'Stranger Things': Duffer brothers defend Will's coming out scene
What's the story
Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer, the creators of Netflix's hit series Stranger Things, have defended the controversial coming-out scene of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) in the show's penultimate episode. The episode was met with a wave of negative reviews, resulting in a drop in the season's Rotten Tomatoes score to 56%. This is significantly lower than previous seasons, which had scores ranging from 86% to 96%.
Narrative importance
'Coming out scene is something we've been building to...'
Duffer told Variety, "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." He added that the show has always been about characters overcoming evil, and Vecna represents society's dark thoughts. "For our characters to overcome that, it really becomes about embracing themselves...and coming together."
Will's journey
The scene was the final step in Will's journey
Matt added that the coming-out scene was "the final step in Will's journey." "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 added, "He's trying to figure out how to come out, and he knows that he needs to do that."
Backlash surprise
The creators were surprised by the backlash
Despite their pride in the episode and Schnapp's performance, the Duffer brothers were taken aback by the online hate. Matt admitted they didn't anticipate the homophobic backlash. "No is the honest truth... Because it is, as Ross said, something we've been building for a really long time." He added that they spent more time writing this coming-out scene than any other.
Scene authenticity
The creators focused on making the scene truthful for Schnapp
Matt also revealed that they were most concerned about how Schnapp would react to the scene. "I think that's where Ross and I were most sensitive, was Noah - because of how close to home this hit for him." He added that their goal was to ensure Schnapp was comfortable with the scene. "And when he was, we felt good about it."