Stranger Things 2 was a brilliant follow-up from its debut season, introducing new characters, a decent balance of trivial moments among darker themes, as well as a more complex cast of antagonists (the shadow monster, demo-dogs and the handsome psycho jerk Billy Hargrove). Our favourite characters grew up a little bit and – oops, I meant to give a spoiler warning earlier – this all culminated in the beautiful Snow Ball scene of the finale episode in which the budding romances are left to blossom on a glittering dancefloor with Every Breath You Take throbbing in the background. Eleven and Mike finally share a kiss, but only after the new middle-school couple, Lucas and Max, show them how to do it, pecking each other swiftly on the lips below the mirror ball and grinning forever afterward. [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuBu1YQfRmM]] But while it elicited a reaction of "nawww"s and "adorable"s at the time, the kiss between Lucas and Max is now causing a bit of a stir on social media. In a video from Beyond Stranger Things, the show's aftershow featuring different members of the cast and crew being interviewed by Jim Rash, we get some new insights into the scene. Rash turns to actress Sadie Sink, who played season two's newcomer Max, and mentions the Snow Ball kiss, asking "how was shooting that?" Sadie immediately points a finger across the table at the Duffer brothers, the show's creators. She said it was their idea and claimed that the kiss "was not written in the script". To this the brothers got weirdly defensive, telling Sadie "it was all your fault". The host asks Sadie to clarify, which she does all while the brothers sit there grinning awkwardly and sipping from their mugs. "I get there the first day of filming the 'Snow Ball' and I am walking in, seeing the decorations and stuff," the 15-year-old explained. "One of you, I think it was you, Ross, says: 'Oh Sadie, you ready for the kiss?' "And I am like: 'What, no, that is not in the script... that is just not happening'. "So the whole day I was stressed out and I was like: 'Oh my God, wait, am I going to have to do it'." 16-year-old Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas, appeared to be a little shocked by what Sadie was revealing and teased: "Was it that bad?" She goes on to say: "I was thinking: 'Is it going to happen, is it not?' and it didn't happen that day but then yeah, the second day of filming the Snow Ball". "You reacted so strongly to this," replied Ross Duffer, "I was just joking, and you were so freaked out that I was like well, I gotta make her do it now." Sadie retorted with: "So that is why it is my fault?", before the Duffer brothers thanked her, saying they couldn't imagine the scene differently. [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUk4Vje_mCQ]] Apparently, it was the first kiss for both of the actors. That's daunting enough for any young teen, made even more awkward by the fact they were doing it in on camera, with a full crew watching, AND not to mention that they had their parents on set. After seeing the clip, fans clearly felt a bit angry and uncomfortable about the whole thing, and took to Twitter to raise their concerns: [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/aurabogado/status/926865184064389120]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/koreinkorein/status/926450063261310977]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/FrankieJRMD/status/924436046561062912]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ajlobster/status/925369601671815169]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ajlobster/status/925369703773671424]] [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/KateHarding/status/926936257304891392]] They pointed out that the 15-year-old's concerns should have been taken more seriously and dealt with in an appropriate manner, rather than teased out for the creators' own amusement or for the show's benefit. Although Sadie seemed to be okay with it all in the end, her recollection of the shoot and how "stressed out" she felt in anticipation of having to film the kiss didn't seem to be handled well at all. Especially given her age, as well as the wave of stories being circulated at the moment in regards to sexual harassment in Hollywood, the fact that the Duffer brothers joked about Sadie's discomfort was not such a wise move. Better be more careful next time guys – you've got a whole army of over-protective fans willing to fight you with nail-sprouting baseball bats if any of the precious Stranger Things kids feel threatened again.

Stranger Things has captivated the world, with its riveting storytelling, loving portrayal of 80's pop culture and charismatic cast of kids. Millie Bobby Brown, in particular, gives an awesome performance as Eleven, the telekinetic badass with an abiding love of Eggo waffles. (Also, you gotta love that theme song.)

The Netflix series is preparing for its third season, and we've already heard some details. For example, Will Byers won't spend a third season in a row being tortured. Great news for him and his  stressed-out mom! Then fans discovered casting calls for three new characters: the slick, narcissistic Mayor; a sexist, overweight reporter; and a sweet old lady who lives next door. (Who wants to take bet she's a Demogorgon in a dress?) Sounds like great additions. I mean, who didn't love Max, Bob and Dr. Owens in season 2? (Poor Bob.)

At the television festival Paleyfest, the cast and creatives of Stranger Things gathered for a panel. In between shrieks from the audience, they answered questions and revealed even more details about the third season. Executive producer Shawn Levy said it will take place one year after the second season, during the summer of 1985. And you know what means: The classic sci-fi film Back To The Future will be referenced. (That's heavy, Doc.) Also, it's shaping up to be a summer of awkward romance, since the season will begin with two couples: Mike and Eleven, and Lucas and Max.

"Mike and Eleven and are going strong, so that's a relationship that continues," said Levy. "And same with Mad Max and Lucas. But again, they're like 13- or 14-year-old kids, so what does romance mean at that stage of life? It can never be simple and stable relationships and there's fun to that instability."

And get ready to see more of "Dad Steve." One of the best parts of season two was the surprising bond between extroverted jock Steve and introverted geek Dustin. With Dustin missing a father figure, Steve stepped in to give some much-needed hairstyling tips. "We won't be abandoning the Dad Steve magic," said Levy. "I don't want to say much more, but I literally feel that we were walking along and we stumbled onto a gold mine with Dad Steve."

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On stage, the cast talked about how different it was filming season two, after the first one was such a hit. Millie said there was "double the security," because fans would camp outside shooting locations. She also said that she bonded with new cast member Sadie Sink, who plays Max. "I was like 'I love her, also, another girl'" said Millie, joking she could finally "not talk about video games for a while." And in a sweet moment, David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper, said he thinks of Millie as his own daughter. "I don't have a child," said the actor. "All of my experiences of love have either been romantic, or my parents, or a dog."

Well, hopefully this will tide you over until season 3 is released, or the Mind Flayer destroys us all. Whichever comes first.

In a related story, this 'Stranger Things' star finally speaks out about his cocaine drugs bust...

Millie Bobby Brown didn't hold back when asked how good a kisser her Stranger Things costar Finn Wolfhard is.

The 18-year-old starlet took part in a lie detector test for Vanity Fair and managed to inadvertently throw her former cast mate under the bus.

“You exclaimed, ‘Kissing sucks!’ after your first kiss with Finn Wolfhard. Is Finn just a lousy kisser?” Brown was asked, to which she responded: “He is.” It was then revealed that the British teen actress was “telling the truth.”

Brown had her first kiss with Wolfard, 19, when the pair were around 12-13 and filming the season one finale of the hit Netflix show in 2016.

After the premiere, Brown revealed to Interview Magazine that the kiss was disappointing.

“I did have to kiss Finn. At the end of the day, it’s only acting, and it’s something you have to do, and I would do anything for the show. I cut my hair, I kissed Finn,” Brown said at the time. “It was definitely strange. It was, like, my first kiss, so it was kind of weird.”

Check out Brown's brutal honesty where Wolfhard's kissing skills are concerned:

She added: “Finn reacted quite well and I didn’t. I felt really bad afterwards.”

As part of a follow-up question, Brown was asked if Wolfhard's kissing had improved over time, to which she responded: "Not with me." Ouch!

Referring to her other Stranger Things cast mate Noah Schnapp, she lay the blame for the bowl cut his character Will Byers donned in the fourth season firmly at his door.

"Would a best friend let someone have this haircut?" the interrogator asked. Brown answered: "He put himself in that position."

When pressed on the issue, Brown avoided elaborating further, simply stating: "I love him."

Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown on Season 1, Episode 1 of Stranger Things. Aired July 15, 2016. Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy

"Yes I do, yes. I'm sorry. I do. I think he looks great," she said, before the polygraph examiner promptly revealed that she was lying. "Get the picture out of here," Brown joked.

During a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Brown said her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi immediately noticed the chemistry between her and Schnapp. "When we first met, Jake was like, 'You guys are in love,'" she recalled.

"But it's in the most platonic way," Brown said, adding: "We were always able to kind of connect with each other. And it's so platonic, which is so beautiful."

The besties also previously revealed they had a pact to marry each other if they're both single by the age of 40. "We said if we're not married by 40, we'll get married together. Because we'd be good roomies," she said

Featured image credit: Image Press Agency / Alamy

There's no doubt that for fans of the Netflix original series Stranger Things, one of the highlights of the show was seeing the puppy love relationship between the characters of Eleven and Mike.

Actors Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard managed to bring a real pathos to their interactions, which went from friendship to full romance very naturally.

Take a look at the trailer for Stranger Things season 4: 

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/1odKbjHe-Q0L14jDU.mp4||1odKbjHe]]

But could it be that their on-screen relationship will be making a jump to the real world sometime in the future? One of their co-stars certainly seems to think so.

The hint was dropped this week by Stranger Things alum, Noah Schnapp, who portrays the character of Will Byers. Taking to Instagram, the actor commented on a meme posted on the social media platform, which was captioned: "Tag two people that want to hook up with each other to make things awkward."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B-V-RZklv3U/]]

In the comments, Schnapp tagged his friends and co-stars Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, and provided no context to the tagging. Was it meant as a joke, or is it a hint that the two actors have feelings for one another? It really is impossible to say for certain either way.

Brown recently celebrated her 16th birthday by responding to some of the cruel comments made about her by trolls, writing on Instagram: "16 has felt like a long time coming. i feel like change needs to happen for not only this generation but the next. our world needs kindness and support in order for us children to grow and succeed [sic]."

Check out her hilarious clap-back to her online trolls: 

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/0ykYU49k-dkXnENEs.mp4||0ykYU49k]]

She added: "the last few years haven't been easy, I'll admit that. there are moments i get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me. but not ever will i be defeated [sic]."

Noah Schnapp - best known for his role as Will Byers on Netflix's Stranger Things - has recently come out as gay.

Taking to TikTok on Thursday, the 18-year-old actor posted a video of him alongside the words: "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know'".

The video also showed himself lip-syncing to an audio clip of someone else saying: "You know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious. Quite frankly, will never be that serious."

In the caption, Schnapp also confirmed the news by writing: "I guess I’m more similar to Will than I thought" - with the teen actor referring to the fact that his character on Netflix's hit show is gay and in love with his best friend Mike (played by 20-year-old Finn Wolfhard).

Watch the full clip below:

In an interview with Variety back in July, Schnapp confirmed Byers' sexuality for the first time.

"It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends?" Schnapp said. "Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing.

"Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike."

Finn Wolfhard, left, and Noah Schnapp attending the 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards. Credit: PA Images / Alamy

While the 18-year-old was always hesitant to answer questions relating to his character's sexuality, he did admit that he wasn’t entirely sure what Stranger Things creators had in mind for Byers but season 4 gave everyone the answers they were looking for.

"I think it is done so beautifully, because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay," Schnapp told the outlet. "People have come up to me — I was just in Paris and this, like, 40-year-old man came up to me and he was like, 'Wow, this Will character made me feel so good. And I related to it so much.

"That is exactly who I was when I was a kid.' That just made me so happy to hear.

"They are writing this real character and this real journey and real struggle and they’re doing it so well."

A still from Stranger Things (2022). Credit: TCD/Prod.DB / Alamy

And according to the outlet, when the interviewer asked the star if he had any difficulty navigating his character's sexuality while at the same time figuring out his own, Schnapp opened up about navigating it all.

"I think it’s all just part of the challenge of acting," he said. "This isn’t just a single layer thing of he’s struggling with coming out. It’s this multifaceted trauma that goes years back, because he was taken by the Demogorgon and then his friends, they never acknowledged him, and now he’s scared to come out and doesn’t know if they’ll accept him."

Well, it seems as though everyone has accepted the teen for who he is!

Featured Image Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy

Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has confirmed a huge fan theory about the show.

Schnapp - who plays Will Byers in the hit Netflix series - has revealed in an interview that his character is gay and in love with his close friend Mike Wheeler (played by Finn Wolfhard).

Fans have been speculating about Will's sexuality for a while, with theories reaching a fever pitch after the recent release of the fourth season. In particular, a scene in which Schnapp's character opens up about feeling "different" was taken as confirmation by many viewers that he had more-than-friendly feelings towards his old pal.

Now, Schnapp has given his take on the situation - confirming that, as far as he's concerned, it's "100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike."

Wolfhard and Schnapp in Stranger Things Season 2. Credit: Netflix / The Hollywood Archive

"Obviously, it was hinted at in season one. It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends? Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing," the actor, 17, told Variety.

Schnapp went on to praise Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer for their handling of the storyline, saying: "It was a slow arc. I think it is done so beautifully because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay."

He also touched on the much-talked-about scene between Will and Mike in the back of Argyle's pizza van, when Will opens up about feeling different. "This scene was really important for him, because it really solidified that truth, that he loves his best friend and he doesn’t know how to tell him," Schnapp said.

Later in the interview, Schnapp moved on to talk about his headline-making drama with Doja Cat. The singer called him a "snake" out on social media after he shared private DM's between the two of them, in which she asked him to hook her up with his Stranger Things co-star Joseph Quinn.

Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy

Despite the drama, Schnapp assured people that things between him and the singer were all smoothed over.

"I posted that not thinking too much of it, but obviously it hurt her feelings. So, as I should, I apologized and she was totally okay with it, and was like, 'I’m sorry how I reacted,'" he explained, adding: "People make such a big deal out of everything when it’s on the internet, but, like, in reality, it’s like a two-minute thing."

Featured Image Credit: Erik Pendzich / Alamy