'Stranger Things' creators defend controversial episode after fan backlash

The creators of Netflix's "Stranger Things" are responding after the hit show's penultimate episode was review-bombed online following backlash over a coming-out scene involving a main character.

The episode, titled "The Bridge," features Will Byers coming out as gay to his family and friends just before the group's final battle with Vecna, the antagonist. Matt and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer Brothers, told Variety the "honest truth" is that they did not see the outrage coming.

"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!" Matt said.

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The brothers said they had been planting seeds for the scene throughout the series and spent more time writing it than any other, noting they were "so concerned about getting it right."

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The episode is now the series' lowest-rated installment on IMDb, receiving a 5.6 out of 10. It also drew backlash on Rotten Tomatoes, where the season fell to an 83% critic score and a 56% audience score, the lowest of all five seasons.

Some viewers online criticized the timing of the coming-out scene, saying it felt out of place in preparation for the show's final battle. But the Duffer brothers argue the scene was necessary for the plot.

They explained that Will's coming out as gay was a crucial part of his journey toward self-acceptance, something he needed in order to help defeat the show's primary villain.

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Matt called it "the final step in Will's journey," adding that Will is "in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna."

"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," Matt said. "And he finds the courage to be able to do it. And it's really the ultimate f--- you to Vecna. That was the intention."

Noah Schnapp, who played Will, came out publicly himself in 2023. The creators of the show said they were very sensitive in how they handled the moment due to "how close to home this hit for him [Schnapp]."

Despite the pushback, the Duffer brothers maintained they were proud of the episode and the entire season.

"We're proud of the episode, and we're proud of the scene, and proud of Noah [Schnapp], who gave a really brave, very vulnerable performance," Ross said.