‘Stranger Things’ Writers Warn Fans That the ‘Byler Script’ is Fake
Stranger Things writers recently made a statement announcing some scripts, referred to as the Byler Script by fans, are fake. Bylers, the name for fans who desperately want Mike Wheeler and Will Byers to begin a relationship together, seemingly bought the scam hook, line, and sinker. Today, the writers of Stranger Things finally put the debate over the legitimacy of the scripts to rest.
What is the ‘Byler Script?’
Stranger Things Season 4 experienced several unintentional leaks and scams. Many believe the extensive wait between seasons 3 and 4 caused fans to dig harder for any information they could get their hands on. Combine that with a possible change in release date and merchandise with potential plot spoilers getting released early, and the entire marketing campaign of the latest season experienced quite a hiccup.
As the wait for Stranger Things Season 4 continued, fans grew increasingly adamant about the ‘ships of the show. The most vocal of shippers became the Bylers vs. Milevens, with angry words being exchanged on a near-constant basis on social media. Will and Mike failed to get together in season 4, which left that particular corner of the fandom incredibly disappointed.
One Tumblr user wrote, “My hope is gone. It’s a terrible feeling to know I can never expect anything good from a non-‘gay’ TV show again. My hope is gone, and I hate that. I hate them [the Duffer Brothers]. Strong words, perhaps, but true ones, all the same.”
However, it didn’t take long for someone on the internet to offer these fans a glimmer of hope. A person named Nick Runyeard, who runs the website 8Flix, offered fans script copies of the infamous “Byler van scene.” At $25 a pop, these supposedly authentic scripts were the types used in post-production for sound. It was implied these would give fans the confirmation they needed to know for sure the Duffers planned to make Byler canon before the series ended.
‘Stranger Things’ writers confirm the ‘Byler Script’ is fake
The site, 8Flix, racked up over seven thousand dollars with the help of a GoFundMe, and fans paid the money in hopes of learning more about Mike and Will’s relationship. Fans excitedly waited for the release of the “Byler Script,” and at one point, the term landed in the top trending hashtags on Twitter. Eventually, snippets of the script popped up online, but it wasn’t long before other fans began to call foul on the document.
One Twitter user wrote, “The Stranger Things 8flix scripts, even ‘Dear Billy’, are NOT true official scripts. They are either teleplays, or he wrote them himself. He is a writer, after all. He knows how. His scripts are word for word what the actors say. They are not word for word in the REAL scripts.”
The debate raged on for a few days before the Stranger Things writers’ Twitter account announced that the scripts being sold were, in fact, fake.
“PSA: any ‘leaked’ season 4 scripts or script pages are FAKE. Do not pay anyone for scripts as this is a SCAM,” the tweet read.
‘Stranger Things’ writers offer up free versions of the scripts instead
While the “Byler Script” turned out to be a fake, the Stranger Things writers tweeted out another offer to dull the sting. They wrote, “What scenes do you want to read the most? We will post scenes here for free, once a week.”
It might not confirm Byler is canon, but it’s sure to be much easier on your wallet.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming on Netflix.
