'Stranger Things' Character Comes Out On Netflix Series
It goes without saying, but the following contains major spoilers for "Stranger Things" Season 3 on Netflix.
The third season of "Stranger Things" definitely made up for the negative reaction some viewers gave the second season, as it was criticized for being a repeat of what made season one so great—and series creators, the Duffer Brothers, added not only more action to the newest episodes, but also more heart.
One of the major story arcs was a new character who opened up about her sexuality during a tense scene.
Though this season contained one less episode than the past seasons, the story was packed with a more evolved storyline and also contained the introduction of a slew of new characters.
From a Terminator-like Russian hitman Andrey Ivchenko), to a shady mayor played by Cary Elwes. Included in the standard 80's tropes was also the introduction of Robin (Maya Hawke)—the wisecracking, and code cracking, counterpart to Steve "The Hair" Harrington, played by Joe Keery.
As with most penultimate episodes of a series packed with so much action, there was a lot to digest.
After cracking an intercepted radio signal and infiltrating an underground Russian laboratory (we told you there was a lot in this season!), Steve and Robin are captured and bound together. During their conversations awaiting their fate, Robin opens up to Steve about their time together in school.
"Do you remember Mrs. Click's sophomore history class? Mrs. Clickity-Clackity. That's what us band geeks called her. It was first period Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. You always had the same breakfast: bacon, eggs and cheese on a sesame bagel.I sat behind you two days a week for a year. Mr. Funny, Mr. Cool, the King of Hawkins High himself. Do you even remember me from that class? Of course you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that? But it didn't even matter. It didn't matter you were an ass. I was still obsessed with you. Even though we losers pretend to be above it all, we still just want to be popular, accepted, normal."
The pair eventually escape with the help of scene-stealing-capitalist Erica (Priah Ferguson) and beloved Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). The two "Scoops Ahoy" employees take refuge in a bathroom while recovering from a truth-serum induced haze.
But what was a seemingly evolving love connection between the two 'starsworkers turned out to be an even more bigger revelation. Robin's story about Steve during high school wasn't about Steve at all.
"It isn't because I had a crush on you," Robin tells Steve. "It's because she wouldn't stop staring at you." She's referring to a girl that had a crush on Steve in class.
Robin is gay. And that's amazing.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hawke, who is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, spoke on her character's journey. "Robin starts the season with a lot of hard walls," she said. "The more she gets involved with this mystery, the more herself she becomes."
Hawke continued, "The reason she has all these hard walls is that she doesn't feel like she fits in. She feels like an odd one out. She's gay, and nobody knows that. There's a lot she's bored by, and there's a lot she's too nervous to express about herself that makes a person put up a lot of walls. But once these other characters start to reveal themselves to her, and once she gets to be on the front of a mission, her personality really comes through because she feels like herself. She can use her abilities, and she be useful, and nothing makes a person feel better than being useful."
With a series that has such a strong following, it is refreshing to see the inclusion of an LGBTQ character in the mix.
Now, hopefully Robin can survive the Mind Flayer.
