Stranger Than Fiction

I didn’t get into Stranger Things right away. Unlike most fans, it wasn’t until my former dental hygienist recommended it in 2017 that I caved, roughly several months after its second season’s conclusion. And because I’m not a big horror fan, I wasn’t invested that quickly. Nevertheless, there was something that grabbed me amidst the messiness of later seasons, something personal and grounded. So when I saw that Billiam, someone I’m subscribed to, was doing a retrospective on its “downfall”, I was dreading the worst. I don’t agree with everything he’s made, I’m not big on the Mission Impossible movies, but he’s an interesting commentator. Which is why his video, which I saw, was worth responding to.

I have nothing against Billiam. He’s entitled to feel like Stranger Things declined after Season 1, even if I don’t agree. Future seasons weren’t perfect, particularly the character assassination of Hopper in Season 3, and how Evan Rachel Wood received flak for criticizing that. Nevertheless, there was always something to come back to, particularly as someone who felt isolated and marginalized growing up. That’s always been the show’s anchor.

Season 2’s major thread, for example, was in the relationship Hopper and Eleven shared. Preteens aren’t easy to parent because they test boundaries, and Eleven’s a super-powered preteen with a literal way of thinking. So when she and Hopper butted heads over her freedom, it made sense that she’d run off. The episode where she met a fellow psychic and joined her gang is considered a low point for many, but the lessons and growth she experienced there came back into play in when she had to close the portal to The Upside Down in the finale. Plus, she and Hopper reconciled.

Season 3 took flak for making Hopper overly-aggressive, especially in how he treated Joyce and Will early on. I don’t like that, honestly. However, it’s not the main focus. The heart of Season 3 was Eleven and Max’s friendship, as well as Max’s rocky relationship with her stepbrother. It’s here we received a backstory for why Billy’s abusive, and by season’s end I felt bad for him. It also made his death at the hands of The Mind Flayer tragic, as it was how he felt he could make amends. I still can’t watch that without shedding a few tears.

Which leads to Season 4, a season I’ve covered already in a Top 15 list. It sucked that each episode was a movie-length event, but that gave the story time to unfold naturally. It also helped flesh out Vecna as a villain, including his four-twists-in-one reveal. I’m skeptical of most twist villain reveals, especially when done poorly, but this one had enough time dedicated to it that it didn’t feel out of place. It was also really creepy.

And now we’re getting Season 5, which promises to build off the cliffhanger of Season 4. Nevertheless, I think Billiam underestimates the show’s popularity. It’s Netflix’s biggest hit, and each new season feels like an event. It’s also not Game of Thrones, where the story ran out of material and spiralled into a black hole qualitatively. Stranger Things isn’t based on anything, and while it could always end up crashing and burning, that won’t sour fans of preexisting source material. The disappointment would land on The Duffer Brothers, who still care about something they created 9 years ago.

I know some of the lustre of Stranger Things disappearing is a result of events not within its control. Pandemic aside, the show has had its bumps over the years. And several of the faux-controversies the cast have been in, including Noah Schnapp receiving backlash for his statement on The Nova Festival Massacre, have made the conversation feel toxic. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still have fans. Because if the numbers are indicative, it absolutely does.

If Stranger Things has a flaw, aside from how Netflix has marketed it, it’s being a victim of its own success. Like WandaVision’s finale, which I loved, the premise was so good that there was no way anything could live up to it. But that’s an issue of expectations, not quality. Like The Dark Knight Rises, I believe people are missing out on what they got because of what they wanted. That’s not fair.

Could Season 5 still disappoint? Absolutely! I’ve seen franchises crash and burn many times! But I also think that doesn’t give The Duffer Brothers respect as filmmakers. They might not have made anything else since Stranger Things, intentionally or not, but that doesn’t discredit their work. If anything, considering how artistic burnout is real, that they still feel passionate and committed is impressive. Doubly so for the cast, many of whom have had careers because of it.

So yes, Billiam’s giving this show too little credit by saying that people’s adoration was past-tense. It’s not. The show has a lively fanbase that anticipates new seasons, however sporadic they are. And with the cast now outgrowing their roles, Joe Keery specifically, it’s fitting that this is the final season. Even if it sputters, it deserves closure.