The following contains spoilers from Stranger Things, Season 4, Volume 1, streaming now on Netflix.
Stranger Things' fourth season had a lot more action packed in as the sinister Vecna plunged Hawkins, Indiana, into Satanic Panic. The dark general from the Upside Down brutally killed a slew of teens, but while Volume 1 dissected this intense horror and the ensuing panic, the series tempered things back to more emotional beats, such as the Hellfire Club trying to remain intact, and Steve and Robin helping each other be better.
This was the usual creative balance the show struck, trying to strengthen relationships in town in an endearing, nuanced way. Unfortunately, as sentimental as these seven episodes were, Stranger Things continued to botch its LGBT arcs.
The first error came with Robin, whose sexuality is once more made a throwaway sub-arc. Season 3 had her mentioning Tammy, yet when Tammy showed up and sang at a basketball game, Robin and Steve mocked her by saying she sounded like "a Muppet." Instead, the show should have acknowledged the crush in a meaningful way, having Tammy and Robin converse a bit to prove to Robin she wasn't worth it rather than making her the butt of a joke.
The fact Vickie -- Robin's new crush -- was right next to her in the marching band, yet they barely spoke felt even more insulting. It did seem like Robin would chat her up, especially after Steve and Robin harped on Vickie possibly being gay. Instead, the series didn't hint at it in conversation or even share glances between the ladies. The most attention they got was Steve guessing Vickie's orientation earlier on, based on the videos she rented and paused from his store. This wasn't inclusive at all and felt like the show was ticking a diversity box after such a powerful coming-out scene last season, making Robin's queerness feel cosmetic.
The second LGBT botch is one that's been happening even longer: Will and Mike. Fans theorized for some time that Will liked Mike, but since nothing was confirmed by the cast, executive producer Shawn Levy or the Duffers, it did seem like maybe Will was progressing slower and simply wanted to spend more time with Mike after the Upside Down fiasco rather than pursue the opposite sex.
This season dropped subtle clues, though, such as Will getting jealous of Eleven and Mike's dates and being a third wheel, and him seemingly painting something that could be for Mike. It's queer-baiting, however, and not the right way to approach diversity, representation and equality, especially with Levy stating it's up to the fans to decide their own truth with the breadcrumbs provided. It's just unfair to correlate queerness to something we need to imagine, when all the heterosexual bonds are front, center and oh-so obvious.
Honestly, with two episodes left, if Will's to come out, it would feel like a tacked-on aspect of the season. He should have come out when he and Mike had a heart-to-heart about how they were separated, weakening their friendship when Will, Eleven and the Byers moved to LA. Will clearly wanted to confess his feelings, but the show paused on it for the sake of drama, intent on dragging it out. Ultimately, being shy with Robin and secretive with Will doesn't give the impression a gay arc will be treated with prominence, despite all the groundwork already set up. As such, this makes the LGBT aspect of the show feel secondary, inauthentic or something the show's afraid to tackle.
Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix.