The seventh episode of the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’ was crucial for the popular Netflix series in many ways. It set the key pieces on the board for the climactic finale of the last episode, and also finished establishing the personalities of many of its characters. This final development especially affected Will (Noah Schnapp), who decided to come out to his loved ones, his companions in life and adventures in the Duffer brothers’ series, resulting in one of the most beautiful and emotional scenes in ‘Stranger Things’. However, it seems that many viewers didn’t like it and didn’t hesitate to criticize it openly; now, the Duffer brothers have defended what is, by far, the most criticized episode of the season.
Harsh criticism for Will Byers’ most personal confession
During the final stretch of the seventh episode of the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’, Will, before the final confrontation against Vecna and the Mind Flayer, starred in a memorable scene in which he completely opens up to his family and friends. A very emotional sequence that surely moved a good part of the audience; however, many others did not see it favorably, harshly criticizing the scene and giving the episode the worst ratings of the series so far. Basically, the usual suspects.
Now, the Duffer brothers have defended their idea against the criticism: “The coming-out scene is something we’ve been preparing for nine years. It was a very important scene for us and for Noah, not only from a thematic point of view, but also from a narrative one,” Ross Duffer told Variety. “This series has always focused on our characters overcoming evil, and to that end, Vecna, in many ways, represents all the dark thoughts and wickedness of society. And for our characters to overcome that, it’s about accepting themselves, and then also accepting each other and coming together,” the series co-creator continues.
“The scene was the final step in Will’s journey, and he is, in many ways, the key to defeating Vecna,” Matt Duffer adds. “Volume one is really about self-acceptance. It’s like the first step. And then the second step is Will talking to Robin; it’s something he wants to do. He’s trying to figure out how to come out, and he knows he needs to do it, and that’s the final step for him. And he finds the courage to be able to do it. And it’s really the ultimate ‘screw you’ to Vecna. That was the intention,” the other co-creator of ‘Stranger Things’ concludes.
And even though this episode has been the lowest-rated of all, solely due to the intolerance of many, the Duffer brothers reaffirm their ideas and their true intention with Will’s scene: “We are proud of the episode, the scene, and Noah, who gave a very brave and vulnerable performance. I think that’s where Ross and I were most sensitive, with Noah, because of how close this was to him,” Matt Duffer explains.
“And our goal was to make sure he felt comfortable and happy with the scene. And when he was, we felt good. I’ve been texting him a lot, but specifically after that scene and after that episode aired. And he’s doing great. He’s very proud of the scene, and so are we.” It’s worth noting that this scene was nine years in the making and took 12 hours to film. Regarding the homophobic reaction from a certain segment of the audience, the Duffer brothers responded:
“We were very worried about getting it right. Many factors were considered. That is, we were very nervous about how everyone would react. But not as nervous as when we gave it to Noah. Because, ultimately, it had to resonate with him and feel authentic. We really wrote it for and about Noah. He wrote to us, crying after reading it. So it worked wonderfully and connected with him, which was great. I know he put in a lot of work himself. And most of what’s in the final version is from the first take,” the Duffer brothers concluded.
Source: Variety
