Will Byers Comes Out On 'Stranger Things,' is it Awkward or Empowering?

We need to talk about that Will Byers coming out scene on the seventh episode of Stranger Things season 5.

via: USA Today

In a scene that's meant to be the emotional climax of the fifth and final season of Netflix's "Stranger Things," the oft-abused fifth-wheel of the Hawkins, Indiana Dungeons & Dragons party, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), comes out to his family, friends a few new acquaintances in the second-to-last episode of the series.

It's a hugely cathartic moment for Will, who has been carrying a secret he believes the series' villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) can use against him. Encouraged by fellow queer character Robin (Maya Hawke), Will tells everyone who is part of the fight against Vecna that he is gay, thus ensuring that there are no more secrets or walls within the gang. Then, unburdened and strapped with weapons, Will, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the rest head into the Upside Down one last time to try to stop Vecna once and for all.

But is it quite the climactic, resonant scene that series creators Matt and Ross Duffer intend for the character? Not quite.

While Will's sexuality has been hinted at for a few seasons now, and the character's speech was a moving monologue about how being gay doesn't make him all that different from his straight friends, something was off about the scene. Set in 1983, a time before LGBTQ+ people were widely accepted, it was always going to be a big moment for Will and his friends and family. Coming out in Indiana in the 1980s is a much bigger task than coming out in 2025. But something just didn't feel right.

Perhaps it was the presence of Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) and Murray (Brett Gelman), two characters who have scarcely shared a scene with Will before. Maybe it was the fact that in a far more exciting and emotional sequence in the fourth episode of the season, Will comes out to himself in a moment of self-actualization that actually leads to the development of super powers. Perhaps its because the series snatched those super powers back and instantly re-weakened Will in the subsequent episode.

For five seasons, "Stranger" has struggled with how to deal with Will, who started out as the show's almost personality-less kidnap victim back in Season 1 and never developed much from there. While his coming out moment could have been triumphant and inspirational, it ends up being underwhelming and awkward.

Schnapp, in a recent interview with USA TODAY, was happy with this character's arc. "I think he's one of the best queer characters we have in media because he's a real person,” Schnapp said. “His whole story isn't just being gay. And it just feels so rewarding to get to see him finally step up and be triumphant and strong.”

There is one two-hour finale left in the epic "Stranger Things" story. Here's to hoping Will Byers gets a little more triumphant and strong.