Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRantThe film and television news editors of . He covers film and television news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The boys, And Game of Thrones. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017 to 2022, became a news editor in 2023, a senior editor in 2024, and a senior editor in 2025.
Warning: there are spoilers ahead for season 5 of Stranger Things.A controversial scene between Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) was almost not there. Stranger Things series finale. The scene, in which Mike apologizes for being self-centered and the two agree to remain best friends, has been accused by some fans of queerbaiting, a term for when a fictional story alludes to queer elements without providing explicit representation.
In a conversation with PeopleSchnapp shares that the scene was not originally in the finale, and he suggested to Ross and Matt Duffer that it be included. With Will coming out as gay to Mike and the rest of his loved ones in episode 7, Schnapp felt there needed to be a scene providing more closure between the two characters. Check out his comments below:
I felt like there was a little bit left unsaid with [episode 7]. And I actually talked to the Duffers, and they included a scene in the finale that wasn’t there originally to properly close out this story.
Schnapp adds that it was “It’s nice to have this confidence [Matt and Ross Duffer]” it made him feel like he could make that suggestion. “If something isn’t working, or if something isn’t right, you can talk to them and they will work with you.”
Will and Mike’s conversation in the Stranger Things series finale was “completely closed and satisfactory” for Schnapp, who thinks that “I think the fans will be happy.”
While Will leaves the stage in Episode 7 is an integral part of the character’s arc, it was also an equally important moment for Schnapp, who came out as gay in January 2023. He and the Duffers talked about working closely to ensure the moment in the series was authentic to the character, the story and the actor.
This type of collaboration with stakeholders aligns with the Duffers being receptive to Natalia Dyer’s condition for the end of Nancybecause she didn’t want her character to be in school at the end of the series. The Duffers honored this request by having Nancy no longer enrolled in college and working at Boston Herald instead.
For those who wanted Will and Mike to end the series as a romantic couple, the Schnapp-encouraged final scene inevitably proved to be a disappointment. However, it’s not entirely accurate to describe the scene as queerbaiting, as Will had already appeared in the previous episode, and there was never any hint that Mike had romantic feelings for Will.
Rather, the scene provides the closure Schnapp desires. Mike was Will’s first crush in Stranger Thingsbut that doesn’t mean they have to end up together, and instead the show affirms that they still fully love and accept each other as friends. This makes their bond stronger than ever as they prepare to enter the Abyss and defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Mind Flayer for good.
- Release date
- 2016 – 00/00/2025
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Directors
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Antal Nimród, Uta Briesewitz
- Writers
- Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to discover secret experiments and supernatural forces.
