Will's WHAT Now?!

I’ve been enjoying Stranger Things 5. Yes, it continues the tradition started by the previous season of overlong episodes. Yes, some of the intimate moments are drawn out. But the stuff that works? It works! This might have some of the best character moments of all the seasons. And nowhere is that apparent in a scene that has fans upset, for some reason.

By the way, spoiler warning.

In Episode 7, Will reveals to his mom, Joyce, that Vecna preyed on him while having him spy on Max. Initially, Will’s vague, only sharing his general fears and anxieties. However, he quickly decides to drop the act and become honest. He asks his mom to gather everyone, then spills truths about his interests. He concludes by confirming what most have have known for years: he has no romantic interest in girls. It’s genuinely emotional and cathartic, and everyone’s surprisingly accepting.

Unfortunately, people watching the show didn’t feel the same. As of me writing this, this is the lowest-rated episode in the show on IMDB, lower than Episode 7 of Season 2. Far be it for me to tell people their opinions are wrong, as art is subjective, but I have to wonder if Will coming out as gay struck a nerve. Because if it did, I wonder if the internet’s okay.

I’m not saying this to shut out people’s feelings. I used to think that queerness was overexposed too, so I’d be hypocritical. However, that was a decade ago. I’ve grown and matured since my mid-20s, with newfound appreciation since for concepts and ideas that sounded foreign to me. This is one of them.

Will isn’t even the first queer character in the show. Robin came out to Steve in Season 3, and we haven’t thought less of her. If anything, her being a lesbian, while not initially in the script, was a positive change, allowing Steve and Robin to grow beyond romance. Will being gay, therefore, isn’t so radical. That needs stressing.

It’s worth noting that Will coming out in a show that occurs in the 80s was a huge risk. We take it for granted, but there was social stigma in the 80s that made being gay difficult. It didn’t help that AIDS was seen as “the gay virus” that “punished immoral sex” by those in power. Coming out was dangerous, and Will’s decision could’ve blown up in his face. That it didn’t is a testament to this show’s writing.

Besides, why is this shocking? Will’s been teased as gay since 2016, with Mike unintentionally spelling it out in Season 3. This isn’t news. If anything, it’s an overdue revelation. Considering Will’s actor, Noah Schnapp, is gay, even crediting Will for helping him feel comfortable with that, that’s doubly-cathartic. Don’t we want that?

I’m curious if those who are upset, aside from being homophobic, have had to share something this difficult before. Coming out is hard. We don’t think it is, but people often risk isolation from family and friends, especially in traditionally-minded circles. And with several global governments regressing on this issue, thanks to their leadership, the fight for acceptance isn’t over. Therefore, it’s important that entertainment, which helps normalize acceptance, has people coming out still.

It also bothers me how people don’t want sincerity in entertainment because “it ruins the immersion”. I like The MCU, even defending its recent output, but its tongue-in-cheek style of writing, which Stranger Things has to an extent, doesn’t translate to every franchise. Even within The MCU, there are moments of genuine sincerity, which is why the franchise has endured. Basically, sincerity isn’t bad in storytelling. Especially when it leads to powerful moments.

I get why this is jarring in a horror franchise, but good horror is about drama. Horror’s only as effective as its characters, as they could be in danger at any moment. The more attached you are, the scarier it is when someone’s in trouble. And since many horror stories have queer coding or subtext, a main cast member being gay shouldn’t feel out of place in Stranger Things. Especially when this isn’t the first time.

There are little details that make this scene really powerful. Like how Will acknowledges how similar he is to everyone by listing off his likes. Or how Robin’s moved the most, having indirectly coached him in an earlier episode. Or how everyone’s so accepting, even hugging him. This is excellent character writing and storytelling, so why is it an issue?

That this particular episode’s getting slammed is baffling. I wasn’t against Episode 7 of Season 2, but I get its divisiveness. Episode 7 of Season 5, however, I don’t get the hate for. At all. If anything, the backlash is petty.

If Will coming out bothers you, especially when it’s been hinted at for years, then I think that says more about you. You’re entitled to not like the pacing, or to think the show has “lost its way” (whatever that means). But acting like a character confirmation hurts the show, especially when it’s not a revelation, is offensive. Gay people deserve better. It sucks that that needs reiterating in 2025.

I’m not claiming that this season doesn’t have its issues. Despite my biggest counter-critique of detractors being that Stranger Things’s major flaw is becoming too popular, it’s not perfect. I can argue how the horror aspect still works, or that the writing’s still strong after 9 years, but that’s all subjective. Being homophobic, however, is much harder to accept. Because it’s mean-spirited, and it’s time we moved on.