Thoughts on "Stranger Things"

SPOILERS AHEAD - If you haven't watched all of Stranger Things Season 5, turn back now if you don't wanna know what happens.

I think one of the things I liked the best in "Stranger Things" was Will's character arc. Yeah, the show has its ups and downs in terms of quality depending on the season, but in the end, Will finding his own inner strength, and more importantly, accepting himself, were some of the show's highlights for me.

Actor Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in Season 5 of "Stranger Things"

I know much has been said about how the 1980s were a different times in terms of coming out of the closet. Still, I can't help but think that unless you lived through that era in American history, you really can't understand or appreciate how impactful the moment Will comes out to his family and friends really would have been for that time. To give some perspective, I'm old enough to have been right around those characters' ages back in the mid to late 1980s, and I remember only too well the stigma associated with people who were even believed to be gay, never mind who were brave enough to publicly admit to it. That was the height of the AIDS epidemic, and people were terrified, closeminded, and cruel.

But to be honest, even today, I can't imagine the level of courage it takes to admit that you're gay. It's still not an easy conversation to have, and there is still a tremendous amount of fear and stigma.

From the moment of his introduction in Season 1 of Stranger Things, Will Byers is presented as a quiet, introspective, gentle boy. That meekness remains throughout all the subsequent seasons -- so much so, there are many points along the way in which Will seems to be forgotten or overlooked altogether both by the show's writers and the other characters. It's not until midway through Season 5 that we finally see Will come into his own and level up. And man, when it happens, it's a fantastic moment because it's so welcome -- but so completely unexpected.

(Yeah, after that, they kind of downgrade him again, but he comes back into his own in the end. It's another great moment, but nowhere near as amazing as that initial surprise when he summons his powers for the first time.)

I think part of what I liked the most about Will as a character was actor Noah Schnapp's portrayal. Yeah, he sported some of the singularly most unflattering dude's haircuts ever seen on screen, but besides that, Noah perfectly exuded Will's dichotomy of fragility and strength. When Will was frightened and broken, Noah nails it -- both as a child and adult. But when Will fights back, what sells it more than anything is that stark ferocity in Noah Schnapp's facial expressions and gestures. The kid looked pissed off and fierce. He made you believe in and root for Will.

As a personal aside, another aspect I liked about the character of Will was because I saw a lot of parallels for what I had in mind as I wrote my novel, "The Vessel," and its MC, Josh Finley. Like Will, Josh was abducted and abused as a child, and grows up traumatized as a result. Also like Will, through the course of "The Vessel," Josh discovers his own personal strength, and is forced to face his deepest fears head on. Even though I hadn't watched "Stranger Things" before writing "The Vessel," I couldn't hope but root for Will because in him and his character development, I saw shades of Josh, and the story arc -- the emotional growth -- I tried to create and convey for him.

"The Vessel" is available now in ebook and print from Wicked House. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to give readers the chance to get an ebook copy of it for free for pre-ordering my next novel, "What Lies Unseen." Stay tuned for more info coming soon -- and if you haven't watched "Stranger Things," I highly recommend it. It's not always good, but when it's firing on all cylinders, it's absolutely fantastic.