StrangerThingsseason 5 will bring the hit Netflix sci-fi series to a close, but the finale runs the risk of repeating season 4’s most notable mistake when trying to bring the show to a satisfying end. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the series explores a group in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana, where a group of teens uncovers a world of parallel dimensions, monsters, and conspiracies. After five seasons across 9 years,StrangerThingswill come to a closein fall 2025, as the final season releases across three volumes in November and December.
The final season will pick up after the events ofStranger Thingsseason 4’s ending, where Eleven (Milly Bobby Brown) and her group of friends narrowly averted the merging of Hawkins and the Upside Down. After learning the truth about hers and the Upside Down’s origin, and coming face-to-face with fellow telepath-turned-monstrous villain Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), now known as Vecna, she reunited with her friends, despite suffering tragic losses in their pyrrhic victory. Despite their efforts, the group witnesses the catastrophic destruction Vecna’s plan left, knowing their fight is far from over.
Stranger Things Shouldn’t Give Too Much Screen Time To Season 5’s New Younger Teen Characters
The Season’s Plot Will Draw A New Generation Into Vecna’s Horror
AsStrangerThingsseason 5 will feature a time jump of at least a year after season 4, things in Hawkins are already set to be far different from where audiences left them. Alongsidethe town grappling with reconstruction and remembrance over those they lost in Vecna’s plot, the announcement trailer for the final season’s release schedule has hinted that the existing group will have a team of younger followers joining them. A brief scene seen in the announcement trailer saw Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) defending a young group of kids from an unseen foe.
Given her recasting and greater involvement seen in on-set photos, it is possible thatthese new young characters could be friends of Holly Wheeler, Mike’s younger sister. During production,newcomer Nell Fisher was seen on setalongside Bower, as Henry Creel took on a more humanoid form in Hawkins, showing that she would have major scenes with the villain. As such, this could indicate that Holly, along with this young group, could be targeted by a vengeful Vecna.
However, should this group of new characters play a greater role in season 5 than just beingsupporting characters for Holly’s story,Stranger Thingsseason 5 runs the risk of repeating one of its preceding season’s notable missteps. One flaw of season 4 was an overly-stacked cast, which took the focus away from established core characters. While many of these characters proved to be single-season additions, season 5 is not in a position to make the same mistake twice.
Stranger Things Season 4 Was Stretched Far Too Thin With Its Character Groups
Despite Bringing Them Together, A Large Cast Could Take Focus Away From The Ending
Stranger Thingshas often enjoyed great success in crafting characters who, despite their short-lived roles, manage to leave a noticeable impact on audiences and become fan favorites. Furthermore, in some cases, such as Maya Hawke’s Robin, they were then promoted to the core cast themselves. As such, it is understandable why the Duffer Brothers may feel confident in expanding the cast in the final act.
However,Stranger Thingsseason 5 has the pressure to bring the series to a satisfying closewhile tying up any loose ends to ensure the Netflix hit has the ending that it deserves. Because of this, viewers would prefer the series honed in on the core figures of its mythology and gave them a satisfying send-off.Stranger Thingsseason 5 has already managed to avoid repeating season 4’s misteps by having the core cast in a single setting as opposed to being divided across the country, but now it must ensure that each character has a chance to shine.
Stranger Things
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Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
