As Stranger Things races toward its long-awaited finale, a storm has erupted online—one that has less to do with monsters from the Upside Down and more to do with real-world identity, emotion, and backlash.
The penultimate episode, The Bridge, features the moment fans have waited for since Season 1: Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, finally coming out in an emotional, heart-wrenching monologue. It’s a scene the Duffer brothers designed as the emotional resolution of Will’s long, quiet struggle—a culmination of years of hints, subtext, and heartbreak.
But not everyone saw it that way. Just days before the finale’s release, Elon Musk waded into the conversation with a tweet that lit up social media: “It’s completely unnecessary and forced on audiences who just want to enjoy some basic sci-fi.” His comment—posted to X (formerly Twitter) on December 28, 2025—instantly polarized fans and critics, reigniting a broader debate about storytelling, representation, and who gets to decide what belongs in pop culture.
Following Musk’s criticism, Stranger Things became the target of “review bombing,” sending its Rotten Tomatoes audience score tumbling to a record low 57%. Some frustrated viewers accused the show of prioritizing social commentary over storytelling, claiming the writing had grown “preachy” or “rushed.” Others demanded the release of alleged “deleted scenes,” insisting the final episodes had been tampered with.
Still, the backlash only tells one side of the story. Across social media, thousands of fans—and many within the LGBTQ+ community—rallied behind Schnapp, praising his portrayal as “authentic,” “moving,” and “long overdue.” One post that quickly went viral came from a mother who wrote to Schnapp: “Dear Noah, you can’t imagine how moved my daughter and I were by your scene. She was able to accept herself and say it out loud at 13.” Her message struck a chord, with thousands of users sharing similar stories about the power of seeing themselves reflected on screen.
Others called the performance “special,” thanking both Schnapp and the Duffer brothers for handling Will’s journey with empathy and patience. “As a gay man, I just want to thank you for everything you represent,” wrote one fan. “Seeing the protagonist of such a historic series being gay made me feel powerful and seen.”
Behind the scenes, Schnapp admitted that he agonized over getting the scene right. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 20-year-old actor revealed he “lost so much sleep” leading up to filming, adding that reading the script made him cry. “It felt satisfying,” he wrote, “because it wasn’t rushed or shoved in your face—it was honest. It was Will finally being himself.”
The Duffer brothers have since confirmed that they spent more time perfecting Will’s monologue than any other scene in the series. To them, it was more than a reveal—it was a release.
Now, with the finale set to drop on New Year’s Day, the divide among fans remains sharp. Some, echoing Musk’s view, want Stranger Things to stick to its sci-fi roots. Others see this as the show’s emotional peak—a human moment in a supernatural world. But whether loved or loathed, the scene has achieved what Stranger Things has always done best: it’s made people feel something.
And for Noah Schnapp—and for the fans who saw their own story reflected in Will Byers—that’s the real magic of the show’s final chapter.
