Matt and Ross Duffer, the co-creators of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, are responding to cultural backlash over a much-criticized storyline in which teenage character Will Byers comes out as gay.
The penultimate episode, "The Bridge," earned the lowest IMDb score and the harshest audience reaction of any episode across the series’ five seasons. Many fans criticized the episode -- particularly Will’s coming-out storyline -- for sloppy writing, uneven performances, cheesy sentimentality, and its timing within the episode.
Swiss tennis player Mika Brunold has come out as gay, becoming only the second active male professional tennis player in the sport’s history to do so.
In a late November Instagram post, Brunold shared the news with fans and the wider sports world.
“One of the most important things I’ve learned is that success on the court isn’t just about physical skill -- it’s about discovering your personality and staying true to yourself,” Brunold wrote. “That’s why I feel it’s time for me to open up and share with you that I’m gay.”
Netflix's Stranger Things is facing backlash from viewers after writers devoted the show's penultimate episode to a storyline in which Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, comes out as gay.
In part because of the negative reaction to the coming-out storyline -- which appears in the third of three episodes released on Christmas -- Season 5 is now the show's lowest-rated season, earning a 56% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The episode itself, "The Bridge," is the lowest-rated of the entire series on IMDb, with a 5.4 score. All other episodes in Season 5 are rated 8.0 or higher.
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