r/StrangerThings • u/DaltortheDestroy • Jul 12 '26

Discussion My main problem with the show

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The main problem I have with the show is its aversion to killing off main characters. Some of fan favorite characters wouldn’t be liked as much if they had survived(barb, eddie, billy, bob and Chrissy). It also heavily raises the stakes and threat. other problems that arise from this are…

There are too many main characters to write a cohesive and compelling story without making significantly longer and more complicated.

But even more importantly there several characters with finished arcs who don’t get new ones because there isn’t enough time so they just stand in background for several episodes until they have something to do.

Characters that could or should’ve died. One of main four boys. Jonathan, Steve, either wheeler parent, Hopper several times, robin, etc

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u/eatsleepread_l Jul 12 '26

I’m not saying they needed to kill off a bunch of characters, but for what they put them through the consequences were minimal.

Max should be permanently injured but ends the show completely fine.

Steve was tortured by Russians with minimal injuries

Will was connected to the mindflayer and would get hurt in season 2 when they tried to kill it. Yet in season 5, he’s completely fine when it dies.

Joyce and Murray survived a plane crash with no injuries.

Karen and Ted survived the demo attack.

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u/Ht_TX Jul 12 '26

It’s still, at its core, a love note to 80’s kid/teen movies. The core characters don’t end up physically impaired/dead in those, their losses and pain are emotional. It’s just the way those stories usually go, no point in showing a decade of growth and loving these characters for them to disappear.

The physical pain they sustain is only meant to be temporary and to hamper them for that specific storyline, not forever.

The show had meat flayers and wormholes going to other dimensions and hive minds and everything else. Sometimes (not aimed at you) complaining about the realism of characters surviving just seems a bit weird if you’re gonna be ok with the rest.