Season 4 of Stranger Things threw a lot of people for a loop, but it also kind of affirmed what a lot of people had been thinking for a while, especially when it comes to Will Byers. The fact that he’s gay would have been a bigger deal in the era that the show is taking place, but as of now, it does affirm what many people were already able to accept since Will’s development throughout the story has been headed this way for a while. It is making his life difficult, there’s no denying that, as trying to keep this secret feels like something that’s going to tear him apart at times, and even alienate him from his friends. Some might think that these are his buddies, the same guys who have known him since they were little. But the fact remains that there are some secrets that people are still afraid to tell others, even those they trust implicitly. At this point though, it almost feels as though Will’s secret, if it’s going to be revealed to everyone, is going to be the end of him.
Will doesn’t appear to be well near the end of the season.
One has to remember that this show kicked off with Will’s disappearance, and his time in the Upside Down didn’t bode well for his future mental health. Even when the audience was given leave to think that things might be okay at the end of season one, that fantasy was quickly destroyed when he coughed up the slug and revealed that Upside Down wasn’t done with him yet. But what does this mean for his character? A lot of people would no doubt agree that when exposition becomes a part of the story, particularly when a character has already been through a great deal of trauma, it doesn’t bode well for their future.
Throughout the last couple of seasons, Will has been kind of up and down.
To say that Will hasn’t done well with change is kind of an understatement since after season one it was evident that he wasn’t entirely okay. The Upside Down had left its mark on him, and as a result, he’s been connected to the horrible place ever since. This was pointed out again in season four when it became kind of obvious that Will was still feeling the effects of the Upside Down as it continued to exert its control. While he might not be under Vecna’s sway at this point, there’s still something to the idea that he might not make it through season five. Season four already made it clear that not everyone was going to get out alive, or in one piece, but what happened to Max, and what happened to Eddie is a good sign that it doesn’t matter how popular a character is or how pertinent they might be to the story. One way or another, everyone is vulnerable, and anyone can be taken out at any given time. A lot of people were under the impression that Hopper had bought the farm the season before, but here we are, and here he is.
Does the story change if Will dies, or do things stay the same?
Will’s importance has changed in a big way since season one, that’s kind of obvious, but whether or not he’s going to be alive at the end of season five is kind of up in the air at this time. It does sound as though there’s going to be a time jump from season four to season five, so perhaps Will might end up coming out to everyone, thereby resolving this issue and paving the way for bigger issues to be realized. Of course, that usually means that his time could be up and that he might not be making it to the final episode. That’s kind of a bleak outlook, but it does feel as though Will has been living on borrowed time for quite a while. It could be that one way or another his luck is going to run out if that’s what one wants to call it, and he could end up somehow being taken out by Vecna or any number of things that call the Upside Down home.
It might be that this is a death that needs to happen, but fans might disagree.
That does sound kind of harsh, doesn’t it? After all that Will has been through in his life since he was kidnapped and taken to the Upside Down, it feels as though he should be allowed some sense of peace. But the fact is that a show like this isn’t bound to tell you when it’s about to slap you in the face with an emotional loss. That’s been proven over the last few seasons, and it could be that season five will follow suit.
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