India, Jan. 2 -- As Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 dropped on Christmas, episodes 5-7 of the final season of the show began streaming on Netflix. The episodes set up the show's grand two-hour finale that streamed on New Year's Eve (and New Year's morning in some parts of the world). But even as the volume was praised, a scene of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) coming out to his family and friends drew criticism. It was also subject to review bombing, with a disproportionate amount of 1-star reviews on IMDb for the episode, most originating from Saudi Arabia and South Asia.

In an interview with Variety after the release of the show's finale, creators Duffer Brothers addressed the backlash. When asked if they expected the homophobic hate the ...