Throughout Stranger Things’ run – and especially in the most recent season – fans have wondered if Will (Noah Schnapp) might be gay – and now the show has given us the strongest hints yet about the character’s sexuality.
In the first episode of Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 – the eighth of the season overall – Will and Mike share a scene in which the former comforts his friend by telling him that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) still needs him. But it’s immediately clear that he’s not so much speaking about El as he is outlining his own thought process.
“These past few months she’s been so lost without you,” Will says. “It’s just, she’s so different from other people, and…when you’re…when you’re different, sometimes…you feel like a mistake.
“But you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all. Like she’s better for being different.”
He goes on: “And that gives her the courage to fight on. If she was mean to you or she seemed like she was pushing you away, it’s probably because she’s scared of losing you, just like you’re scared of losing her. And if she was going to lose you, I think she’d rather just get it over with quick. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.
“So yeah, El needs you Mike. And she always will.”
Mike doesn’t quite seem to realise the significance of this speech, however, and we soon discover that Will is in tears as he stares in anguish out of the car window – something which his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) appears to notice.
That leads to a scene in episode 9, in which the two brothers talk about the situation and Jonathan explains that he’s sad Will no longer comes to him for help.
“I miss talking to you,” he says. “I, like really miss it. And I think right now, we need to talk more than ever. Because things are getting just complicated.
“I just… I don’t want you to forget that I’m here,” he adds. “And I’ll always be here. No matter what. Because you’re my brother. And I love you. And there is nothing in this world, OK, absolutely nothing, that will ever change that.”
At this point, Will becomes notably emotional, and the pair hug it out as the music swells – with Jonathan reassuring his brother: “It’s gonna be OK.”
There isn’t much time to dwell on the conversation though – with the pair soon having to return to the small matter of saving the world – and as before, the series doesn’t explicitly spell out exactly what’s bothering Will. This may frustrate some fans wanting the series to openly address this storyline, but with one season of Stranger Things still to go they may get their wish down the line.
Until then, time to replay and dissect those scenes ad infinitum… it’s what the Netflix rewind setting was made for, right?
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are now available on Netflix. Check out our guides to the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
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