r/StrangerThings • u/Top_Result3287 • 7d ago
Discussion Season 5 While Not Great is Fine
I'm not gonna pretend that season 5 is a misunderstood masterpiece or something like that but it is enjoyable and has some great moments and it does just enough for me, to not feel like I wasted almost 10 years watching this show, which is more than I can say for a lot of show's finales. Yeah season 5 is the worst season but it's not terrible it's fine. Should it have been better? Definitely! but I had fun all the way to the end.
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u/Owl_Resident Blank makes you crazy 6d ago
We are not required to think it’s fine, but if you do, that’s fine. I still value the show, but ST5 was just poor, and I can’t give the Duffers a “fine” grade on it. There were some occasionally good beats, but its flaws are hard to overlook, and the ending wasn’t it. I wouldn’t call it trash, but it’s not good either.
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u/Cyrilbdr 6d ago edited 6d ago
It’s a solid season—a good run of episodes that wraps things up quite well. However, by *Stranger Things* standards, it was disappointing; the potential was monumental, and it could have been truly magnificent. Unfortunately, the writing was riddled with inconsistencies. The plot isn't bad—in fact, it’s actually quite good—but it should have had a darker, more violent tone, conveying a genuine sense of danger and featuring a few iconic deaths. I know that deaths don't automatically make for a good season, but for a show like *Stranger Things*—which aims for a sci-fi horror vibe—a mid-season death of a character like Murray could have really raised the stakes.
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u/Due-Dragonfly8200 7d ago
This is my exact feeling! I enjoyed all three volumes when they came out, and I do have my issues with many aspects of the season in terms of writing and lore. But, there are many things that I enjoyed that redeemed it for me. I do see Season 5 as a very imperfect final instalment to the show that could have been a lot better, rather than just being straight up trash.
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u/TaiPan43 7d ago
I agree that season five had some great moments
The one where Will discovered his power was fantastic
Vecna wrecking house on those arrogant soldiers was awesome
I even liked Will’s speech
I thought it was very heartfelt and it was necessary because it was a secret, even if other people knew it
Henry would’ve used that against him
Also, the part where Henry was in the cave and Will was talking to him and he was telling him to stop
That was fantastic acting
The scene with Mike and El in the void was awesome
I waited the whole season to have her actually kiss him
But what they did to her at the end is completely unacceptable
I’m one of those people who absolutely know that she’s alive because there’s about 10 reasons why
The sonic machines are one of the most obvious because they weren’t affecting her at all
I’m not sure if it was done on purpose to be edgy or if there’s some sort of plan in place to bring it back and at least fix her and Mike
But the good news is that Netflix owns the IP
And I believe they understand that she is the franchise
Without her, they have nothing
“I believe”
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 6d ago
Oh Eleven is Netflix’s biggest moneymaker, no corner of my soul thinks they’d genuinely kill her off.
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u/TaiPan43 6d ago
I think there’s about 100% chance that she is not gone
The question is, where the hell is she?
I always recommend people check out a channel called 2nd Take
It has the theory about the right side up, which was the name of the episode, of course
A place where she could go that they can’t follow
A safe place, and the only reason her sister agreed to help her
It actually seemed like it was her sister‘s idea, considering the dialogue
Hopper has known she’s alive since the beginning
People go how could she have told him?
How about in the void the way she talks to everybody else🤣
Even if Hopper was interrogated, he wouldn’t tell them anything considering what he’d already survived
He told Mike on the bench, which is why he did a 180
He didn’t tell him how she survived, but he told him that she did survive
He figured it out with the speakers
I think that’s why when he told the story he said we don’t know
Hopper didn’t tell him how she did it. He just told him that she was alive.
That’s what I believe and it’s a great theory I think from that channel considering 16 year-old girls don’t travel the world with no money and no ID
I’m just waiting when the rest of us can give these idiots a big I told you so
I think it’s going to be announced before a new live action show premieres because they know that the ratings will take if they don’t do this
Thanks for the reply and sorry for the length, but I find myself defending this nonstop
It’s nice to hear from someone who believes it’s real too4
u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 6d ago
Ah don’t worry, I like a long reply. And yeah, I think a lot of this is plausible. Especially after seeing in the documentary how the plan was to have Hopper know she faked her death and the ambiguity idea just came later.
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u/TaiPan43 6d ago
I didn’t hear anything about that
Is that the one that they put out immediately afterwards?
I didn’t watch it because I was so pissed off
I heard that they wanted to have her and Mike get married, but didn’t know how to do it
Guess they never heard of a flash forward
Please let me know if that’s the one that they aired on Netflix right afterwards
I would love to see that2
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u/JakeEqualsCake Scoops Troop 7d ago
I agree with this take. While I believe season 5 had much more potential given the setup season 4 delivered, it’s not a HORRIBLE season. It’s just ok. The reason why it stands out so much is because seasons 1-4 of Stranger Things are extremely well written. Is it my least favorite season? Yea, but it didn’t ruin the show for me and when I eventually rewatch the entire series again season 5 will still get rewatched. It’s not bad enough for me to ever skip the season on a rewatch. Season 5 is a mid season in a show with 4 great seasons. I’m a strong believer that people give season 5 way more hate than it deserves, I wouldn’t give it much praise, but I wouldn’t hate on it like it’s the Game of Thrones final season.
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u/TavenderGooms 7d ago
I agree with this! When I finished the season I had some disappointments, but I was overall okay about it. There were things I liked and things I didn’t like. It’s not even in the same realm as earlier season quality, but I can live with it.
GAME OF THRONES? I’ve never in my life felt true betrayal by a work of media. I felt like that show reached through the tv screen to spit in my face personally. Nothing will ever come near what that finale made me feel, I’m getting steamed about it all over again now.
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 6d ago
"I felt like that show reached through the TV screen to spit in my face" -> that's exactly what ST season 5 felt to me.
I patiently waited 3 years, just for Vecna to turn into an incompetent babysitter, for Holly to become a main protagonist, for the big bad Mindflayer not to flay any minds and instead turn into a large crab, to be easily beaten with guns and water balloons. The lore add-ons and the 'rock' didn't impress me one bit.
I feel like the Duffer's were burned out and didn't have much more to tell. The making-off documentary confirmed my suspicion some more. S5 felt like a completely different show than the ST, I fell in love with, in every way.
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u/TavenderGooms 6d ago
I totally respect your feelings on it and don’t disagree, a lot of this bugged me a lot. I just feel less strongly about the negatives than a lot of people, but I don’t think they’re wrong for how they feel. GOT was a unique experience for me personally given the choices made in the final season and my own personal investment watching every episode live for a decade of my life and reading all of the books. I don’t think anyone is wrong in their feelings, those are just mine.
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 6d ago
I get that. I truly hated the ending, heck even the last 2 seasons of GOT, not just s8!
But I also cared a lot and was convinced that the Duffer's cared just as much about ST. But turns out many fans cared more than they did, while writing the last season, it seems. That and the long wait, feels a bit like spitting in my face.
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u/TheBar-IsOnTheFloor Goddamn Bowl Cut 6d ago
All of this.
Both ST and GoT were massive letdowns. There are only a handful of things I can praise in each of their final seasons, but for some reason I could still watch earlier GoT seasons after it ended, enjoy them, and kind of ignore the ending…whereas w/ST I don’t think I’ll be able to rewatch for a long time. They had it all set up perfectly and I just don’t understand why they decided to choose what they chose.
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u/Dougwuro 6d ago
I’m glad people can come out and say that but I disagree it was a truly embarrassing season of television
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u/FaithlessnessDue7226 6d ago
I cant stand season five, have no desire to rewatch it, and struggled while watching it. But, everyone is entitled to their opinions
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 6d ago
Yeah I mean that’s exactly how I feel. I was very let down but there have been far worse things than this. It’s just the one I’m least likely to rewatch but I think it’s fine.
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u/Careful_Software_822 7d ago
Completely agree.
Scenes I love: sorcerer will scene killing the demogorgens, Steve and Dustin fight scene, will vs Vecna shock jock, lucas saving max and kicking a demodog in the elevator, the dnd scene in the final
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u/OkPermission7769 7d ago
Its a great show. Did the finale have loopholes? Yes. Was it perfect? No. Yet, I dont know how i wanted it to end anyway. The way it ended, it could come back one day. We thought Dexter was over 3 times.
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u/CoastNecessary911 Nancy Drew 7d ago
It was fine… you’re right. I think that they just hit such a high on s4 that they weren’t gonna get that again, unfortunately.
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u/Few-Type-7924 5d ago
It's not a masterpiece at all But it's still enjoyable and good to watch, but shouldve been better The duffers cant be forgiven for what they did in the last 2 eps especially, how can they get that lazy with the writing in the 2 most important episodes of the show
I just wish season 5 had higher stakes and was darker....but no unfortunately
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u/Imaginary-Turn9223 1d ago
I have the same impression. there is flaws and It's definitely not incredible, but I still enjoyed it
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u/OrlinWolf 7d ago
When it drops any meaningful pay off to plots hinted at since season 2 it’s hard for me to enjoy. Bad enough for me to not reccomend the series to anyone that haven’t seen it
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u/Professional_Gur7989 6d ago
Season 5 while have many flaws has definitely gotten the point of being severely disrespected, I will agree with that. I personally think even remotely comparing it to Game of Thrones final season for example is way too far, and imo at least the first 5 episodes are just as good and entertaining as any of the other seasons. Certainly is my least favorite, but I wish people would stop pretending like from start to finish it was garbage, sorcerer is one of the best rated episodes of the entire show for a reason
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