Caleb McLaughlin’s Saturday Night Live debut did not go quite as planned. The Stranger Things cast is now branching out into different careers and projects following the end of the beloved series. While Finn Wolfhard made his hosting debut on SNL this week, his former co-stars McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo also joined him for a heartwarming reunion.

As the three spoke about growing up while filming Stranger Things, it had plenty of jokes and heartwarming flashbacks. However, a few of those, including one involving two much-loved characters of Stranger Things, did not sit well with some fans.

Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo stopped by Saturday Night Live this week to join Finn Wolfhard during his opening monologue. And some of the jokes ended up targeting the former beloved characters of Stranger Things. After Wolfhard’s introduction, McLaughlin cracked a joke about Max and Lucas’ relationship, which quickly raised eyebrows on social media.

“Well, Max & I started off hot & heavy right, but then a couple years in, she just lies there like she's back in that coma,” he said.

While some viewers found the joke offensive and criticized the actor, others called it hilarious and came to McLaughlin’s defense, pointing out that it was simply a joke. Moreover, SNL is a scripted sketch comedy show, which might make it unfair to criticize the actor. As for the joke itself, opinions remain divided, with fans actively dissecting its meaning online.

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McLaughlin was not the only one poking fun at the series. His Stranger Things co-stars also had jokes lined up, with many of those about the show and their own characters. Wolfhard also joked about being ready to do adult films. 

Finn Wolfhard sparked a loud reaction during his opening monologue on SNL when he joked that he was ready to do adult films after the end of Stranger Things. This was after his Stranger Things co-stars and longtime friends Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin joined him for the show.

“Child stars who are now ready to do adult films,” he said.

Before that, he also poked fun at his life as a child star. He joked about experiencing his first kiss and even his voice change on camera. It went on with a few more hilarious moments, such as him trying to taste whiskey on stage, only to immediately spit it out and accidentally spray it on comedian Marcello Hernández. 

So, while some of the jokes and antics sparked mixed reactions online, others loved the humor. 

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Where do you stand on Caleb McLaughlin’s joke? Let us know in the comments section below.