It wouldn't be Camp Firewood without some ridiculous gags that lack any kind of logic, but make up for it in enthusiastic commitment. The latest installment of the wacky Wet Hot American Summer series includes some faces that are familiar to the old gang, but not the audience. Who's Mark in Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later? You're not losing your memory; this reunion attendee actually a brand new character.
The junior counselor from '81 is played by Mark Feuerstein, who you may recognize from Royal Pains, Good Morning Miami, or any number of TV shows from The West Wing to Nurse Jackie and Prison Break.
And he's not the only new character — his girlfriend Claire, played by Sarah Burns from I Love You, Man and Enlightened, gets a similar treatment. Much like the universally beloved Nicki and Paulo on Lost, these two characters are inserted into footage from the original Wet Hot American Summer film to prove that they were there back in the day.
Apparently, they're a camp romance that has become strained over the years — and become the edges of a love triangle with JJ, who for sure was in the earlier installments. But most importantly, Claire and Mark are totally friends with everyone and share all of the same camp memories. They understand the spirit of Camp Firewood just as well as everyone else. See? They fit in perfectly. It's not weird. Very natural.
While the Wet Hot American Summer franchise is somewhat of a family, with so many veteran comedians reuniting for each chapter, it's cool that they keep finding ways to bring in new people. Mark and Claire, who act as though they were never new in the first place, are a great addition to Ten Years Later.
