STRANGER THINGS Creators Stand Firm on Will’s Coming Out Scene After Review Bombing Backlash

When the final stretch of Stranger Things hit Netflix on Christmas Day, creator Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer expected conversation spark with the fans. What they didn’t expect was the wave of review bombing that followed, targeting one specific episode and one deeply personal moment for a character fans have grown up with.

The final three episodes sent the season’s Rotten Tomatoes score tumbling to 56%, a sharp drop compared to previous seasons that hovered comfortably in the high 80s and 90s.

The backlash focused almost entirely on Episode 7, “The Bridge,” which currently sits as the lowest-rated episode of the entire series with a 5.6 out of 10 and more than 96,000 reviews. That episode features Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, coming out as gay to his friends just before facing Vecna.

For the Duffers, the reaction doesn’t diminish what that scene represents. If anything, it reinforces why they felt it needed to exist. Ross 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 — not just from a thematic point of view, but also a narrative point of view.

“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 expands on why Will’s moment is so tightly woven into the show’s endgame, explaining: “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 online pile-on, the creators stand firmly behind the episode and the performance at its center. Ross Duffer 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.”

That pride is also rooted in how much care went into protecting Schnapp throughout the process. Matt Duffer admits that was their biggest concern as the backlash rolled in.

“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. 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.”

Regardless, the negative response regarding that scene caught them off guard. When asked if he anticipated the backlash, Matt Duffer said:

“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!”

What fans might not realize is just how much work went into that scene. According to Matt, it was the most carefully crafted moment of the season.

“We were so concerned about getting it right. There were a lot of things that went into it. I mean, we’re definitely nervous about how it’s going to go over with everyone. But not as nervous as we were handing it over to Noah. Because ultimately, it needed to resonate and be truthful for him.

“We really were writing it to and for Noah. He wrote us sobbing after he read it. So it really worked and resonated for him, which was great. On the day, frankly, there wasn’t really much direction at all.

“Noah spent a long time — I mean, months — prepping for that scene, that moment. Luckily, that script was done well in advance. I know he did a lot of work himself… And most of what’s in there is the first take.”

Review scores can spike and crash overnight, but the Duffers aren’t measuring success that way. For them, Will’s coming out wasn’t designed to chase approval. It was the emotional core of a story they’ve been telling since the beginning, and a defiant stand against the darkness their characters were fighting all along.