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Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Stranger Things season 5. If you're not up to date, and don't want to know anything that happens, turn back now!
To say a lot happened in Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2 is an understatement. Across the three episodes, Nancy almost destroyed the world, Dustin discovered what the Upside Down actually is, and Max found her way back to her physical body. Elsewhere, Will came out as gay to his entire friends and family in a bid to shake off Vecna's mind control – and according to the Duffer Brothers, the scene took the longest to write of any on the five-season show.
"We were so concerned about getting it right," co-creator Matt Duffer told Variety in a post-episode breakdown. "There were a lot of things that went into it. 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 [Will Byers actor] Noah [Schnapp]. Because ultimately, it needed to resonate and be truthful for him. We really were writing it to and for Noah. He wrote us sobbing after he read it. So it really worked and resonated for him, which was great."
During the chat, Ross Duffer went on to reveal that Will's big coming out scene was originally supposed to happen in season 4, but with so much screentime zapped by Vecna's set-up, they wound up pulling it. "We just realized we didn't have the space to do it properly," he noted. "I'm glad we didn't, because it really gave us time to arc an entire season toward this – toward this one moment. And yes, he is starting to embrace himself, which we see in Vol. 1.
"But what he realizes is that there's still something in there that Vecna exploits – which is that he hasn't told anyone about this. That ultimately led to the coming out scene. Originally, it was just going to be Joyce in the original draft of the outline and the scene was not hitting properly. We realized that Joyce is an important part of this, but he really needed to do it in front of everyone."
With that, episode 7 (officially titled 'The Bridge') sees Will gather Joyce, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven, and more at The Squawk's headquarters to explain why he's always felt a little disconnected from his fellow Dungeons & Dragons-loving pals.
"I haven't told any of you this, because I don't want you to see me differently. But the truth is, I am. I am different. I don't like girls," the Byers boy says through tears. "I mean, I do, just not like you guys do."
He goes on to say that Vecna has been terrorizing him with visions of his coming out and the aftermath, where some of his nearest and dearest "worry" for him while others distance themselves. "I'm alone, and I know none of that has happened and I know Vecna can't see into the future but he can't see into our minds, and he knows things, and it felt so real."
Winona Ryder's Joyce is the first to interrupt him, insisting that all of that "will never ever happen". Will's brother Jonathan echoes her sentiments, as Lucas, Dustin and co chime in, too.
Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. If you need help figuring out exactly what's gone down so far, check out our breakdown of the Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2 ending explained.
