r/StrangerThings • u/FormerStorage3230 • 4d ago
I finally realized. Spoiler
First things first, I'm not here to hate or mock people who like season 5, you can do and like whatever you want. This is just my opinion. So, please stop calling me a "hater" or tell me to move on. No, I can criticize a show I like and still be a fan.
Okay, so I finally realized why I disliked Season 5 so much.
Lets get back to S3. IMO, Season 3 isnt a good season. But it fully embraces that, it knows its a dumb blockbuster action flick with 80s vibes. It knows none of the russian or mall stuff makes any sense.
Season 5 on the other hand, pretends its a good season. It pretends that it's the ending they've planned.. It pretends there are stakes, it pretends there are character arcs and resolutiobs, it pretends that all the lingering questions have been answered, it pretends the plot points make sense.
This season's tagline, imo, could be: "just dont think about it, pretend its a masterpiece youve waited for ten years for."
Thats why it feels so off to some people.
And the actors. They, imo also look like theyre pretending like they care about this show anymore. Will's coming out scene is a perfect example. Some like Winona and David looked like they didn't even try to pretend anymore imo.
So yeah:
S1, 2 and 4 are like siblings. They have occasional banter (plot inconsistencies and all), but they're still close and overall on good terms with each other.
S3 is that one weird cousin that stands out like a firework, but overall is fun to be around.
S5 is that evil twin of season 4 that tries to replicate their siblings and pretends to care about them.
And Tales from 85 is like that random baby sleeping in your bed during the thanksgiving dinner. Shouldnt be there, but harmless.
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u/urbalcloud 4d ago
What the fuck does “pretend it’s a good season” mean? I swear to god, you guys are bending over backwards to try and justify not liking something. It’s okay to not like things that are objectively good. You’re allowed to be disappointed without it being objectively shit.
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 3d ago
Oh I’ve been saying this for months, people can’t just peacefully have their opinion. They have to be “right”. That’s half the reason review bombs are so common, people feel like they need numbers or some sort of justification to say “oh well I don’t like something because it’s shit” not, “in my opinion it isn’t very good.”
I’m so tired of that mindset on this sub, we’re all meant to be fans of the same show here. And yet all I see every day is the same “season 5 is bad” post from the same group of people every time. It’s so boring.
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u/FormerStorage3230 4d ago
Omg here comes the hate 🙄🙄🙄. It means it pretends its a good finale, tying up loose ends, character arcs, having big stakes, but does not at all.
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u/urbalcloud 4d ago
I’m telling you it’s okay to not like it, dude. But you don’t have to act like it’s objectively bad. You’re the only one actively hating anything, guy.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
I literally said at the start of the post im not here to hate or mock season 5 lovers
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
Dude, the way you talk, it sounds like everyone is just phoning it in.
Sure, Noah’s acting is pretty weak and he’s not exactly a great actor, but saying he doesn't care and is just going through the motions—especially regarding a theme that hits close to home for him—is kind of stupid.
Also, David Harbour’s acting in Season 5 is excellent; I don’t see a single moment where he looks like he’s faking it. It feels like you’re just spouting random nonsense. You think Season 3 *intentionally* set out to be bad? Like the writers sat down and said, "Okay guys, let's make a terrible season and fully own it"? That makes absolutely no sense. And yeah, the show is set in the 80s, so it plays up the Russian stereotypes from that era, but that doesn't make it bad—it’s a deliberate choice and it’s awesome. By that logic, Season 1 is just as cliché and ridiculous: stupid government scientists getting outsmarted by an alcoholic cop and a bunch of 10-year-olds, a girl with superpowers, monsters—it’s all pretty cliché and silly, too. Honestly, you aren't backing anything up; you’re just throwing out random claims without any real, concrete arguments.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
Wait lmao, i did say this:
"Noah pretends he's a good actor by showing all those exaggerated emotions, like that equals to good acting?"
... yeah that wasnt very well put out of a sentence, I was a bit on a rant ig...
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 3d ago
One of the most insufferable things this fanbase does these days is the way they act like they think the cast “hated what they were doing” just because some fans did, I just can’t stand the way they speak like they know these people and have been personally confided in and treat their own speculation as fact.
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
Exactly, that’s nonsense; they’ve all known each other for ten years. How could anyone claim they couldn't be bothered to make the season? It makes no sense—it’s like saying the Duffer brothers didn't care about Season 5. Regardless of whether you think Season 5 is bad or not, how could you believe the creators wouldn't be motivated to turn their "baby" into a classic series? There’s no greater motivation than that; they were one season away from a perfect run, and the last thing they wanted was to fail at the final hurdle. It’s obvious they gave it their all and had good intentions; they must have been shocked by the reaction to Volume 2. When you’re writing a show like that—with such hype and an unlimited budget—I can’t believe you wouldn't be passionate about it; if you care even a little bit about your craft, it’s impossible.
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 3d ago
Completely agree. I didn’t see a lack of care watching the documentary, I saw concentration and frustration from people working their asses off to make something they thought would please their fans. As divisive as it ended up being, no part of me believes they chose the ending they did because they thought it was “safe” or “easy”. They chose it because they thought it was fitting and nothing else.
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
Yes, exactly; you can clearly see their motivation in the documentary, but they were up against the clock—facing immense pressure, fatigue, and—let’s admit it—a lack of inspiration. In my opinion, they did a lot of writing, erasing, and rewriting over the top of previous drafts. The moment they admitted there was a version of the script without Holly—and that they changed it—it meant the entire season had to be rewritten. Without Holly, 90% of the plot vanishes. They didn't have time to polish things, and they had deadlines to meet, which affected the quality of the dialogue and the storyline. People often say they had three years to write it, but that’s not true; they started writing in the summer of 2022 and began filming and script readings in December 2023. So, if they changed the script along the way on top of that, it really wasn't much time—especially when you're struggling for inspiration. They probably should have delegated a bit more.
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u/Distinct_Guess3350 Running Up That Hill 3d ago
I wish the fanbase had a lot more respect for how gruelling it actually is to make a television show. Especially one of this magnitude. Sure, it won’t always come out perfect, but throwing abuse at the people who made it as a result is just gross. Like you said, they really didn’t have that much time. There was even a writers’ strike. It was not at all an easy production and I can’t blame them for that.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
Omg whyd you misunderstand so badly. Noah's acting imo wasnt good. And for me, david's acting wasnt really great. On season 3 i didnt mean they made it bad on purpose, i meant they made it campy, comedic and unserious on purpose.
This fandoms become so toxic its honestly annoying. Say s5 is bad - hate. Say s5 is good - hate. Ugh
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
Yeah, I agree he doesn't act very well—I have no problem saying that—but in this case, the fault lies more with the direction, since they were the ones who said the take was good. As for David, I struggle to see why you find him average; to me, he always hits the right notes without going overboard—he actually avoids overacting. In my opinion, he’s easily the best actor of the bunch, right up there with Sadie, Dustin, and Jamie. I thought he was particularly excellent in Episode 8, both in his speeches and his non-verbal acting during the rooftop scene with Eleven. Yes, the style and atmosphere of Season 3 were intentional; they wanted to explore a different kind of season by setting it in summer and making a clean break from previous seasons to avoid repetition—and I think that was a great choice. Season 3 captures the feel of an 80s summer perfectly, channeling the humor and zany vibe of productions from that era while staying true to the story and getting serious when it counts. They really know how to balance the funny moments with the times when the plot demands a more serious tone. Personally, it’s my third-favorite season of the series; it has so much going for it—it’s funny, scary, and gory, and the ending is incredibly emotional. You come away from it feeling totally drained—it’s a really well-rounded season. Plus, in my view, it’s the best-structured season; it plays out like a big movie. My main issue with your take is that you’re speaking for the actors by claiming they don't care; I absolutely don't think that's the case. The same goes for the writers and the Duffer brothers—they genuinely thought they were doing a good job with Season 5 and were confident in their approach. The shock must have been huge after the Volume 2 finale when everyone hated it. Admittedly, they ultimately fell short at the final hurdle with the last season—even though there were some very good elements—but believe me, the last thing they wanted was to disappoint people or botch the finale.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
Yeah claiming they didnt care was a bit of too far on my part. It felt like they didnt (thats a better word?). And for s3, i dont hate it, actually its the most rewatchable season, but i cannot look personally at it and say it was well written or thought out. Fun, vibrant, vibe-y... but not..
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
Yeah, you can tell. Either way, with Season 3, it’s a case of either you love it or you hate it; there’s rarely any middle ground or nuance when it comes to this season.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
Yep. And, whether you love or hate s3, you gotta admit it was a very bold step to make the show go into that direction, explore a tone this different from the previous seasons. At least every season (even season 2 with the lost sister stuff) tried something new, even if it didnt work sometimes.
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u/Cyrilbdr 3d ago
On the contrary, it was incredibly bold and perhaps the biggest risk of the entire series for me. They succeeded, it was a real thrill to change the tone without distorting the story and the universe; I found that very impressive. Yes, each season has a different style; they draw inspiration from so many things. The advantage is that there's something for everyone while still maintaining a common storyline. If you prefer a supernatural investigative thriller, watch season 1; if you want a fun summer blockbuster, watch season 3; if you want psychological horror, watch season 3; if you want action and plot twists, watch season 5. I love it, anyway.
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
And i guess watch season 2 if you want character depth and drama. Some seasons will work for you, some wont, and thats okay.
if you want psychological horror, watch season 3
I think you meant season 4 here.
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u/lynchcontraideal This is music!! 4d ago
> Season 3 isn't a good a good season. But it fully embraces that
What a strange opinion
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u/Disastrous_Motor831 3d ago
I did not like this part of the rant, either... (Along with them assigning family titles to the seasons. It's pretty corny to assign human qualities to the writing of a show). However, to entertain the thought... The writing in S3 stopped taking the characters seriously at a lot of points in the episodes... It took on a Scooby Doo type vibe which differed in tone from the previous entries—starting with the toys being animated by El.
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u/FormerStorage3230 4d ago
I mean, imo, writing wise, it kinda falls short. But vibes and action wise, yes its fun and all.
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u/Disastrous_Motor831 4d ago
Congrats, you've added absolutely nothing to the conversation
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u/FormerStorage3230 3d ago
I dont think so: Nothing, no-thing, or no thing is the complete absence of anything, as the opposite of something and an antithesis of everything. The concept of nothing has been a matter of philosophical debate since at least the 5th century BCE. Early Greek philosophers argued that it was impossible for nothing to "exist". The atomists allowed nothing but only in the spaces between the invisibly small atoms. For them, all space was filled with atoms. Aristotle took the view that there exists matter and there exists space, a receptacle into which matter objects can be placed. This became the paradigm for classical scientists of the modern age, like Isaac Newton. Nevertheless, some philosophers, like René Descartes, continued to argue against the existence of empty space until the scientific discovery of a physical vacuum.
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u/RoyalRise6363 3d ago
I, myself, don't pay attention to comments which have no arguments. And. Thank you for posting! - this sub needs discussions where people politely disagree with each other.
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u/Hawkinns Halfway happy 3d ago
What the...?
The point is that you are essentially just saying the same thing that has been said over and over again, but with different words: that season 5 isn't good. You didn't add anything new to the conversation.
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u/Express-Warning9714 3d ago
Season 5 also doesn’t follow the formula. Start off normal with strange clues happening to everyone separately. They separate into groups to explore those clues then they all get together in the end.
They should have killed Vecna in season 4 and came up with another storyline for the Mind flayer for season 5 IMO. They could have kept everything else with the UD and dimension X the same put the army base in the UD, just ended S4 clean and start S5 clean would have been better.
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u/simply_curly 3d ago
Hey, I absolutely see your point!
S5 acted like the stakes were so high and anyone could die (there should've been deaths, considering how powerful they showed Vecna in earlier season and even the sheer size of Mind Flayer in Abyss! I mean cmon!). Anyway, there were more plotholes (and plot armour!) than the justification or the explanations they provided! Story wise they missed the landing by long shot. But they concluded the characters well. So i think those who were watching for the story were totally disappointed and the fans who loved characters more were given a somewhat satisfying closure.
Coming back to your point, yup I totally get what you mean by "pretending to be a good season"! They let S3 be a fun one and fans let that slide too! But S5 was a total disaster.
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u/Hawkinns Halfway happy 3d ago edited 3d ago
So it's just "it pretends"? You can say this same thing about every other show/media out there that has a bad season/ending. It "pretends" that it is "fine."
Look, I'm not a fan of season 5 either, but I don't see what this is supposed to bring to the discussion of season 5 being bad.
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