Netflix’s once-beloved hit Stranger Things is stumbling toward the finish line due to the streamer’s obsession with identity politics. After nearly a decade of popularity since its 2016 debut, the show’s fifth and final season has sparked a wave of online backlash that’s hard for even its most loyal fans to ignore.
What started as a tight, nostalgic sci-fi thriller has turned into something else entirely. The fifth season, especially Volume 2, has drawn more criticism than applause. One episode in particular has angered viewers, sinking to one of the lowest ratings in the show’s history.
The center of the controversy is actor Noah Schnapp’s character, Will Byers. In the episode’s final moments, Will announces that he is gay. The scene features a long speech about secrets and acceptance, ending with emotional hugs all around. Netflix framed it as a big, heartfelt moment, but many viewers saw it as forced and out of touch with the show’s original tone.
The series has dropped hints about Will’s sexuality for years. Now that the reveal has finally happened, many fans say it feels more like a studio requirement than an organic story choice. Even some members of the LGBTQ community admitted the scene arrived too late to matter and too awkwardly to feel genuine.
Stopping all the action for a homosexual party was crazy
— america 2026 (@steveamerica26) December 27, 2025
Complaints don’t stop there. Fans have blasted Volume 2 for clunky dialogue, uneven pacing, and scenes that drag on for emotional effect. One moment with Sadie Sink’s Max giving an extended speech to Nell Fisher’s Holly right before a tense escape drew eye rolls instead of tears. Many longtime viewers fear that after all these detours, the story that was once sharp and suspenseful has lost its way.
Social media backlash was almost universal.
The best part was how restrained and subtle it was
— Dash R Period (-R.) (@dash_r_media) December 29, 2025
>Gets forced to deepthroat pedo tentacle
>Turns gay
What did Netflix mean by this pic.twitter.com/Ce8dDcACOn
— Unkindled Failure (@_Autist_Chan) December 26, 2025
💯🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/Am7hhkabjo
— Daniel Hall (@Daniel_Hall) December 26, 2025
🤣Stranger Things – Will Buyers Comes Out As Gay ft. Tony Soprano GOLDEN – Simply the best😅😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/4RmKECmCqo
— #SeekingTheTruth JoshWho (@JoshWhoX) December 30, 2025
Super cringey. Weak ending to the show for a hyped season. I didn’t feel immersed at all. Max was there for 2 years but didn’t care to have any urgency to leave?
— Keegan (@Keegan328904) December 26, 2025
You’ll be happy when Will destroys Vecna by shooting a rainbow from his chest.
— Sparrow’s Ring; Are Ya Listenin’? (@Aaron_Sparrow) December 26, 2025
As always in Netflix series, the question is not whether a character will come out, but WHEN and WHO will come out!
— Déborah (@dvorahfr) December 28, 2025
It’s completely unnecessary and forced on audiences who just want to enjoy some basic sci-fi
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2025
X user @Huff4Congress asked Grok AI to update the scene to better reflect the lingo and attitudes of teens in the 80’s era. The resutls were hilarious and cruel, but really contrasted the tone-deafness of the show in high relief.
I asked @Grok to rewrite the “Will Byers comes out” scene to better reflect the 1980s time period.
All rights @Netflix @Stranger_Things pic.twitter.com/Hv49irQWUR
— Huff (@Huff4Congress) December 28, 2025
Season 5 Episode 7, titled The Bridge, now holds the dubious honor of being the second lowest-rated episode of the series, behind only Season 2’s infamous The Lost Sister. With just one episode left, fans say it will take a miracle to regain the momentum that once made the show a phenomenon. The “gay episode” has already turned into an internet meme, which may say more about how far Stranger Things has drifted than any critic ever could.
Netflix once towered over the streaming world by giving audiences smart, engaging stories. Now, the company seems more interested in preaching than entertaining. Too often, it trades creativity for social messaging that feels more like corporate virtue than genuine storytelling. Stranger Things used to remind viewers why they loved classic adventure and suspense. Today, it’s another example of how Hollywood can’t resist rewriting a winning formula just to squeeze in a message no one asked for. Fans didn’t tune in for lectures about identity politics—they came for monsters, mystery, and heart. Netflix seems to have forgotten that difference, and the viewers are noticing.
We’ll drop our series finale review tomorrow.
***
---01.jpg)
English (US) · 