"No matter how hard-boiled a show is, if it exists, there are shippers of it. Even Stranger Things, which followed a bunch of actual children, had fans wondering who would end up with who by the end. Now, it's nine years and (almost) five seasons later, and these characters (and especially the actors) have grown into young adults. In Season 3, we watched Will be heartbroken when Mike says, "It's not my fault that you don't like girls,""
"When Will pauses the preparations for the final fight against Vecna to come out to all of his friends, it's not because he's ready. It's because he knows Vecna can use his secrets against him. It's not a typical situation at all, but it's definitely not the healthiest of circumstances. While Will is coming out on his own terms, it's not because he wants to; it's because he feels like he has to, in order to take emotional ammunition away from Vecna."
Fans speculated about romantic outcomes across the series as the child characters matured into young adults. Seasons 3 and 4 established queer subtext for Will through Mike's comment and the strain of distance. The final-season revelation happens during the climactic battle when Vecna threatens to use intimate secrets as leverage. Will comes out not from readiness but to deny Vecna emotional ammunition. The confession under duress makes the moment feel abrupt and unhealthy. Multiple narrative and timing failures combined to render the reveal late, unearned, and emotionally problematic.
Read at Inverse
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