What is the connection between Eleven and the Demogorgon in Stranger Things? What is the mysterious Hawkins Lab trying to accomplish? And is Will Byers gay?
Err, what? Yes, apparently that’s a question people need answering in the Netflix series. Why is this a thing? Because when Will 'dies', the bullies at the funeral say to his friends, “What’s there to be sad about anyway? Will’s in fairyland now, right? Flying around with all the other little fairies, all happy and gay”. And that, according to some writers, codes Will as gay.
However, Noah Schnapp, the boy who plays Will, has come out on Instagram, saying to watch Stranger Things solely through rainbow-tinted lenses is to miss the point:
“So I thought it would be time to jump into the conversation. I've been reading stuff for a while. I think everyone here is missing the point," Schnapp said.
“An author called Gary Schmidt came to speak at our school this week and he said that good stories aren't supposed to leave you with answers because then you never question yourself and you forget about it.
“A good book, or a good show leaves a lot of unanswered questions but makes you think. Which is what you are all doing. For me, Will being gay or not is besides the point. Stranger Things is a show about a bunch of kids who are outsiders and find each other because they have been bullied in some way or are different.
“Does being sensitive, or a loner, or a teenager who likes photography, or a girl with red hair and big glasses, make you gay? I'm only 12 but I do know we all relate to being different. And that's why I think the Duffers wrote the show the way they did. So you can ask all these questions. I hope the real answer never comes out!”
