Stranger Things 5 just dropped a behind-the-scenes read-through for Episode 4, Sorcerer, and it shows exactly why Will Byers’ last-scene turn shook the fandom. The clip captures Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, and the Duffers discovering the twist as they read. As per Netflix Tudum, during the table read, Matt Duffer said,
“He is now in control. He is a sorcerer”
The read-through lines map cleanly to the episode: Will freezes Demogorgons, levitates them, and ends the attack with a nosebleed that mirrors Eleven. The ending shows Will’s eyes turning white and then a wipe of blood from his nose. The video is an official Netflix cut from the Sorcerer table read, with a spoiler card and a release slate for the next drops. Volume 2 lands on December 25, and the finale arrives December 31 at 5 p.m. PT.
What’s in the Netflix table read, Sorcerer, read-through video and where to watch it?
A table read is a scripted run-through that helps cast and creators lock rhythm and beats before cameras roll. This Stranger Things 5 video stitches that process into a fan-friendly watch.
Netflix labels it with a “Spoilers ahead” card, then cuts between the Duffers reading and the cast reacting as the Sorcerer pages escalate. It features Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, David Harbour, and the Duffers in a small studio setup. Duff read,
"Will drops to his knees in the middle of the burning battlefield. Mike and Joyce look on, speechless. Will slowly unclenches his fist and peels open his eyes"
In the meantime, onscreen Brown and Schnapp started dancing in their seats with excitement, Duffer concluded,
"His eyes are back to normal, only they now reveal a new sense of calm and strength. He is now in control. He is a sorcerer...As a trail of blood slips from his nose, we end Volume 1.”
As the twist lands, you see shocks, smiles, and chair-dancing. Millie Bobby Brown cheered,
“You’re one of me!”
and teased Noah Schnapp,
“Now you get to deal with that bloody nose.”
Those lines track the Episode 4 visuals that viewers have already seen in Stranger Things 5 Volume 1. As per The Independent report dated November 28, 2025, Will controls the Demogorgons and closes on the familiar nosebleed. The clip ends with applause and cast hugs. Netflix positions it as both a memory of Volume 1’s peak and a runway to what comes next in Stranger Things 5.
Will Byers ‘shocker’ in Chapter Four, Stranger Things 5, explained
The Stranger Things 5 Episode 4 reveal is simple to state and big in effect. Will taps his link to Vecna’s hive, halts multiple Demogorgons mid-kill, and saves his friends. The final image mirrors Eleven with a controlled nosebleed. As per The Independent report dated November 28, 2025, Will’s eyes turn white before that closing wipe of blood. Schnapp has framed it as a peak for the character. As per the Netflix Tudum report dated December 5, 2025, Noah Schnapp said,
“For Will, that moment is like the Holy Grail moment.”
He also described the late discovery at the table-read stage. As per an Entertainment Weekly report dated December 4, 2025, Noah Schnapp said,
“It was a whiplash of a reveal for me.”
Why it matters: tracking Will’s arc from Season 1 to now
The move closes a loop that Stranger Things 5 has been building since Will’s 1983 abduction. Trauma, residual connection, and identity have defined his arc. The Duffers say the plan to recenter Will was in place early. As per the Netflix Tudum report dated December 5, 2025, Ross Duffer said,
“What if Will were able to harness this connection and use it against our villains?”
That goal lines up with Volume 1’s focus on self-acceptance through scenes with Robin. The show uses those talks to ready the Stranger Things 5 pivot from victim to agent.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Millie Bobby Brown and Gaten Matarazzo react during the Episode 4 “Sorcerer” table read for Stranger Things 5, Image via Netflix.