in Netflix’s series. During the episode, SNL aired a parody that drew from a moment associated with Will Byers’ coming-out arc. Will is portrayed by Noah Schnapp in Stranger Things.

    In the sketch, SNL cast member Jeremy Culhane played Will. The segment framed the scene as an emotional confession but repeatedly undercut it with jokes, including remarks suggesting the moment was taking too long. The parody also shifted the focus of Will’s dialogue into a punchline connected to Dungeons & Dragons. The sketch used quick cuts and exaggerated lines to imitate the tone and pacing of the original show while pushing the scene into broader comedy.

    Reaction to the parody spread quickly across X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms shortly after the episode aired. Some viewers said the segment appeared to mock a storyline that many fans view as important to the character’s development. Others argued that the joke was uncomfortable because the character is portrayed as a teenager and because Stranger Things is set in the 1980s, a period often associated with heightened stigma around LGBTQ issues.

    At the same time, other users defended SNL, arguing that parody is a core part of the show and that Stranger Things is a major pop-culture target. Supporters said the sketch was aimed at the scene’s dramatic style and length rather than Will’s identity, and some criticized the backlash as overblown.

    Several commenters also referenced previous statements from Schnapp about filming the coming-out-related material, noting that the actor has described the scene as emotional. Critics said that context contributed to their view that the parody was in poor taste, while others defended SNL’s approach as consistent with the show’s history of parodying popular television.

    Neither SNL nor representatives for the show and its cast have publicly addressed the criticism as of the latest online reaction.