It was a cultural revelation when Stranger Things dropped on Netflix back in 2016. Just from word of mouth alone, the science-fiction drama series became an overnight sensation. Acting as one of Netflix’s flagship series, Stranger Things has reeled in massive viewership over the years, particularly for its characterization, acting, soundtrack, and homages to the 1980s. Many thematic elements were inspired by some of the greatest filmmakers and authors out there, namely Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, Stephen King, and Wes Craven.
In the debut episode, suitably titled “The Vanishing of Will Byers,” Noah Schnapp’s character Will Byers mysteriously goes missing, which prompts his friends to form a search party to find him. On his way home from a ten-hour-long Dungeons & Dragons campaign with his best friends Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, young Will bikes home. On the way, he encounters an unseen creature with telekinetic powers, which we later find out to be the Demogorgon.
Will becomes trapped in an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, which is ruled by a malicious entity called the Mind Flayer. Through Season 1, Will’s friends and family gradually discover his whereabouts and — with the help of Eleven — find a way into the Upside Down to rescue him.
The Duffer Brothers advise viewers via Variety that they hope to do the series justice by coming full-circle and making Will the center of attention once more in the fifth and final season. Throughout the second, third, and fourth seasons, Will was demoted to more of a recurring character than a main one, as the series instead shifted focus to Eleven and her backstory.
“Will really takes center stage again in 5. This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”
In the fourth season, we discover — through direct implication and later his confrontation with his brother Jonathan — that Will is gay. It is also heavily insinuated that Will has a crush on Mike, who will never return his affection. During the ’80s, it wasn’t universally accepted for someone to be gay, therefore Will struggles to come out to family and friends, much like Noah Schnapp’s own coming out journey.
It seems promising that Will’s story will reach a satisfying conclusion in the final season. Hopefully, that means we’ll be seeing a boyfriend in his crystal ball.