Patriot Brief
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What Happened: Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things revealed that Will Byers does not like girls as the show begins wrapping up its five season run.
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Why It Matters: The moment has sparked backlash from fans who argue the reveal feels forced and unnecessary at the end of a long running story.
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Bottom Line: What was framed as an emotional milestone is being viewed by many viewers as a divisive creative choice.
Netflix’s most successful show of all time is heading toward its final chapter, and the reaction from fans has been anything but celebratory.
As Stranger Things begins wrapping up its five season run, one of the show’s core characters was revealed to be gay, a move that immediately ignited backlash across social media. In what USA Today described as an “emotional climax,” Will Byers tells his friends that he does not like girls.
NEW: Stranger Things on Netflix starts wrapping up their series of 5 seasons by making one of the characters come out as gay.
In what USA Today is calling an “emotional climax,” Will Byers tells his friends that he doesn’t like girls.
Stranger Things is the most successful… pic.twitter.com/rISzyYHIEt
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 27, 2025
The reveal comes late in the life of a series that has already cemented itself as a cultural juggernaut. Stranger Things, which streams on Netflix, has logged 3,977,500,000 watch hours, making it the platform’s most watched series ever, according to IMDb.
That success is part of why the reaction has been so intense. Many longtime fans argue the moment feels less like organic storytelling and more like a calculated statement dropped at the finish line. Online critics accuse the show of prioritizing messaging over narrative closure, with some saying it undercuts years of character development.
Supporters of the move argue the reveal adds depth and emotional honesty to Will’s arc. Critics counter that audiences did not tune in for lectures or last minute twists, but for the supernatural adventure and friendships that made the series iconic in the first place.
As Stranger Things prepares to close the door on Hawkins, the controversy underscores a growing divide between Hollywood creatives and the audiences that made these franchises massive. When viewers feel preached at instead of entertained, even the biggest hits are not immune from backlash.