> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theomnicosm.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The best of ‘SNL’ (so far), Ritz gets drizzled, and what’s up with ‘Stranger Things’ and ChatGPT? - URL: https://www.theomnicosm.com/the-best-of-snl-so-far-ritz-gets-drizzled-and-whats-up-with-stranger-things-and-chatgpt/ - Published: 2026-01-17T13:00:30.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-17T13:00:30.000Z - Description: Your weekly rundown of everything from Popculturology, Deep SNL Thoughts and Snackology. - Author: Bill Kuchman - Tags: The Omnicosm • Saturday Wrap, The Omnicosm, Stranger Things, SNL, Ritz Hello! Welcome to the Jan. 17, 2026, edition of the **Saturday Wrap**. Here’s everything you might of missed from **The Omnicosm**. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/11/circle-rebrand-1.png)](#/portal/signup) Love reading ****The Omnicosm**? Join the hundreds of subscribers who already get the free ****Snackology**, ****Popculturology** and ****Deep SNL Thoughts** newsletters in their inboxes. [Subscribe ](#/portal/signup) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2026/01/lede-snl-sketches-1.png) ###### Deep SNL Thoughts • Extras ### The 10 best ‘SNL’ sketches of Season 51\. (So far.) While we can debate just how much *SNL* really changed after **Lorne Michaels**’ promised a seismic shift after Season 50 (a conversation I actually did have while recently on the *Not Ready for Primetime SNL Podcast*), it would be hard to mistake the vibe of Season 51 for how last season felt. Besides losing **Heidi Gardner** and **Ego Nwodim**, this season of *SNL* hasn’t been burdened with the weight of *SNL50*. Free of the task of somehow existing in the present while also honoring the previous 49 seasons of television (and giving **Dana Carvey** something to do week after week), Season 51 has been forced to and blessed with the chance to carve out its own identity. We saw a similar thing happen back in 2020 when *SNL* abruptly jettisoned **Alec Baldwin** and **Jim Carrey** after the presidential election. The big difference between the post-2020 election period and Season 51 is the emergence of **Ashley Padilla** as *SNL*’s star. When diving through the season’s sketches to pick the top ten best ones (so far), it was wild to see how dominant Padilla has been. Even wilder is that she’s achieved this level of dominance without creating a recurring character or landing a breakout political portrayal. (Her take on White House press secretary **Karoline Leavitt** is fantastic, but *SNL* often sidelines it for more of **James Austin Johnson**’s **Donald Trump**.) But let’s get to those sketches. Here are the — definitive, indisputable, set in stone — top ten sketches of Season 51\. So far. [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/the-10-best-snl-sketches-of-season-51-so-far/) [Deep SNL Thoughts Host Promo: Has Vecna returned for Finn Wolfhard’s ‘SNL’ promo?The ‘Stranger Things’ star makes his hosting debut this weekend.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-81.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-011426-SNL.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/has-vecna-returned-for-finn-wolfhards-snl-promo/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2026/01/lede-011626-2.png) ###### Popculturology • Friday Newsletter ### The ‘Stranger Things’ and ChatGPT mess gets messier There were some elements of the *Stranger Things* series finale — bits of dialogue, settings, even an anachronistic *Dungeons and Dragons* element — that had people asking, *Hey, did ChatGPT write this episodes?* That question seemingly began as shorthand for “this sucks, so it must’ve been written by generative AI” ... but then it took a turn when people were pretty sure they spotted ChatGPT tabs open in a shot of a *Stranger Things* script featured in *One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5*. This sparked enough controversy — with some people saying that, no, those weren’t ChatGPT tabs — that the creator of the *Stranger Things* documentary was asked whether the **Duffer brothers** used ChatGPT to write this season. The chat between *The Hollywood Reporter*’s **Tony Maglio** and **Martina Radwan** didn’t help the situation ... [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/the-stranger-things-and-chatgpt-mess-gets-messier/) [The Box Office Report: Another weekend, another win for ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’But the third film in James Cameron’s franchise doesn’t seem to have the box office power of its two predecessors.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-83.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-01226-BO.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/another-weekend-another-win-for-avatar-fire-and-ash/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2026/01/lede-ritz-swirls-1.png) ###### Snackology • Thoughts for Food ### Ritz Drizzled Minis unite salty and sweet in a tiny snack When I’m feeling snacky, I often wind up making two visits to our kitchen food closet. One of those visits is to come away with a salty snack. Goldfish. Ritz Bits. Maybe a sleeve of crackers. And then the second visit is for something sweet. Sour Patch Kids. M&Ms. Maybe an entire package of Twizzlers. The folks over at Nabisco understand this phenomenon. America demands a selection of snacks that are both salty and sweet. (That’s why salted caramel is such a big deal, right?) The company has kicked off 2026 with the rollout of **Ritz Drizzled Minis**. Available in both Fudge and Caramel, Ritz Drizzled Minis are a “sweet-and-salty snack that brings together the iconic salty crunch of a Ritz cracker with sweet drizzle on top and a decadent coating on the bottom.” [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/ritz-drizzled-minis-unite-salty-and-sweet-in-a-tiny-snack/) [Review: Is the secret of Cap’n Crunch’s Mystery Crunch hiding in plain sight?There aren’t any Crunch Berries in this cereal ... or are there?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-82.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-mystery-capn-crunch.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/is-the-secret-of-capn-crunchs-mystery-crunch-hiding-in-plain-sight/) ****The Omnicosm** is written and produced by ****Bill Kuchman**. Copyediting by ****Tim Kuchman**. 💰 Like what you’re reading on ****The Omnicosm**? 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