Stranger Things' Best Twist Had Nothing To Do With Vecna Or The Upside Down

Although Stranger Things pulled off plenty of clever twists with Vecna, the Upside Down, and the rest of the show’s lore, the best revelation from the series had nothing to do with its main sci-fi storyline. As Netflix searches for the perfect Stranger Things replacement, it is becoming increasingly clear that the original series managed to capture proverbial lightning in a bottle.

While the cast might have aged out of their roles by the final season and the ending of Stranger Things was inevitably divisive, the show’s first two seasons still managed to tell a story that merged small-town character drama, coming-of-age comedy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, and conspiracy thriller elements. This could have been a disastrous mess.

Stranger Things' Best Twist Was Robin's Coming Out Scene

Instead, seasons 1 and 2 of Stranger Things are still considered to be some of the show’s finest outings. Even its nadir, the much more cartoon-ish season 3, snuck in the show’s best twist amid its outlandish story of Soviet spies hiding under the Starcourt Mall. Admittedly, season 4’s revelation of Vecna and season 5’s eventual explanation of the Upside Down were interesting.

However, it was a quieter character beat that elevated season 3’s story and remains the show’s best twist ever. After most of season 3’s Steve storyline was spent seemingly setting up Joe Keery’s lovable reformed jock with Maya Hawke’s sardonic Robin, the last episode turned this on its head with a powerful scene where Robin came out to Steve.

Considering how commonplace homophobia was in the show’s ‘80s setting, this was a thoroughly unexpected twist in the pair’s story. Robin’s later Stranger Things relationship managed to explore her orientation further and used this to deepen her relationship with Will, but it was the initial, surprising revelation of her coming out that remains the show’s most impressively risky twist.

Despite Not Being A Stranger Things Original, Robin Became One Of Its Best Characters

Robin’s attempts to help Steve, Dustin, and Lucas’s little sister Erica defeat the Russians were an amusing subplot throughout season 3. However this unexpectedly tender conversation with Steve was what made her one of the show’s main characters, thus justifying her bigger role in seasons 4 and 5.

This did come at a cost, since it meant that Stranger Things had less screen time for some of its original characters. However, the trade-off was worth it as Hawke’s quirky radio DJ proved to be more than just a comic relief character as the show progressed. In particular, her friendship with Will in season 5 was another poignant, welcome surprise.

By the time the ending of Stranger Things saw Robin attend the main crew’s high school graduation with Steve, she felt as much a formative part of the gang as Lucas, Dustin, or Mike. This was a testament to the success of her risky coming-out scene, which remains the best Stranger Things twist in the show’s nine-year history.