Stranger Things 5: The Surprising Impact of Argyle's Absence

The Impact of Argyle's Absence

The news that one of season 4's new characters is not returning in Stranger Things season 5 is surprisingly good for the long-running Netflix hit. The Stranger Things cast has no shortage of characters. The cast is broadly split between three generations, with Dustin, Mike, Max, Eleven, Erica, Will, and Lucas representing the younger teens, while Jonathan, Nancy, Steve, and Robin are entering adulthood. Hopper, Joyce, and Murray make up the adult cast, and this is all without mentioning villains like Vecna and supporting stars such as Dr. Owens. As a result, it is no surprise that Stranger Things season 5 cannot include everyone.

Argyle (Eduardo Franco) answers the phone at Surfer Boy Pizza in Stranger Things season 4

According to an interview with his actor, Eduardo Franco's Argyle will not appear in Stranger Things season 5. Franco says that he never received a call about reprising his role and, since production has already commenced on the final season, it seems fair to assume that his character has been cut. Argyle was a welcome source of comedic relief in season 4, acting as Jonathan's stoner confidante and a constant source of terrible life advice. Argyle was a welcome addition to Stranger Things, and losing such a fun character is, from one angle, disappointing. On the other hand, this will greatly benefit Stranger Things' overall ending.

Eduardo Franco as Argyle in Stranger Things

Dropping Argyle means the final season can focus on bigger characters. While Argyle was funny, his character was also undeniably peripheral to the main plot. As such, his Stranger Things season 5 absence implies that the show’s final run will focus more on its main characters, which is vital for a strong finale. While Stranger Things season 4's ending gave every major character a role to play, incorporating everyone risks an overstuffed and chaotic conclusion. Argyle's exit is good news, since Stranger Things can now narrow the final chapter's focus and ensure major characters get satisfying endings instead of spreading the narrative too thinly via the presence of unnecessary figures.

Argyle laughing in Stranger Things 4

Argyle was far from the only character introduced in season 4. That expansive outing also added Angela, Chrissy, Eddie, Vickie, Yuri, Enzo, and Jason to the show's cast. While Stranger Things had the freedom to introduce more newcomers in its penultimate season, season 5's plotting must tighten up considerably for the show to end its story perfectly. For Stranger Things' ending to do justice to each member of its main cast, season 5 needs to drop unnecessary supporting stars.

Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers walking down a road with cracks and lava coming up in Stranger Things

Stranger Things Season 5: Focusing On Its Main Cast

The series has a large number of minor characters, even without Argyle. Not only are there plenty of existing characters for season 5 to focus on, but a Stranger Things cast photo posted on the show’s official social media suggests that Robin’s love interest, Vickie, will have a bigger role in this outing. Add in the fact that Terminator hero Linda Hamilton will play a new character in season 5, and viewers are already guaranteed that the final season of the series will have a packed supporting cast - even without Argyle. The ending still needs to be about the main group, however, so the increased presence of Vickie and Hamilton's debuting character made Argyle's exit even more necessary.

Argyle, Will, Mike, and Jonathan in Stranger Things

The Tone of Stranger Things Season 5

As a goofy stoner who spent the entire season chuckling through a haze of smoke, Argyle was a comic relief character whose presence may have been jarring in season 5, when the stakes are apocalyptic. The season 4 finale was already dark enough to render his contributions tonally uncomfortable. It would be easy for Stranger Things season 5’s potential time jump to account for Argyle’s absence, since the character hails from California and would presumably need to return to his home state eventually. This means that the series would no longer need to lurch uneasily from disturbing moments like Vecna putting Max into a coma to sillier scenes featuring Franco's lovable goofball.

Stranger Things main cast looking up at Hopper's cabin

While Stranger Things has always had some comic relief elements, it is easy to forget just how dark the show was in its first season. Scenes like Mike almost being killed by a bully betray the dark heart of the series - something that the show should lean into with its final outing. For Stranger Things season 5 to feel dramatic and impactful, the show needs fewer scenes like Dustin and Suzy’s The Never-Ending Story singalong and more moments like Max’s desperate, but ultimately uplifting, escape from Vecna. To this end, outright comedic characters should be jettisoned from Stranger Things in season 5.

Sadie Sink as Max with bleeding eyes in Stranger Things season 4