Saturday Night Live has come under sustained criticism following a series of jokes linked to Stranger Things that many viewers described as inappropriate and poorly judged.

The backlash began after a sketch titled “Mike in Manhattan”, which aired over the weekend and featured Finn Wolfhard alongside former co-stars Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo. The parody, filmed in the style of Sex and the City, imagined the characters’ lives a decade after the Netflix show’s final season.

The backlash centred on a joke delivered by McLaughlin’s character about Lucas’s relationship with Max Mayfield. “Well, Max and I started off hot and heavy, right? Then, a couple of years in, she just lies there like she’s back in that coma,” he said. In Stranger Things, Max is left in a coma after confronting the villain Vecna in the fourth season.

Further criticism followed Finn Wolfhard’s opening monologue, in which he reflected on growing up in the public eye. During the routine, he said: “My voice changed on camera, my first kiss was on camera, and I can’t actually believe I’m admitting this, but the first time I learned what a woman looks like down there – was on camera as well.” The joke was followed by a cutaway to footage of the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.

Some viewers described the comment as vulgar and sexist, questioning the quality of the writing and the direction of the show. One critic wrote that the joke was “hardly funny”, while others labelled it lazy and offensive. However, a number of viewers defended the monologue, arguing the humour was being over-analysed.

Wolfhard was joined on stage by McLaughlin and Matarazzo later in the monologue, with the trio joking about growing up onscreen and fan commentary.