The Duffer Brothers have come to the defence of Will’s coming-out scene in Stranger Things, which drew polarised reactions from viewers.
In ‘Chapter Seven: The Bridge’, the penultimate episode of the final season, Noah Schnapp’s character finally comes out, revealing to his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) and friends that Vecna has been exploiting his deepest fears, and that only by embracing his truth can he find the strength to confront him.
Following its release, the episode became the lowest-rated of the series, scoring 5.5 on IMDb. Meanwhile, anti-LGBTQIA+ viewers apparently decided that a gay character in a universe filled with hostile hell dimensions, Demogorgons and mind-flaying spider monsters was too much, flooding X/Twitter with homophobic responses.
Some critics, however, focused on the storytelling choices, questioning Will coming out not just to his close friends, but also to more peripheral characters, such as Murray (Brett Gelman) and Vickie (Amybeth Macnulty), who are less central to his life.
In an interview with Variety, Matt and Ross Duffer reflected on the importance of the scene and how it was key to defeating Vecna.
“The coming out scene is something we’ve been building to for nine years now. 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,” said Ross Duffer.
“This show has always been about our characters overcoming evil, and in order to overcome this evil, Vecna, in so many ways, represents all the dark thoughts and the evil of society.
“And for our characters to overcome that, it really becomes about embracing themselves, and then also embracing one another and coming together.”
Matt Duffer added that the scene was the “final step in Will’s journey, and Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna”: “Volume 1 is really about self-acceptance, right? I mean, that’s sort of step one. And then step two is Will is talking to Robin — it’s something that he wants to do.
“He’s 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. And he finds the courage to be able to do it. And it’s really the ultimate fuck you to Vecna. That was the intention.”
Despite the controversy, the Duffers remain proud of both the scene and Schnapp’s performance. Ross described it as “really brave” and “very vulnerable,” while Matt noted that navigating the mixed reception only strengthened their bond.
“I think that’s where Ross and I were most sensitive, was Noah — because of how close to home this hit for him. And our goal was to make sure that he was comfortable and happy with the scene,” said Ross.
“And when he was, we felt good about it. I’ve been texting with him a lot, but texting with him specifically after that scene and after that episode aired. And he’s in a really good place. He’s very proud of the scene, and we’re proud of the scene.”
When asked whether they anticipated homophobic backlash, Matt admitted: “No is the honest truth. Because it is, as Ross said, something we’ve been building for a really long time. I always say, Ross and I are many things, but subtle is not one of those things!”
The series finale of Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.
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