Stranger Things might have some of the best characters in television, period. From popular kid-turned-mother of three Steve Harrington (hi, Joe Keery) to the icon that is Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke). Maya’s character quickly became a fan-favorite when introduced in season 3, as she also happens to be one of the only openly queer characters on the show.
Keep reading for what the cast and crew have said on Robin’s character, her “coming out” scene and quotes from Maya on her potential season 5 love interest!
One of the most touching scenes on the show was when Robin told Steve she’s gay in season 3, which Joe described as “honest” and “rewarding.”
“It was rewarding to get to that final sequence in the midst of all this crazy supernatural s–t that’s going on — to do a scene that felt real and pretty honest,” Joe told ComicBook.com in July 2020. “The action stuff is really fun, but it’s always nice when you get a two- or three-page scene to do in full, especially on a show with so many characters.”
Maya told the outlet she was “happy” with scene for “a simple reason.”
“There are a lot of complicated reasons, but the simple reason was that I think it’s really amazing to show a male-female relationship form on camera that isn’t about sex,” she explained. “Most of the time, that’s an undercurrent in one direction or another, and for Steve and Robin, it really isn’t. Even if Steve thinks it is for a little while, or it gets confused, as soon as it’s taken off the table for him, he’s equally invested in the friendship. He reacts so unbelievably well, and their friendship gets deeper. That was really important to me because that, also, was unique — not just being the first LTBGTQ+ character, but having one of the few aromantic friendships between a man and a woman on mainstream TV. It’s really cool to me.”
In the fourth season of Stranger Things, which premiered in May 2022, a potential romance is teased between Robin and Vickie (played by Amybeth McNulty).
However, Maya explained why she feels “mixed” about bringing in romance for her character during a June 2023 interview with Yahoo Entertainment.
“I feel that it’s both a great thing, but I also love characters where their love life is not the center of their existence,” she explained. “That friendship with Steve is so special. And friendships have been carrying me through my life. I think they’re really important and they deserve their airtime.”
Click through our gallery to read everything the cast and crew have said about Robin’s sexuality in Stranger Things.
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