Stranger Issues is almost over, with its finale set to premiere on Netflix and in theaters on Wednesday, December 31. Its penultimate episode, “Chapter Seven: The Bridge,” included a scene that was a very long time coming: Will (Noah Schnapp) lastly popping out to his associates as homosexual after crushing arduous on Mike (Finn Wolfhard). It seems Will’s id isn’t merely a footnote on his character sheet, however truly finally ends up taking part in a fairly main half within the present’s supernatural horror components. Now, after years of retaining the reality to himself, Will has lastly informed all his associates and some acquaintances who have been simply kinda round that he’s a card-carrying boy liker, and the ultimate scene has acquired a fairly…blended response.
So let’s break it down. Will, who has a psychic reference to collection huge unhealthy Vecna, is in his emotions after discovering out the monster has been utilizing him as a spy since he returned from the Upside Down in Stranger Issues’ first season. He additionally learns that his connection to this different world created the Upside Down tunnel system that fashioned beneath Hawkins Nationwide Laboratory in season 2, which “contaminated” the true world and led to the deaths of many harmless individuals.
Later within the episode, he tells his mom about Vecna’s hostile takeover of his thoughts, and says that the villain sees “every part,” figuring out his secrets and techniques and preying on his fears. So with a view to beat Vecna, Will says he wants to offer him one much less secret to wield, and desires his family and friends to know the reality.
Will sits down with a dozen individuals of various significance to him and provides, properly, a fairly easy coming-out confession of the kind that you simply’d count on from nearly any well-meaning present from the early 2000s. He goes on about how he and all his associates are nonetheless the identical apart from one little element: “I don’t like ladies.” He says that he had a crush on somebody he knew wouldn’t like him again, and that Vecna confirmed him a manufactured future wherein this got here between him and his associates, not due to bigotry, however as a result of their overbearing fear for him makes him really feel othered to the purpose of pushing them away.
As Will begins to cry, his mom and associates, one after the other, promise that they’re not going anyplace after which give him an enormous group hug. It’s candy, however possibly a bit overwrought for contemporary sensibilities? There’s rather a lot to unpack about this second and the way it might or might not land.
That is so fucking absurd I can’t pic.twitter.com/XkOJQEhjkL
— َ (@janehopz) December 26, 2025
For some, there’s just a few absurdity to seeing many of the solid of Stranger Issues lined as much as hearken to Will inform everybody he has a crush on one other pal within the room, and it additionally doesn’t assist that a lot of the solid is simply not reacting a lot in any respect to the revelation. However I don’t suppose that the silliness of the scene is the one subject.
By 2025, it seems like some queer individuals might have change into a bit jaded towards the normal coming-out story. It’s definitely nonetheless a common a part of queer expertise, however when it’s typically the one lens by way of which mainstream media views the queer expertise, a younger twink tearfully telling his bros he’s “nonetheless the identical” as he all the time was most likely isn’t going to land with queer viewers the best way it as soon as would have. Quite the opposite, some queer individuals don’t discover consolation in tales the place a homosexual character solely finds solidarity in the event that they deal with how they’re the “similar” as their cishet associates. I’d quite see tales about that help not being given underneath the situation of what makes me much like others, when it must be supplied regardless.
Within the case of Stranger Issues, I believe I’m prepared to supply it some grace as a result of it’s in the end an ‘80s interval piece, and despite the fact that the Stonewall Riots occurred almost 20 years prior, there was nonetheless lots of work to be finished in 1987. So if 16-year-old Will has no different framework to speak his fact to his associates within the late ‘80s, honest sufficient. Particularly if there are nonetheless younger individuals dwelling in small cities like Hawkins who’re watching exhibits like Stranger Issues and nonetheless at that stage of their lives.
That stated, the ‘80s setting does have some followers questioning the place the hell this common acceptance is coming from. Yeah, you possibly can argue the Stranger Issues gang has been by way of a lot that they don’t have time for homophobia, however when has an apocalypse ever been sufficient to make a bigot admit to the error of their methods? I don’t know, it’s an ungainly line to stroll once you’re together with queer characters in your story. When you present a very accepting universe, you run the danger of coming off as inauthentic, however for those who painting the truth of the queer expertise, you’ll inevitably have essentially the most on-line armchair marketing consultant calling your work an ethical failing to the gays you hope to symbolize. Everybody’s obtained their preferences, however as hokey because the scene is perhaps, I’ve a tough time viewing it as something aside from well-meaning.
the idea of getting like 10 individuals in a room within the 1980’s, popping out to them, and never a singular one is homophobic 😭
no shade is that why erica wasn’t within the scene 😭😭
— Base (@outsoldnation) December 26, 2025
The larger downside I’ve with the scene is one many individuals are having with Stranger Issues’ closing season, which is that the writing is so easy and inelegant that you need to marvel if Netflix is truly telling writers to dumb down their work for the people who find themselves all the time on their rattling telephones. Stranger Issues has moderately complicated mythology and lore, so I don’t suppose anybody who’s nonetheless invested after 5 seasons must have dialogue mashed up and spoonfed to them like they’re a child, however that proclivity feels fairly obvious on this scene. On the very least, the polarizing second has obtained the shitpost pipeline flowing.
im crine pic.twitter.com/G42e3Cf7jY
— mike truther (@mikewhpilled) December 27, 2025
will: i don’t like girlsmike: holy auradustin: holy auralucas: holy auramax: holy aurael: holy auraeveryone else: i’ve seen stranger thingssteve: and when i’m
— sofia (@miwiseven) December 27, 2025
will: guys the world is perhaps ending however.. i like boys ><holly: pic.twitter.com/iYiRFg10il
— emma ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝 (@elshoneymoon) December 26, 2025
is not there an apocalypse occurring
— jolene of arc (@okaypompeii) December 26, 2025
11 individuals on this shot and it’s the 80’s
statistically at the very least one in every of them must be calling him a slur
— Mania💫 (@NovaMania17) December 26, 2025
will: i dont like girlsmike: murray: properly butter my butt and name me a biscuit robin: ive seen stranger issues steve: and when im again in chicago
— ɯnld (@victorianplum) December 26, 2025
vecna additionally being there for will’s popping out scene as a result of he’s utilizing will as a spy pic.twitter.com/n1v3Zs0W71
— 🐰 (@c_tviz) December 26, 2025
kali throughout will popping out scene pic.twitter.com/Fx1ZsF7uid
— annalise (@gowonite) December 26, 2025
Complete gang pulling as much as the need byers popping out!! pic.twitter.com/KLqhQA0B5y
— Paris (@7Bylers) December 26, 2025
charlie heaton being the one one truly performing and giving will’s popping out scene actual emotion thanks king pic.twitter.com/nzfJkEE6Ac
— kdawg (@lolasstuff) December 26, 2025
at this level they could as properly have invited me too for will’s popping out scene
— les ☆ (@dailysbyers) December 26, 2025
And wills popping out scene was simply him having a panic assault and making an attempt to persuade 20 those who he’s “nonetheless regular” regardless of his queerness pic.twitter.com/nEDHFy2Su5
— bella ⋆❅*𖢔𐂂꙳ (@pusheenbyers) December 26, 2025
i disliked will’s popping out scene as a result of it felt impersonal and rushed. you disliked will’s popping out scene since you’re a homophobic bigot. we aren’t the identical
— em ! ⋆˚࿔ (@wlwsqk) December 28, 2025
mike throughout will’s popping out speech pic.twitter.com/iJ2Olz3MCO
— leon akgae (@sileonthill) December 26, 2025
homophobes have been clearly all the time going to hate Will’s popping out scene regardless of the way it occurred however they wrote it in such a horrible, disrespectful method that queer individuals additionally hate it. like that is actually the worst attainable situation and someway it’s our actuality
— 🐈 (@letterbombs) December 28, 2025
It’s kinda loopy how in Will’s popping out scene you possibly can inform Winona actually needed to Act so arduous however they gave her like one line so she’s simply sitting there him tremendous intensely
— karen. together with her wine. (@dykeseyah) December 28, 2025
steve crying throughout wills popping out as a result of now hes impressed to go confess his love for jonathan pic.twitter.com/SKI4rfQHNM
— gigi (@DEMOGIGI) December 28, 2025
pic.twitter.com/phjECp1MML
— u︎︀︀︀︀︀︀︀︀ʎ︀l︀ǝ ♛☀︎︎ (@WillsWiserSistr) December 28, 2025
Additionally, holy shit. They took 12 hours to shoot that scene after which one other 12 hours for reshoots? Jesus. Anyway, right here’s the superior scene of Robin popping out in season 3 to cleanse your palate.
