Warning! This article contains spoilers for Season 5 Volume 1 of Stranger Things.
My life as of late, like much of the world’s, has revolved almost completely around Stranger Things. After three long years, our favorite nerds from Hawkins are finally back on our screens, facing even more terrifying threats than before. With their return comes hordes of fans theorizing about plotlines, speculating about relationships, and rehashing opinions about characters.
In fact, a long-time favorite character of mine has recently inched closer to the spotlight, gaining the appreciation (and criticism) of many. Robin Buckley was introduced in season three as Steve’s effortlessly cool and sarcastic coworker. Boosted by her friendship with Steve, Robin quickly became a fan-favorite. Following the release of season four, though, a lot of people were confused by her sudden personality shift. Instead of charming and witty, Robin was suddenly socially awkward and, well, chatty. Some people criticized her “corny” lines and her non-stop talking, which made her fall out of favor with a lot of fans. This characterization switch, while fleshed out a bit, continues on in season five; only now she has even more screen time – much to the dismay of Robin haters.
I, however, believe that Robin’s character shift can be explained by a fan theory widely held by a specific community. And if I’m right, Robin might just represent a lot of people in a way that is so incredibly rare right now.
Revolutionary Representation
Robin’s character has already broken boundaries – and in her first season, no less. Season three intentionally pushes Steve, generally known as the show’s “heartthrob,” together with Robin, building up to what looks like a relationship. But it all comes to a halt when Robin comes out to Steve on the bathroom floor at Starcourt Mall – and is accepted.
It’s truly mind-boggling that, in a show this massively popular, a lesbian character is introduced in such a positive light. Not only that, but her sexuality is so unambiguous, and her identity is well-received by – let’s face it – the most popular character in the entire series. And on top of all of that, Robin, a queer woman, is welcomed into the story, and doesn’t get killed off or have an unrequited love interest (hint, hint, another queer character on the show…) – it’s practically unheard of.
So it’s no wonder her character is so beloved by queer communities. Robin represents the culmination of so many other groundbreaking queer characters who suffered through bad writing, horrible fates, or series cancellations – and she’s still standing. But her invaluable representation stretches beyond just the LGBTQ+ community.
Why Autism?
Now listen, unless you’re a part of (or close to) neurodivergent communities, this might feel a little out of left field. But trust me, Robin being autistic ties her characterization “inconsistencies” together rather neatly – and the evidence is actually surprisingly abundant. Strap in, because this is going to be a Robin-worthy speech.
Masking
Vocab lesson: According to the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, “masking” is a term autistic people use to describe hiding certain behaviors or suppressing certain characteristics of the disorder. Whether it’s only around specific people or more long-term, it depends, but masking is used to outwardly conform to social norms and avoid judgment from non-autistic people. Ready? Okay, let’s get into it.
The biggest complaint I see about Robin’s character is her sudden shift in personality from season three to season four. But as a reminder, at the beginning of season three, Robin barely knows Steve – in fact, she still thinks of him as the popular jackass from high school. Until they team up to decode the Russian transmission, her sarcastic jokes aren’t her poking fun at a friend, they’re genuine mocking comments. Even though Steve has changed drastically since season one, Robin doesn’t know that. To her, the social norms of high school are – unfortunately – still alive and well.
When Robin and Nancy venture to the library together in season four, Robin asks, “Did I come off mean or condescending or something?” Robin then admits to her frequent, but usually accidental, character flaw. Pulling this to season three, if social pressures related to “King Steve” are kept intact in Robin’s head, masking is a no-brainer. So intentionally coming across as “mean” and “condescending,” or even sarcastic, is less of a personality trait and more of a defense mechanism. I’d argue that until Robin comes out to Steve, her mental walls are still up, just in case.
Unmasking
People like to pretend Robin’s awkward rambling came out of nowhere, but there are specks of it earlier – if you’re paying attention. It’s only towards the very end of season three that the real Robin starts to show through. After escaping the underground Russian base, Steve and Robin get sick and heave the drugs out of their systems. That leaves Robin sober and back to normal – at least enough to be able to mask again. But oddly enough, she doesn’t.
Robin’s talkative nature peeks through in the scene where the Party discovers the piece of the Mind Flayer stuck in Eleven’s leg. She immediately starts rambling, telling some nonsensical story about a girl on her soccer team who broke her leg, completely unaware of the confused looks everyone else is throwing her way. This nervous babbling is only the start of her unmasking. By season four, she’s grown into her skin enough to let her walls down almost completely.
Tone and Social Cue Difficulties
With this most recent season, we’ve seen Robin more comfortable in the dynamics between the other characters, but that doesn’t mean her awkwardness up and leaves – she’s still the same endearingly blunt Robin she’s always been. When Joyce picks Robin and Will up after their secret excursion, Robin apologizes, “Sorry, it must be my tone. My mother says I sound perpetually insincere.” Even more lack of social awareness, yes, but also another intriguing tidbit. KU Education says a common feature of autism is struggling with reading – or controlling – tone. Autistic people sometimes receive comments about lack of inflection or a “robotic” voice, like what Robin is describing here.
Out of everything I’ve presented so far, this next bit seals the deal for me. I really don’t have much to say in this section, though, because it truly speaks for itself. In season four, Robin tells Nancy, “I don’t really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues.” That is, quite literally, the number one indicator of autism. Again, I honestly don’t have anything to add to this one – I mean, come on.
On and on and on…
There are so many other little clues and throwaway lines that tie into this theory – it’s honestly a little ridiculous. According to the National Autistic Society, sensory issues are common in autism. In season four, when Robin and Nancy visit Pennhurst Mental Hospital, Nancy lends Robin her clothes. Robin repeatedly complains to Nancy about her tight and scratchy blouse, not even able to hold herself back in front of the Warden himself. Other than that scene, Robin is almost exclusively shown in looser-fitting clothes – her reluctance to wear anything that might trigger sensory overload showing through.
In the same episode, Robin tells Nancy, “It took me six months longer to walk than all the other babies.” A study by Bolton and some other researchers showed that developmental delays, like taking longer to walk, are another shared quality of autism. Clumsiness in general is prevalent – sometimes presenting as dyspraxia, a condition impacting physical coordination – which Robin expresses to Nancy in the same breath as her late first steps.
Other widely known traits of autism also pop up alongside Robin’s character. As mentioned by Embrace Autism, one of the more stereotypical markers of autism is high intelligence, which Robin exhibits in season three, when she declares that she speaks four languages. This, along with her knowledge of movies and obsession with literature, hints at the possibility of special interests, too.
Not Just a Stereotype
Clearly, I have made my very lengthy – you could say Robin-like – point. But believe it or not, none of the things I have mentioned thus far are the reason I believe Robin is such a wonderful representation of high-masking autism. What sets her apart from other, sometimes more overtly autistic characters, is also the reason people don’t immediately recognize her as autistic: her deep, unrivalled nuance.
Robin is so incredibly smart and capable. She helps translate the Russian transmission and solves the code entirely on her own in season three. She’s also the one who comes up with the plan to crawl through the vents to break into the elevator. And in season five, she suggests sneaking into the MAC-Z and transporting the kids via the tunnel system. Robin regularly drives the plot forward, but still in her own quirky, unapologetically neurodivergent way.
Robin is also emotionally intelligent and empathetic. She recognizes when people are upset with her, even if she doesn’t always understand why. In this most recent season, she immediately clocks Will’s feelings for Mike and shares a stirring speech pulled from her own experiences to empathize with Will. The speech is so powerful, in fact, that it’s the catalyst for unlocking Will’s abilities at the end of volume one. Robin’s characterization is detailed and nuanced – a far cry from the stereotypical portrayal of autism we see most often in media.
Final Thoughts
Obviously, I would love some kind of confirmation for all of this, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Honestly, though, the real beauty of this theory is that it actually works better if it stays a mystery. Autism is still wildly underdiagnosed in women today, let alone in the eighties. A recent study by Loomes and other researchers found that for every three autistic men, only one woman is diagnosed. Now weigh that against a 1981 study done by Lorna Wing, where, with participants diagnosed with Asperger’s – the term for high-masking autism at the time – there were fifteen times as many men compared to women. Clearly, women weren’t regularly diagnosed until over ten years after the events of Stranger Things even take place, so getting some kind of mid-season confirmation would be entirely unrealistic.
That said, this is a show about interdimensional monsters and psychic powers, so maybe it’s not too implausible. Either way, I’ll be staring at my TV for the next six days, anxiously waiting for the next volume to air. See you on the other side, nerds.
To read up some more about autism, head over to the National Autistic Society!
Check out Jordan’s recent article about The Path of Exile here!
