With the release of season 5 of “Stranger Things,” fans of the Netflix shows went into the finale with lots of expectations that would honor their favorite characters.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, the show released in three volumes on Netflix with volume 1 releasing Nov. 26, Volume 2 Dec. 25 and the finale on Dec. 31.
Volume One, hands down, is probably the best part of the season. The show really focuses on the character Will Byers and his connection to Vecna, aka Henry Creel, giving Will the focus he never really got in previous seasons. Will’s powers which seem to be tied to his identity and love are perhaps one of the most compelling concepts the show has to offer. Will embracing who he is, including his queer identity, is what gives him his “innate” powers, and it has been emphasized most explicitly in episode four. This was one of the few moments where the writing felt intentional and earned for the character.
However, Season 5 is filled with unresolved plot lines and a lot of missed opportunities. One of the most disappointing examples being Mike Wheeler. Mike in the show has always been someone portrayed as kind of emotionally reserved. Someone who only opens up around people he deeply trusts, especially Will, his best friend since kindergarten. Given the 1980s setting where queerness was not widely accepted. The show had a rare opportunity to explore internalized homophobia through Mike’s character. A romantic arc between Mike and Will could have been deeply meaningful.
Will’s feelings for Mike have been shown to be canon through the seasons especially in Season 4. Throughout the series, his longing looks, emotional closeness, and the sense of safety he feels around Mike makes this very clear to anyone’s eyes. The painting Will makes for Mike is one of the biggest plotholes. The painting represented Will’s feelings for Mike and Mike fell in love with that very painting. However, Will hides this fact by claiming it was commissioned by Eleven and is never properly addressed despite its emotional weight.
Even Mike’s behavior suggests something more: his prolonged eye contact, lingering stares at Will’s lips, and moments of intimacy that the show itself frames as ambiguous. Yet after Will comes out, the line “Friends? No. Best friends.” in the very finale unfortunately shut that theory completely and it felt like a slap to the face. They could have denied any potential relationship between them in the earlier seasons or even in volume one but instead queerbaited its audience from the start. Instead of the creators allowing space for growth they use Will’s fear of rejection as a reason to force his coming out, sending a horrible message to the show’s queer audience.
Eleven, whose real name is Jane, also suffers from these weak writing choices. She is introduced in season one as a traumatized child with out of this world abilities. She has been constantly reduced as a weapon rather than being treated as a person. Season five finale ends with her sacrificing herself despite the show repeatedly offering her hope about: a normal life, a family, and a future beyond being a “superhero.” The decision to kill her felt SO unnecessary and cruel especially for a teenage girl who was never allowed to simply exist without being used or felt ok being different.
This was made worse by the absence of her friendship with Max, which was a highlight in Season 3. Their bond had given Jane emotional depth outside of the romance with Mike yet season five barely acknowledges this. The show insists on pushing Mike and Jane together even though the relationship has always lacked a mutual understanding about each other. Mike rarely engages with Jane’s interest but instead seems more drawn to her difference as a way to feel normal himself. For a show about outcasts this choice feels deeply ironic.
The finale only adds to the disappointment with writing choices. The final battle lasts less than five minutes. The weapons that were previously used against demogorgons suddenly worked on the Mind Flayer without any explanation? In the BTS season 5 documentary, we learn the Duffer brothers started filming before the finale script was even fully written and notably the best episode in season five was not even written by them at all. The lack of planning is evidence to show how rushed and inconsistent this ending really felt.
In the end the season fell short of its own expectations. This show had once built its legacy on celebrating outcasts, freaks, and kids that never quite fit in. Yet when it came down to it, profit and wide appeal appear to outweigh true representation in the media.
