On Netflix, Stranger Things Season 5 has Maya Hawke’s “Robin Buckley” be the Queer Elder. Warning: this piece includes spoilers to Stranger Things season 5 volume 1, so read at your own risk. No details are revealed – unless they are related to anything LGBTQ+. Consider yourself warned!
Who saw this coming on Stranger Things season 5: Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) becomes the Queer Elder to Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), and helps him tap into the powers he had all along. Obviously, it’s made even better by the fact that these two actors are both part of the LGBTQ+ community in real life.
No, not both as queer people, though both are outspoken advocates for the community. Noah Schnapp is gay, and Maya Hawke is a fierce ally who fought to make Robin Buckley a lesbian in the first place.
A beautiful “Friend of Dorothy”-moment
You know how in The Wizard of Oz, when Glinda tells Dorothy: “You’ve always had the power“?
Well, that’s pretty much what happens in Stranger Things Season 5. Only it’s the lesbian Robin Buckley, who talks to Will Byers, as she senses that the two have a lot more in common than just being part of the kids responsible for saving Hawkins from the Upside Down.
Basically, Robin becomes the Queer Elder and helps Will realize that there is immense power in being true to oneself. In the case of Robin and Will, this means their gay self. As long as they are hiding their own truth, they are holding back.
The power of coming out to oneself
Rather than Will Byers having a classic “Coming out” moment, it’s Robin recognizing Will and allowing him to have someone who relates to him as a gay person. It shows the power of coming out to oneself, which is always the first step.
Sure, it seems Will knew he was gay, but he didn’t feel safe or recognized as such. Until now!
It all begins when Robin is kissing her love interest, Vicki (out queer actor Amybeth McNulty), and Will catches a glimpse of them. To many, this might look like Will is being a perv, checking out some girl-on-girl kissing. To those who have been paying attention (and/or are gay), it’s obvious something else is going on.
From fear to acceptance
Robin is out to Steve Harrington, which happened in Season 3, when Robin entered as a character and became friends with Steve. Both worked at the ice cream shop Scoops Ahoy, and Robin initially loathed Steve because her first girl crush fell for the hunky Steve, and not her.
Anyway, Robin isn’t out otherwise and is nervous that Will saw her kissing Vicki. However, this changes when Robin recognizes something else is going on. She starts paying more attention to where Will looks and how he acts. As one does when recognizing a fellow gay.
Realizing Will Byers is gay, and trying to accept this about himself, she starts talking to him about her own experience with realizing she was gay. The two bond, and in the final showdown of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1, Will is finally able to lean into the power inside himself.
It truly is a “You’ve always had the power” moment, and it seems Will Byers, accepting himself, is as powerful as Eleven… maybe even the supervillain Vecna!
How powerful is Will?
In Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2, we will likely see just how powerful Will Byers is now. One thing is for sure: Being true to himself was a real power boost.
Maybe Robin Buckley will also tap into that courage she awakened in Will. As Volume 1 ended, she was forced to cancel a second planned date with Vicki. Obviously, Vicki is probably quite upset by now. In fact, it’s possible Robin simply stood up Vicki this second time around.
Personally, I can’t wait to see just how powerful Will is now, and how Robin will make it up to Vicki.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 is coming to Netflix on December 25, 2025.
