The final season of Stranger Things won't please everyone... and that's ok

All good things must come to an end, and Stranger Things is no exception. As one of Netflix's most popular series plans to bid farewell at the end of its fifth season, its final season is so highly anticipated that it could be difficult to match fans expectations.

The fifth and final season is set to air in 2025, 3 years after season 4 saw Hopper saved from a Soviet prison and return to Hawkins, Max overcome the influence of Vecna (through the power of Kate Bush, and friendship), and Eleven seemingly defeat Vecna. The final season was set up with the Upside Down beginning to invade Hawkins after a portal was opened.

Critically acclaimed shows have a difficult task of finishing on a high note, and few have managed to do this in recent years without a dip in quality. Breaking Bad is an excellent example of a series that managed to conclude its story to critical acclaim and reward its audience with a satisfying conclusion. On the other hand there was Season 8 of Game of Thrones which was rated as its worst season that negatively impacted the whole series' "rewatchability" because of how poor the ending was. 

Understandably, there is a lot of pressure on season 5 to maintain its high quality and conclude Stranger Things in a satisfying way for its millions of viewers. This is something that the creators, the Duffer brothers are acutely aware of. In a recent interview they acknowledge the difficulty of wrapping up a critically acclaimed series, and feel that there is a good chance that some of the audience will not be satisfied.

The series creators fear the worst Matt Duffer points out, "Series finales are like opening a restaurant in terms of success-failure rates - there's an 80% failure rate, I'd say." Nevertheless, he has no intention of creating a consensus finale. He adds: "I think a very particular way to fail is to try to please everyone. We have a wide variety of fans covering a wide age range, and I'm sure they all have their own ideas about how they want the series to end. But we don't consult social media about it." It remains to be seen how to interpret these statements. One can imagine that some key characters will die, which could indeed upset some viewers. Conversely, too much leniency towards the heroes can also be criticized by the public.

This is not the only danger facing this Season 5 of Stranger Things. It is also feared that the actors may be too old for the age they are supposed to be on screen. For this, the production also has a solution, as saga producer Shawn Levy explained last year: "Our hair, makeup, and wardrobe services are quite exceptional, they use costumes, wigs, and makeup." 

There is no doubt that the Stranger Things team has a big challenge on their hands, but it is one that they have shown they are ready to manage, and we can't wait to see it !