The creators of Stranger Things have addressed the intense reaction to the show’s coming-out scene involving Will Byers, following widespread criticism and review bombing of the penultimate episode. Speaking after the release of Season 5’s final chapters, Matt and Ross Duffer defended the narrative choice, emphasizing its importance to the series and to Will’s character arc.
The Duffer Brothers on Will’s coming out scene and episode backlash
The creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, have addressed the strong audience reaction that followed the release of the show’s penultimate episode.
Episode 7, titled “The Bridge,” became the center of controversy after its Christmas Day release on Netflix. The episode features a scene in which Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, comes out as gay to his friends ahead of the climactic confrontation with Vecna. It soon became the lowest-rated episode in the series’ history, earning a 5.6 out of 10 score on IMDb. The reaction also contributed to a sharp drop in the season’s Rotten Tomatoes audience score, which fell to 56 percent.
Speaking to Variety on January 1, Ross Duffer said the scale of the review bombing was unexpected. “The coming out scene is something we’ve been building to for nine years now,” he said. He explained that Will’s coming out was essential to the show’s broader narrative arc. Matt Duffer described the scene as “the final step in Will’s journey, and Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna.”
Despite the online criticism, the Duffers said they remain firmly supportive of the episode and of Schnapp’s performance. Ross Duffer said the team is proud of the scene and praised Schnapp for delivering a vulnerable portrayal. “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,” he said.
Matt Duffer added, “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.”
The brothers also acknowledged that they did not anticipate the scale of the backlash.
