Stranger Things writers release script for emotional season 4 scene

Stranger Things season 4 featured plenty of emotional beats, from Max's memory montage to Eleven confronting her past at Hawkins Lab. Another tear-worthy moment saw Will give Mike a pep talk in the  back of a Surfer Boy Pizza van, hinting at a lot about himself in the process – and now, the writers have shared the script, which further highlights the subtext.

The sequence, which plays out in episode 8, sees Mike (Finn Wolfhard) open up to his best friend about his insecurities, and his worries about his relationship with Eleven. "She's… special. She was born special.  Maybe I was one of the first to realize that – but the truth is, I just stumbled on her in the woods when she needed someone. It's not fate, it's not destiny, it's simple dumb luck," he explains, as the script spells out. "One day she's going to realize that deep down I'm just some random nerd who got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep."

Will (Noah Schnapp) comforts Mike by telling him that El will "always need" him, before showing him the painting he's been working on for the past few weeks. In it, the gang are depicted fending off a dragon, with Mike – bearing a heart symbol on his armor – leading the charge.

"Without heart, we'd all fall apart. Even El, especially El. These past few months, she's been lost without you. She's so different from other people and it's really scary to be different," Will says. "When you're different, sometimes you feel like a mistake."

For anyone who's been paying close attention to Will across the Netflix show's four seasons, it's pretty clear that he's referring to himself in the moment as much as he is El. Over the last couple of installments, particularly, there have been lines – and looks – that suggest Will has feelings for Mike, and is struggling to fully come to terms with his sexuality. The van scene certainly makes that a little more obvious, and its script, even more so. In it, Jonathan explicitly picks up how Will is talking about himself, unlike Mike, which leads to the brothers having a heart-to-heart later on in the following episode, too.

"OH MY GOD," one fan wrote back to the tweet that shared the written snippet, while another replied: "AAAA THANK YOU FOR THIS GAY CONTENT." Other followers joked that the post left them "shaking, crying" and "screaming."

"If she was mean to you or – or she seemed like she was pushing you away, it's probably just because she was scared of losing you, just as you're scared of losing her," Will continues. "If she was going to lose you, I think she'd rather just get it over with quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid. Because losing you? It just hurts, it hurts too much."

If you're still reeling from the latest batch of episodes, get some further insight with our guide to the Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 Easter Eggs. While we wait for more information on Stranger Things season 5, why not check out our list of the best Netflix shows to watch right now.