‘Stranger Things’ Creators Clap Back at Review Bombing Over Will’s Coming Out

The Netflix juggernaut wrapped its final chapter only to find itself facing a familiar modern monster: toxic fan review bombing. After the penultimate episode revealed Will Byers finally coming out to his friends, online ratings took a sudden nosedive and Matt and Ross Duffer are not backing down.

The episode in question quickly became the lowest-rated installment of the entire series on Rotten Tomatoes, dragging the season’s score down with it. And no, it wasn’t because of shoddy storytelling or a rogue demogorgon subplot. The backlash zeroed in on Will’s long-anticipated coming out scene, confirming what many already suspected: some corners of fandom still lose their minds when queer text becomes explicit.

The Duffers, however, are having none of it. Speaking candidly after the finale, the creators made it clear this moment wasn’t a last-minute “woke twist” but a payoff nearly a decade in the making. Will’s journey toward self-acceptance has been baked into the DNA of Stranger Things since season one, when he was literally hunted for being different. In the final stretch, that difference becomes power.

Thematically, the choice tracks perfectly. Vecna has always embodied fear, shame and the ugliest impulses of society, the kind that thrive on repression and isolation. Letting Will finally say who he is, out loud and without apology, reframes the fight against Vecna as something more personal and more human. According to the Duffers, Will embracing himself is a necessary step in defeating the show’s ultimate villain. Translation: authenticity is the real boss battle.

There’s also the human side of it. The brothers have been vocal about how important the scene was for Noah Schnapp, who has spoken openly about how closely Will’s arc mirrors his own experiences. The creative team prioritized getting the moment right for him above all else, even if it meant spending more time on that scene than any other in the series. That care shows on screen, no matter how loudly review bombers try to shout it down.

What’s especially wild is that the Duffers admitted they didn’t expect this level of backlash in 2025. After nine years of not-so-subtle storytelling, they assumed viewers could connect the dots. Instead, the response proved how quickly representation can still trigger bad-faith outrage and how easily rating systems can be weaponized. Still, the creators remain proud and frankly, they should be. Will’s coming out isn’t a detour from Stranger Things; it’s the emotional endpoint.

In the end, the review bombing says far more about certain viewers than it does about the episode itself. Stranger Things stuck the landing by letting one of its most vulnerable characters finally step into the light. Vecna may be gone, but the real-world monsters? They’re still lurking in the comment sections and the Duffers are more than happy to call them out.