We Need to Talk About Will

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Spoilers follow for “The Bridge,” the penultimate episode of Stranger Things.

In the final season of Stranger Things, Will Byers publicly acknowledges he is gay. The show hinted at this throughout its run—even in the first episode, his mother mentioned his father once used a homophobic slur to describe him, and later, a disagreement with his friend Mike touched on Will’s lack of interest in girls. However, Will’s journey with his feelings, particularly his romantic feelings for Mike, became a central part of his story in the show’s last two seasons.

Everyone expected this storyline to happen, and now it’s clear why: as the season ends, Will and his friends are preparing for a final showdown with Vecna, the “psychic serial killer,” who plans to merge their world with a nightmarish dimension called the Abyss. Vecna is increasingly targeting Will’s mind, forcing him to relive painful memories—and imagine a future where his family and friends might not accept him if he came out as gay. By bravely telling them he’s gay, Will is taking control of his own story and fighting back against Vecna’s attacks.

How this scene lands after nine years of Stranger Things will likely depend on how invested you are in the show. As a longtime fan, I found it moving when Joyce, Jonathan, and Will’s friends each reassured him of their unwavering support – it’s the emotional moment we’ve been anticipating. While it largely succeeds, this important step for Will’s character still doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch it should, considering everything that’s happened over the past five seasons. Something feels incomplete.

One issue is the writing feels inconsistent, especially because Will’s storyline closely mirrors Robin’s coming-out experience. Their friendship this season has been a positive development, highlighted by Robin sharing her feelings about Tammy Thompson in an earlier episode. That scene was impactful for Robin and Maya Hawke’s performance, and it seemed to help Will start understanding himself better. However, it feels unnecessary for Will to repeat Robin’s exact words when he finally expresses his own truth. He even mentions Tammy and uses the same phrasing – “it was never about him, it was about me” – which Robin said almost word-for-word. Shouldn’t Will have a unique journey, instead of simply revisiting another character’s past?

The real problem with recent seasons of Stranger Things is what happened to Will Byers. The show initially revolved around him – he was central to the mystery, much like Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks. Even though he wasn’t always on screen, we learned about him through his loved ones. We saw him as a shy, thoughtful boy who was different, but also warm, smart, and kind. We cared about him because his friends and family cared so deeply, and that made us invested in their journey too. Seeing their desperation to find him gave the show a strong emotional core. In fact, season two wouldn’t have worked without him! Bringing Will into the main group of friends could have felt forced, but Noah Schnapp made it seamless. He was fantastic in the scenes where Will was possessed – who can forget the eerie line, “He likes it cold?” But he also played the more vulnerable moments beautifully, like when he listened to his mom’s boyfriend talk about nightmares, or when he tearfully described his experience with the Mind Flayer to Joyce, saying, “I felt it… everywhere. I still feel it.” Schnapp made it easy to root for Will, to admire his courage, and to feel heartbroken for him.

The show’s portrayal of Will began to falter early in season three when he was sidelined to a supporting role. Because he wasn’t connected to the main plot – the return of the Mind Flayer and its possession of Billy – he ended up mostly complaining about his friends’ relationships and trying to get them to play Dungeons & Dragons. The show could have explored interesting themes, like Will dealing with survivor’s guilt or the challenges of readjusting to normal life after two major traumas. Instead, Stranger Things focused too much on Will’s envy of Eleven and his resentment towards his friends for growing up, leaving the character feeling lost and underutilized.

This pattern continued into the fourth season, even as the show began to explore Will’s sexuality more openly. However, Will often felt sidelined, either pining for his friend – a storyline that didn’t quite resonate, largely because it happened off-screen – or simply explaining the mysteries of the Upside Down and the latest supernatural danger. How many times did we see Will touch the back of his neck and somberly warn everyone that “He’s here” or “He knows we’re here”?

As a huge fan of Stranger Things, I’ve noticed a real shift in Noah Schnapp’s performance, and it’s honestly a little heartbreaking. It feels like with less to work with in the scripts, he’s lost some of the nuance that made Will so compelling. He can definitely do the crying scenes, but delivering even a simple line feels flat now. Remember how you could practically feel Will’s panic in every little movement, every expression? We used to see him battling with his fears – wanting to fit in, but terrified of what would happen if he let his guard down. That internal struggle just isn’t there anymore. It’s hard to tell if it’s the writing, the way they’re filming, or just the challenge of growing up on screen, but something’s missing. It’s not just Schnapp, either – a few of the younger actors seem to have lost that spark from the earlier, more character-focused seasons.

You know, as a longtime fan, I’ve always loved Will’s character. Lately, the show’s really done a great job bringing him back to the forefront, especially with the focus on his connection to Vecna and tying everything back to when he went missing. For a while there, Eleven was definitely the main hero, but now it feels like they’re finally sharing those duties, which is perfect. And honestly, it’s incredibly moving to see a young, queer character come into his own – and for that journey of self-discovery to be what ultimately helps him unlock his powers and fight the big bad. It just feels really right.

After years of sidelining Will’s story or only focusing on his differences superficially, the show’s attempt at a coming-out arc feels unconvincing. While not every such storyline needs to be revolutionary, this one follows a predictable path, unfolding in just a few brief scenes across the final episodes. Ideally, exploring a character’s queerness should deepen our understanding of them, but here it actually simplifies Will, turning his long-standing social struggles into a straightforward and somewhat superficial journey of self-acceptance. Though Will appears more in the latest season than he did in previous ones, it’s harder to connect with him or feel sympathy for him as we once did.

Will Byers arguably suffered the most as the young cast of Stranger Things grew up. He was always portrayed as innocent and sympathetic, and viewers naturally felt bad for him. He used to be my favorite character – I always thought his performance was underappreciated. Perhaps the writers originally intended for Will not to survive until the final season, and maybe giving him typical teenage struggles and a forced romantic storyline was a mistake.

Perhaps the core of the show itself has changed, and the way Will’s story is handled reflects that. While the series still has emotional moments – Steve and Dustin brought a couple of tears to my eyes in the new episodes – these genuine feelings are often overshadowed by long stretches of dark, over-the-top action. Season five feels like it’s all build-up to a finale, but because of that, the actual climax doesn’t feel as impactful as it should.

In season two, Will heard the story of Phineas Gage, a man who amazingly survived a metal rod going through his head, but his personality changed drastically afterward – people said he was “no longer Gage.” This phrase stuck with Will, who was nicknamed “Zombie Boy” after his apparent return from the dead in season one. I expected Will to fade into the background again in the final episodes, but he didn’t. The problem wasn’t how much he appeared on screen, though. The real change is that the writers now have a different vision for Will Byers, and for the show as a whole. Stranger Things is still enjoyable, but it’s evolved – it’s no longer the same show it once was.

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2025-12-26 17:55