Stranger Things 5 Volume 2 included Will Byers finally coming out to his friends and family. But, the finale episode of this drop is getting review bombed on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.
At the time of writing, the latest entry in the massive Netflix franchise sits at a 56% on the Popcornmeter. However, anyone paying attention knows that the series second volume is sitting at an 83% fresh on the Tomatometer at large from critics. So, we have internet troublemakers trying to hijack discourse en route to making on of Will’s most powerful scenes into a discussion point.
Now, there are real criticisms of Noah Schnapp’s massive moment in this last gasp of Stranger Things 5 Volume 2. Namely, why are we having a town hall meeting for everyone as the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance? I mean, in a season where some of the more beloved characters haven’t had the chance to shine that longtime fans might have hoped for. The Duffers and the rest of the creative team made the decision to shove as many familiar faces into the frame as possible to react to Will’s big reveal.
That’s just one of the gripes. Going on social media over the last week has seen a bunch of really smart people talking about the choices being made as Stranger Things gets ready to close up shop. Will being gay, which has been heavily telegraphed, isn’t really one of them.
Will’s coming out on Stranger Things 5 gets review-bombed
Despite those very valid questions, the sentiment of that moment rings true. Yeah, Will might have wanted to run that by his mom first. But, coming out rarely happens when you plan for it. Talking to Variety, Matt Duffer confessed that the Stranger Things team were incredibly careful about Will’s big moment. “We really were writing it to and for Noah. He wrote us sobbing after he read it,” Duffer revealed. “So it really worked and resonated for him, which was great.”\
“Ross and I spent longer writing that scene, I think, than certainly any other scene this year — if not ever. We were so concerned about getting it right. There were a lot of things that went into it,” Duffer explained. “I mean, we’re definitely nervous about how it’s going to go over with everyone. But not as nervous as we were handing it over to Noah. Because ultimately, it needed to resonate and be truthful for him.”
Sometimes people aren’t ready for the truth. Or rather, they are, but they seek to hinder its impact. There’s a lot of stuff you can say about Stranger Things this season. But, putting that single entry into the bucket of “the worst episode of the series” isn’t one of them!
(featured image: Netflix)
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