NEED TO KNOW
- Matt and Ross Duffer have responded following backlash and criticism of Stranger Things season 5, Vol. 2
- The creators spoke specifically about the response to Will (Noah Schnapp) coming out as gay to his family and friends in episode 7
- The final season of Stranger Things can be streamed in full on Netflix
The Duffer Brothers are proud of Will Byers’ storyline in the final season of Stranger Things, despite what some fans have said.
In the penultimate episode of the hit Netflix series, Will (Noah Schnapp) came out as gay to his family and friends just before they began their final stand against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). It was a moment that the show was “building to for nine years,” creators Matt and Ross Duffer told Variety, but they admittedly did not anticipate the backlash the scene received.
The episode, titled “The Bridge,” is the series’ lowest-rated ever on IMDb, with a score of 5.6/10, and scathing reviews of the Vol. 2 episodes left the season’s Rotten Tomatoes score at 83% after the finale dropped on Dec. 31 — the lowest of all five seasons.
“It was a really important scene for us, and a really important scene for Noah — not just from a thematic point of view, but also a narrative point of view,” Ross told the outlet of Schnapp, 21.
Will coming out was his way of “overcoming evil” so he could help take down Vecna, Ross explained, as Matt called it “the final step in Will’s journey, and Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna.”
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
After his heart-to-heart with Robin (Maya Hawke), Will is “trying to figure out how to come out, and he knows that he needs to do that, and that that’s the final step for him,” ahead of episode 7, Matt said.
“He finds the courage to be able to do it, and it’s really the ultimate f— you to Vecna. That was the intention.”
As for the backlash to the scene, Ross said, “We’re proud of the episode, and we’re proud of the scene, and proud of Noah, who gave a really brave, very vulnerable performance.”
Schnapp, who came out as gay in 2023, is who the brothers said they were “most sensitive” about in regards to the crafting and execution of the scene.
“Our goal was to make sure that he was comfortable and happy with the scene. And when he was, we felt good about it,” Matt told the outlet.
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COURTESY OF NETFLIX
After the episode aired on Dec. 25, Matt said that he was “texting” the actor “a lot,” and “he’s in a really good place” despite the online conversation.
“He’s very proud of the scene, and we’re proud of the scene.”
Schnapp told PEOPLE that he was “nervous” about how Will’s coming out would go, but the Duffers “wrote it so perfectly.”
“They told me they went to some queer family and friends to help understand how to do it right,” he said, adding that he “cried reading it” and had “no notes” for Matt and Ross.
The actor also said that fans’ acceptance and support of Will’s journey helped him navigate his own. “I always kind of mirrored the journey a little bit with Will and my personal identity, and seeing how audiences reacted to him over the years and embraced him — especially in season 4, when it was really obvious [that Will was gay], and people still loved him so much. I was like, ‘Oh, if they love him that much, what am I hiding over here?’ ”
Stranger Things season 5 can be streamed in full on Netflix.
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