The Escalating Challenges Faced by Stranger Things Season 5

Article Overview

Stranger Things is entering its final season, but faces challenges such as unresolved mysteries and production delays due to strikes.

Season 4 left viewers on a cliffhanger as the Upside Down began to infiltrate Hawkins, leaving a plethora of mysteries for season 5 to unravel. The aging of the show's young cast presents a dilemma, potentially necessitating a time jump that could diminish the significance of past events. The production team is currently seeking innovative solutions to tackle this obstacle.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is under preparation, but it is confronting a daunting challenge that continues to worsen. After four successful and thrilling seasons, Netflix's Stranger Things is coming to a conclusion with its fifth season. Since its release in 2016, Stranger Things quickly became one of Netflix's biggest and most popular TV shows, captivating audiences with its blend of horror, fantasy, and heavy 1980s nostalgia. While many of Stranger Things' major mysteries have been resolved, there is still much more to explore. However, season 5 is already encountering a range of difficulties.

The conclusion of Stranger Things season 4 left viewers on a significant cliffhanger. Despite the efforts of Eleven, the Hawkins crew, the adults in Russia, and the group in California, Vecna could not be defeated. Consequently, the Upside Down began to invade the real world, engulfing Hawkins. Therefore, Stranger Things season 5 must unravel a lengthy list of mysteries. On top of that, the show is grappling with a major challenge due to behind-the-scenes complications that have delayed production: the aging of its young characters. The writers' simplest solution is actually a substantial risk for the series.

Stranger Things Season 5’s Possible Time Jump Is A Huge Risk

Stranger Things season 3 hinted at the possibility of time jumps and time travel, especially considering the events in Hawkins involving the Mind Flayer, Hopper, and the Russian lab. However, season 4 of Stranger Things quickly dispelled any notions of time travel or jumps. Nonetheless, it is speculated that season 5 might employ a time jump. Production for Stranger Things season 5 was originally scheduled to commence in May 2023 but has been put on hold due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Although writing for season 5 has resumed following the resolution of the WGA strike, filming continues to be delayed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

Due to these persistent delays and with no apparent end in sight for the SAG-AFTRA strike, Stranger Things season 5 now faces the challenge of its young cast aging. Though the events of season 4 suggest that season 5 would take place shortly after, delving into the aftermath of the Upside Down's invasion, this may not be feasible as the cast would visibly look older than their season 4 counterparts. Consequently, a solution seems to lie in a time jump, which the Duffer Brothers hinted at during an interview with TV Line in 2022.

The concern surrounding a potential time jump in season 5 of Stranger Things lies in the fact that the unresolved mysteries from season 4 could be undermined by such a narrative shift. There is a risk that a time jump might provide unsatisfactory or inadequate explanations for the fate of characters like Vecna, the Upside Down's takeover, and Max. Moreover, if the events between seasons are hastily recapped, it could lead to even more unanswered questions, a situation that is deemed unfavorable considering that this is the final season of the series.

How Stranger Things Season 5 Can Address Its Main Characters Aging

Rather than resorting to a time jump in order to account for the rapid growth of the characters in Stranger Things between seasons, alternative and more imaginative approaches can be taken. In an interview with Variety in October 2023, producer and director Shawn Levy acknowledged this challenge and highlighted the exceptional talents of the show's makeup and wardrobe department. Utilizing the skills of these experts, they can seamlessly transform the actors back into their characters through the use of wigs and makeup, eliminating the need for digital de-aging. The team behind Stranger Things must now tap into their creativity in order to address the actors' aging process while maintaining the integrity of their characters' narratives and the overall continuity of the series.

Sources: TVLine, Variety.

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of Stranger Things, I am both excited and anxious about the upcoming fifth and final season. On the one hand, I can't wait to see how the story concludes and what happens to my favorite characters. On the other hand, I'm worried that the show might not be able to stick the landing after such a strong run.

One of the biggest challenges facing Stranger Things season 5 is the aging of its young cast. The show's main characters are all in their late teens or early twenties, and they're going to look significantly older by the time season 5 comes out. This could make it difficult to maintain the show's sense of realism, and it could also lead to some awkward moments if the characters are supposed to be the same age as they were in previous seasons.

Another challenge facing Stranger Things season 5 is the need to wrap up all of the show's loose ends. There are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed, such as what happened to Will Byers in the Upside Down, and what is Vecna's true plan? The writers have a lot of work to do in order to tie up all of these loose ends in a satisfying way.