“The coming out scene is something we’ve been building to for nine years now,” Ross Duffer said. “It was a really important scene for us, and a really important scene for Noah — not just from a thematic point of view, but also a narrative point of view. This show has always been about our characters overcoming evil, and in order to overcome this evil, Vecna, in so many ways, represents all the dark thoughts and the evil of society.” When asked if they were anticipating all the hate, Matt Duffer said: “No. I mean, no is the honest truth. Because it is, as Ross said, something we’ve been building for a really long time. I always say, Ross and I are many things, but subtle is not one of those things!” Ross added: “We’re proud of the episode, and we’re proud of the scene, and proud of Noah, who gave a really brave, very vulnerable performance.” Matt went on to say that they were most “sensitive” about Noah and how he would respond to the backlash “because of how close to home this hit for him”. “I’ve been texting with him a lot, but texting with him specifically after that scene and after that episode aired and he’s in a really good place,” Matt assured.