Fans who have completed part 2 of “Stranger Things” season 4 know that Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has finally come out as gay in a roundabout way. The show doesn’t really say he’s outright gay. But this shyness is pretty true to the 1980s, a time when code language was often used to identify someone as queer. The 1980s was also a time when cisgender boys and men who were perceived as “too feminine” (i.e., did not conform to society’s strict notions of masculinity) were unfairly associated with the monstrous. And it’s this last fact in particular that paved the way for Will Byers’ coming out.
But first, let’s look back at the cases of coded language. While fans may have missed these brief moments, they were definitely there in previous seasons. Way back in the very first episode, after Will first disappears, his mother Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) seeks the help of the local police chief, Hopper (David Harbour). While Hopper thinks Will may be addicted, Joyce disagrees: “He’s not like you, Hopper. He’s not like me, he’s not like… most.” She then adds, “Look, he’s a sensitive kid.” In the 1980s, “sensitive boy” usually signaled that someone was not heteronormative in terms of their performance of stereotypical gender roles.
As if this clue wasn’t enough, the scene at the police station gets even harder, foreshadowing Will’s sexuality. In a hushed tone, Joyce says her ex-husband used to call the boy “queer,” almost pronouncing the word so no one would hear her. Hopper asks if the boy is, and Joyce, annoyed, yells, “He’s missing! Is what he is.” Later in Season 3, Will is annoyed that his friends’ girlfriends have distracted the boys from their Dungeons & Dragons play and Mike yells at Will, “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”
Aside from these subtle or major hints, fans of the horror genre may have known that Will Byers would always be gay. In Carol Clover’s seminal 1992 study, “Men, Women, and Chain Saws,” she writes that in occult and paranormal films, those who are “open” to being in harmony with the paranormal always appear more “feminine.” considered. “Occult movies encode emotional openness as feminine, and see those who indulge in it, male and female, as physically opened, penetrated,” she writes.
To be clear, Will’s sexuality should not be confused with being feminine or feminine; rather, his character’s arc follows a pattern set forth by characters who were not the stereotypical macho heroes of the era. Clover’s idea of openness and breaking down barriers is also why such films act in open portals and gates that should not be crossed, but always are. Will in “Stranger Things” is pulled upside down in Season 1 and possessed by the Mind Flayer in Season 2, where much of the season’s plot revolves around freeing him from this possession, a trauma that is remarkably sexualized. When first possessed, the Shadow Monster enters his mouth and presumably other openings – Will later confides in his best friend Mike (Finn Wolfhard) that he can sense the Shadow Monster disturbingly “everywhere”.
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in “Stranger Things” (Ursula Coyote/Netflix) But after this possession, Will gains the ability of “Truesight” and can also see into the ghost of the Shadow Monster, leaving Will one becomes with the Shadow Monster, but at the same time also gifted and open to the paranormal like Elf (Millie Bobby Brown) is. The connection between Will and Eleven becomes so strong that the characters work as stand-ins for each other. In Season 1, Hopper realizes that he’s been chasing the wrong kid the whole time—both Will and El had hair cropped short, and the witness descriptions of either kid could easily describe the other.
Additionally, in Season 4, both El and Will are presented as equally possible loves for Mike. At one point, all three of them hang out in a group at a local roller skating rink in California. Will and El also experience emotionally charged scenes with Mike this season, tearfully venting their disappointment at his perceived lack of interest.
Plus, like El, Will expresses the feeling that he doesn’t belong there. In part 2 he indirectly calls himself ‘a mistake’. He obviously seems to be talking about Eleven’s experiences back then, but this was his way of sharing his true, romantic feelings with Mike without opening up to rejection. “She’s so lost without you – she’s so different from other people. And when you’re different, sometimes you feel like a mistake… but you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all.”
Throughout the series, Eleven has famously struggled with feeling like she’s a monster because she has special powers, because she’s different. Often the characters try to keep her identity a secret. But all the while, it seems Will has also struggled to keep his true identity hidden.
It makes sense at a time when the AIDS crisis has led to larger portrayals of gay men and trans characters as monsters in film. Many culture and film critics even suggest that Anne Rice drew on the true horrors of the AIDS crisis (initially presented by doctors as the “gay cancer”) when she created her groundbreaking gay characters in “Interview with the Vampire.” because she had always supported the LGBTQ community and wanted to tackle the rhetoric of the decade that embraced gays as monsters.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in “Stranger Things” (Netflix) But whether or not the vampires were anthropomorphized, the feeling throughout the decade was that a single mixture of tainted blood could make someone the “living dead” – someone with a incurable disease that would eventually destroy the person. In 1984 native Indiana native Ryan White, although not gay himself, was diagnosed with AIDS after contracting the disease from a blood transfusion. Parents of the children he went to school with fought to keep him from returning to school, and he faced other significant forms of discrimination.
Is it any wonder then that characters like Will and Robin (Maya Hawke) have to be so careful about revealing their true identities to others?
Want a daily summary of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
While an amalgamation of sci-fi and fantasy, “Stranger Things” draws on a horror tradition that encodes boys or men who are open to the paranormal or supernatural as gender in more feminine terms. Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the latest monster in “Stranger Things” – who has incredible psychokinetic powers and now lives in the Upside Down – was also once described by his father as a sensitive boy.
And so, perhaps viewers shouldn’t be surprised when it’s finally revealed that Vecna, in his human form, would have come out as queer. Like Freddy Krueger (who has a gay fandom of his own), he’s also a monster capable of slipping into the minds of his victims. With the predicament Max finds herself in at the end of Season 4, we wonder if she’ll be possessed in Season 5, along with what else lies ahead for the characters at the hands of Vecna.
How many episodes in Stranger Things 4 part 2?
Get ready for an, er, extensive binge. Volume 2 may only consist of two episodes, but they each have a long running time: Episode 8 clocks in at 1 hour 25 minutes, while the grand finale lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. So not as long as The Batman, but still very long!
How many episodes are there in Stranger Things Season 4 Part 2? When Season 4 of Stranger Things came out on Netflix, one of the first things audiences noticed was just how long the season was. Not in terms of the number of episodes, as the season – which was released in two parts on May 27 and July 1, respectively – had a total of 9 episodes, which is quite similar to previous seasons.
Is there going to be a Stranger Things 5?
The final episode of the fourth season of Stranger Things literally rocked the entire world of the show: The Upside Down has officially come to Hawkins. While Netflix plans to make spin-offs, the series is coming to an end with its upcoming fifth and final season.
Will Stranger Things have a season 6?
Now, it’s the beginning of the end. Netflix announced in February that Stranger Things is officially coming to an end with Season 5, which is generally what the series creators The Duffer Brothers have been saying for a while now.
How many episodes will be in season 5 of Stranger Things?
That’s a joke, of course, but the Duffers recently discussed the season five runtime in an interview with Collider, and it sure sounds like we’re in for a shorter run of episodes. “I think we’re aiming for eight [episodes] again,” Matt Duffer said.
Will Stranger Things season 5 come?
It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its last. In February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans along with the official Season 4 poster. “Seven years ago, we planned the full storyline for Stranger Things,” the duo wrote in their letter.
Is Stranger things 4 last season?
Is Stranger Things Season 4 The Last Season Ever? The makers of Stranger Things and Netflix have confirmed that the show will continue after Season 4.
Is Stranger Things Season 4 Part 2 the last season?
Netflix announced in February that Stranger Things is officially coming to an end with Season 5, which is generally what the series creators The Duffer Brothers have been saying for a while now.
Will stranger things 4 be the last season?
In terms of Eleven, her friends at Hawkins and the Upside Down, Stranger Things season 5 will be the final chapter in this story — but that doesn’t mean it’s the last Netflix series set in the Stranger Things universe.
Is Stranger Things Volume 2 the last season?
Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 ahead. It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its last. In February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans along with the official Season 4 poster.
How many episodes of stranger things season 4 will there be?
There is still room for things to get out of hand. “We thought Season 4 would be eight [episodes], and they would be normal length,’ Matt Duffer told Collider. “So if you had interviewed us for four hours, I would have said that.â€
Will there be a season 5 in Stranger Things?
It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its last. In February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans along with the official Season 4 poster.
How many episodes will Stranger Things season 5 have?
And because nothing can be simple in the Upside Down, the co-creator then subtly retracted its own runtime promise. “You know, if you had talked to us at the beginning of the writing of [season four], I would have told you there are eight episodes and they are about an hour each,” Matt said of the 13th installment. one hour.
How did Will Byers vanish?
storyline. On November 6, 1983, a scientist in Hawkins, Indiana, flees an unseen force through a hallway in the Hawkins National Laboratory. He steps into an elevator, but realizes that the power is inside him and hanging from the ceiling. He is killed when the doors close.
How long was Will Byers upside down missing? This is mainly because Will is trying to return to his childhood after being hit by the Upside Down for two years.
How did Will Byers go missing?
The first season of “Stranger Things” begins on November 6, 1983. Eleven accidentally opens the Gate and lets the Demogorgon into Hawkins, Indiana, and Will Byers goes missing when he is pulled upside down.
Who Kidnapped Will Byers?
The Demogorgon is a very animalistic creature, which usually maneuvers on all four legs, similar to a dog. This faceless creature will hunt and stalk its prey before devouring it. That’s why we find it hard to believe that the Demogorgon kidnapped Will, instead of eating the boy on the spot.
How did they find Will in Stranger Things?
Hopper and Joyce find Will upside down, unconscious with a tendril in his throat, and resuscitate him with CPR. The Demogorgon finds the children, and Elf disintegrates it, but disappears. Will is in the hospital. A month later, Nancy is reunited with Steve, and both are friends with Jonathan.
Where did Will Byers disappear?
On November 6, 1983, a scientist in Hawkins, Indiana, flees an unseen force through a hallway in the Hawkins National Laboratory. He steps into an elevator, but realizes that the power is inside him and hanging from the ceiling. He is killed when the doors close.
Where did Will Byers go?
Will now lives in Lenora, California with Joyce, Jonathan and Eleven, who is bullied by other students at her school.
How did Will Byers disappear?
November 6, 1983: Eleven opens the Gate and Will Byers disappears. The first season of “Stranger Things” begins on November 6, 1983. Eleven accidentally opens the Gate and lets the Demogorgon into Hawkins, Indiana, and Will Byers goes missing when he is pulled upside down.
Where is Will Byers in season 1?
In November 1983, in Hawkins, Indiana, a scientist is attacked by an invisible creature in a US government lab. 12-year-old Will Byers encounters the creature and mysteriously disappears while cycling home from a Dungeons & Dragons session with his friends Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair.
Where did Will go in Stranger Things?
Three months later, Will and his family moved out of Hawkins, and he left his friends in tears. In the spring of 1986, still as quiet as ever, Will lives in California with his mother, brother, Jonathan and Eleven.
Where did Will Byers disappear?
On November 6, 1983, a scientist in Hawkins, Indiana, flees an unseen force through a hallway in the Hawkins National Laboratory. He steps into an elevator, but realizes that the power is inside him and hanging from the ceiling. He is killed when the doors close.
How did they find Will’s body?
Hopper breaks into the morgue and cuts into Will’s body, only to find it filled with stuffing. Lonnie Byers arrives to find Joyce distraught, and she hugs him.
Will Byers’birthday season 4?
In the fourth episode of the new season, a rolling camera has the date March 22, but no one in the show’s universe seems to realize it’s Will’s canon b-day.
What episode do they find Will’s body?
Will’s “body” is actually pulled out of the water in the third episode, “Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly”, but as much as the kids reacted as if it were real, it actually smells like a conspiracy of the word “go”. The first reason why Hopper cut open the fake body is pretty simple here.
Does Will Byers get cured?
He was eventually captured and wrapped in vines by the creature, but was rescued by Joyce and the Chief of Police, Jim Hopper. After intensive CPR, Will woke up and was taken to the hospital, where he was reunited with his family and friends.
Will there be a season 5 of Stranger Things release date?
Season 5 hasn’t even started filming yet, so let’s not get too excited about the show’s finale just yet. If we had any guesses, the end of 2023 feels pretty ambitious, but there’s a slim chance of making that happen once filming starts soon. It’s more likely that we’ll see the show return for the last time in 2024.
Will Stranger Things season 5 be the last? The stage is set. Now, it’s the beginning of the end. Netflix announced in February that Stranger Things is officially coming to an end with Season 5, which is generally what the series creators The Duffer Brothers have been saying for a while now.
How many seasons of Stranger Things are there gonna be?
Stranger Things season 5 will be the show’s final season.
How many seasons will there be for Stranger Things?
Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.” â€There are many more exciting stories to tell in the world of ‘Stranger Things’†the creators continued.
Will There Be a Stranger Things season 6?
Now, it’s the beginning of the end. Netflix announced in February that Stranger Things is officially coming to an end with Season 5, which is generally what the series creators The Duffer Brothers have been saying for a while now.
Is Stranger things 4 the last season?
Ahead of the Season 4 premiere, Netflix announced that Stranger Things has been renewed for a fifth season, meaning Season 5 is indeed happening. That’s the good news. The bad news is that season 5 will be the show’s final season.
Will there be a season 5 of Stranger Things?
The final episode of the fourth season of Stranger Things literally rocked the entire world of the show: The Upside Down has officially come to Hawkins. While Netflix plans to make spin-offs, the series is coming to an end with its upcoming fifth and final season.
Is Stranger things 4 last season?
Is Stranger Things Season 4 The Last Season Ever? The makers of Stranger Things and Netflix have confirmed that the show will continue after Season 4.
Will season 4 Be Stranger Things last season?
Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer explain why the final season of the hit Netflix series probably won’t be as long as season 4. Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer said Stranger Things season 5 will likely be shorter are in season. 4.
What season is Stranger Things going to end?
The brothers wrote that they had always planned to run the show for four or five seasons, explaining how they had mapped out an entire storyline that would go into season 1. That story — featuring Eleven, Mike, Will, and Hopper — will end after season. 5. But the Duffers didn’t say season 5 would be the end of Stranger Things as a franchise.
When Stranger Things Season 4 will release?
STRANGER THINGS SEASON 5: RELEASE DATE AND WHERE TO WATCH The seven episodes of Season 4, Part 1, released on May 27, have been adored by Netflix viewers.
How many season will Stranger Things have?
It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its last. In February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans along with the official Season 4 poster. “Seven years ago, we planned the full storyline for Stranger Things,” the duo wrote in their letter.
How many episodes will be in season 5 of Stranger Things?
That’s a joke, of course, but the Duffers recently discussed the season five runtime in an interview with Collider, and it sure sounds like we’re in for a shorter run of episodes. “I think we’re aiming for eight [episodes] again,” Matt Duffer said.
Will Stranger Things season 5 come?
It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its last. In February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans along with the official Season 4 poster. “Seven years ago, we planned the full storyline for Stranger Things,” the duo wrote in their letter.
When Stranger Things season 5?
Shooting will then probably start in 2023. We’re hoping for a late 2023 air date, though this could be optimistic, especially if the final season gets to be as big as season 4. Expect a little closer to 2024.
How old is Millie Bobby Brown?
How old was Millie Bobby Brown at the beginning of Stranger Things? Season 1. When we first meet Elf in season one, she’s 12 years old (we think). Given the mystery that surrounds her throughout the series, she’s one of the characters we know the least about, but she’s about the same age as Mike. At the time of filming, Millie Bobby Brown was 11 years old.
What is Millie Bobby Brown salary?
In season three, the young actress was reportedly boosted to somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000 per episode. While it’s unknown exactly how much Millie Bobby Brown made for Stranger Things season four, it’s believed she currently earns around $300,000 per episode.
Who is the highest paid in Stranger Things?
Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers) Click here to read the full article. A two-time Oscar nominee and the most famous in the Stranger Things cast, Ryder, who plays Joyce, entered Season 1 with the highest salary: $100,000 per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
How much does Millie Bobby Brown earn from Stranger Things?
British actress Millie Bobby Brown became an instant household name after the hugely successful first season of Stranger Things. According to Deadline, MBB reportedly made $30,000 per episode for seasons 1 and 2, and somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000 for season 3.
How much does Finn wolfhard get paid?
Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) Wolfhard, who is in the “B-tier” with the rest of his child, negotiated a raise for Season 3 to $250,000 per episode (or $2 million for the season), according to The Hollywood Reporter, which is a big increase (!!!) from what he earned in the first two seasons.
How much money does Millie Bobby Brown have 2020?
Millie Bobby Brown has a net worth of 10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actress not only earns a hefty sum of money for her roles in series and films. She also has her own makeup and skincare line called Florence by Mills.
Does Millie Bobby Brown have a tattoo?
Eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the English actress does indeed wear her own ink, including her iconic ‘011’ tattoo! Yes, you heard us right, Millie has the exact same tattoo as her character in Stranger Things!
Why is 11 called 11 in Stranger Things?
The boys learn that her name is Elf, based on a “011” tattoo on her left forearm. Mike decides to call her “El” for short. Mike allows Eleven to live in a blanket fort in his basement. Fearing recapture, Eleven convinces Mike not to tell any adult so that the social workers won’t find her.
What is Millie Bobby Brown’s tattoo?
ESSENTIALS. Elf, played by actress Millie Bobby Brown, has a tattoo that reads ‘011’ on her wrist. Without giving away spoilers, it’s an important sign that’s been noticed since season 1 of the show. However, the connotation of the tattoo can be anything but positive.
Why does Eleven have a tattoo?
Echoing Emily’s point, Terasaki wrote that Elf’s tattoo “is intended to be directly related to the dehumanization experienced by Jewish people during the Holocaust.” When tattooing Eleven’, Dr. Brenner Eleven of the name her mother gave her in the same way she took her hair and freedom.”
Does Millie Bobby Brown have a disability?
Millie Bobby Brown may have extrasensory powers as Elf in “Stranger Things,” but in real life she has overcome a partial loss of one of her senses to pursue her dreams. The 13-year-old British star of the Netflix sci-fi hit revealed to Variety that she is deaf in one ear.
Does Millie Bobby Brown have a disability?
Millie Bobby Brown may have extrasensory powers as Elf in “Stranger Things,” but in real life she has overcome a partial loss of one of her senses to pursue her dreams. The 13-year-old British star of the Netflix sci-fi hit revealed to Variety that she is deaf in one ear.
What’s it like being deaf in one ear?
When a person can only hear well with one ear, he or she may have trouble figuring out where the sound is coming from. You may have trouble hearing in noisy environments: Your brain is responsible for selective listening, meaning you filter out sounds that are not helpful. This is harder to do without the help of a second ear.
Does Millie Bobby Brown have her ears pierced?
Did you know that Millie Bobby Brown has a total of seven piercings in both ears? She shares this fact with InStyle as she sits barefoot in an armchair and discusses her new role as the face of Pandora’s Pandora Me collection, which aims to reach a Gen Z audience.
Does Millie Bobby Brown have hearing loss?
Did you know that Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has hearing loss in one ear? The Emmy-nominated actress (for her role as Eleven) opened up about her hearing loss a few years ago. She was born with partial hearing loss in one ear; however, she gradually lost all hearing in that ear.