“Stranger Things” Season 4 (Courtesy of Netflix)
This article contains spoilers.
Queer coding and new links teased in “stranger things“Season four is well worth the wait for production time between seasons.
stranger things four
With Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) still struggles with his and Hopper’s powers (David Harbor) sudden demise in the season three finale, fans had plenty to snag on the edge of their seats for the first half of season four created May 27.
Season four was centered in both a Russian prison and the familiar setting of Hawkins, Indiana. The story is divided into two groups – one concerned with a new evil at home and the other fighting similar horrors under the control of the Soviet Union.
However, season four has a more interesting focus on homosexuality through Robin Buckley (Maya Hawk) and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).
New characters and old favorites
Since her introduction in season three, Robin has been the only explicitly queer character on the show. She spends most of seasons three and four pining for Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), a girl in a band with her at Hawkins High.
Robin’s quirks, sense of humor, and awkward interactions with other characters quickly endear her to all but especially the weirdest viewers.
Season four, however, opens the door to a weirder coding possibility in this and future seasons.
Will Byers became the possible coded queer protagonist of the series. His tearful speech about Mike (Finn Wolfhard) as the heart of the Dungeons and Dragons evening relied on earlier clues (rainbow spaceship from season two, anyone?) and brought more weirdness to the series since the introduction of Robin in season three. Will also has a conversation with his brother Johnathan (Charlie Heaton) in which Johnathan reminds Will that he can tell her anything and that he wants their relationship to remain close and intact.
With support systems and love interests already in the works for Will and Robin, it’s a safe bet more queerness could be coming to Hawkins, queerness that adds dimension to some already wonderful characters.
Queer coding aside, Robin and Will are already some of the show’s most dynamic and strongest characters.
“You are the heart”
Will’s speech and his reveal of the artwork he made for the band’s D&D party suggest it was plausibly coded as another facet of homosexuality on the show. Considered a “zombie boy” from season one, Will still has a connection to the Upside Down and has been an outsider looking at things from a different perspective from the start.
Will’s association with the Mind Flayer, Demogorgon, and Upside Down all prove interesting connections to what sets him apart from the other main characters in the series. A concrete reveal of him as queer would make season five really exciting for queer audiences hoping for more. representation in film and television.
Who knows? Perhaps next season will turn the ashes into flowers of new beginnings for “zombie boy” – a debut that happily brings the viewer into the carefree drawing of a rainbow ship without any queerbaiting.
[email protected]