As Stranger Things came to a close before the new year began, fans worldwide were left unsatisfied and disappointed. The pinnacle of that disappointment came at the end, leaving fans with unanswered questions and confusion, particularly about storylines that were abandoned or completely forgotten. What was supposed to be a satisfying ending turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments in television history. After only a week, the Duffer brothers have faced backlash, and it seems it will only get worse from here as they dig their own grave with their choice of words.
Chapter One: The Beginning
Stranger Things premiered on July 15, 2015, and as soon as it was released on Netflix, it became a huge worldwide success, with over 4.1 million views in one week and bringing in 48 million dollars in total revenue. The Duffer brothers said they grew up with Stephen King and that his 1980s movies influenced them and their own work. The Duffer brothers informed Netflix that they planned on pitching Stranger Things as a ‘feature film idea’ before realizing television was where the story would fit better and gain more attention. As the first season became a huge success, the production expanded to three more seasons, culminating in a finale that created a rift between the Duffer brothers and their fans.
Key Missing Points
After the series finale, fans noticed that important details were suddenly forgotten or pushed aside without any explanation from the creators. One of the biggest mysteries is how Will’s body is connected to Vecna and the upside-down in the first place, and fans question how Will survived while connected to one. Another major missing point is the true origin of the Upside Down itself-whether it was created by Vecna, shaped by Eleven, or existed long before either of them and before the concept of physics existed. Finally, the show has not explained the long-term effects of Eleven’s powers on reality, especially after the gates were opened across Hawkins. Unfortunately these are only of the few key points that the show was lacking, as of how Eleven was able to talk to Mike without a blindfold, what happened to the pregnant women in season two, what happened with Robin and Vickie relationship, how Max was able to graduate after being in a coma for two years, the disappearance of supporting characters, and so much more that haven’t been answered or explained by the directors. These major plots are crucial to the story because they connect everything into one; without them, it’s a big jumbled mess.
Character Misrepresentation and Excessive Screen Time
Something else that left fans confused and irritated about Stranger Things season five was the mischaracterization of certain characters and unexplained personality changes, along with unnecessary screen time for characters fans were disappointed to see, as minor characters got more screen time than the main ones. For example, in season 3, Robin Buckey was a witty, smart, and sarcastic 17 year old girl who always spoke her mind and became a huge part in helping out the clues and puzzles regarding the Russians and supernaturals, but in season four and five she becomes overlay awkward and sidelined, suddenly having bad communication skills and losing her tactic skills we seen in season three. Joyce, who had always been shown as resilient, perceptive, and emotionally strong under pressure, appears far more panicked and clueless about what is really going on, and overly protective of Will, even controlling at times, often resorting to shouting and emotional outbursts. Even Nancy Wheeler, who was once a soft-hearted, shy, kind girl in season one, underwent a drastic change and became a character who centered on being a ‘girl boss’ and getting trapped in the love triangle, with her character purely revolving around that. Regarding that, fans also noticed that once a minor character, Holly Wheeler, became a major part of season five, with a total screen time of over an hour, more than what most of the main characters were given. This became a major factor in what ruined the show for many fans, as they wanted to focus more on the main characters, such as Eleven, Mike, Max, Lucas, etc. Her role was heavily expanded to be a central part of the season finale, but it ended up being something fans disliked.
The Finale That Wasn’t A True Finale
Along with missing points and poor character representation, the ending of Stranger Things left many fans feeling underwhelmed, especially given how intense the buildup had been throughout the seasons and the season-four finale, which screamed danger. For example, the final fight scene was surprisingly short, and no one died from the giant monster. Many fans said it felt rushed and less impactful than the writers had promised. Another thing fans noted was that the fight scene lasted 6 minutes and 34 seconds, while Will’s coming-out scene lasted 6 minutes and 51 seconds, which left fans very upset about the spectacle. Fans also feel as if the writing was very lazy and not easy to understand, as in the Nancy and Jonathan scene, it looked like a bittersweet moment of them saying their love to each other one last time before taking their final breaths, only for the Duffer brothers to inform it was a breakup scene, which nobody had expected. Not only that, but certain plot points were resolved too quickly or happened off-screen and were never explained again, making the story’s impact feel lower than expected. For example, Hopper seemed to overcome his depression over Eleven’s death in one year, along with all the other characters who sorted out their problems in some way, such as bullying, violence, depression, etc. Even the pacing of the characters’ decisions and ending seemed forced and unrealistic, with actions happening without enough buildup. Along, the biggest problem fans find with the ending is everyone else got a ‘happy’ ending while Eleven didn’t get to be apart of that, everyone else moved on in their lives as Eleven is stuck in the middle of outer space with no sight of anything or anyone, an ending nobody wanted to see her fall in too, the audience just wanted to see Eleven live the normal teen life she never got to and play dungeons and dragons with her friends one last time.
Duffer Brother’s Response
The Duffer brothers’ response to criticism about the ending of Stranger Things has also frustrated many fans, as when asked about unanswered questions and story choices, they often respond with ‘it’s up to the viewers to decide,’ which felt like a way to avoid giving clear answers or getting defensive easily about their writing. This reaction became even more controversial after viewers noticed in the documentary a CHATGPT tab briefly visible on the laptop, raising questions about the writing process and what was really going on behind the scenes. On top of that, some fans have speculated that behind-the-scenes changes, including the departure of a former writer, may have contributed to the drastic shift in the Duffer brothers’ writing.
The ending of Stranger Things went from being a show that connected fans through strong characters and deep storytelling to one that left fans unsatisfied and disappointed. The unfinished plotlines, changes in characters’ behavior, and a rushed finale made the ending feel unearned. What once was a masterpiece became a disaster.
