The Mind-Bending Twist that Stranger Things Season 5 Must Deliver to Stun Fans

Summary

Stranger Things season 5 faces the challenge of meeting massive audience expectations while avoiding past missteps.

The potential re-emergence of a divisive storyline from season 2, which faced significant backlash from fans, carries the risk of impacting the reputation of the show in season 5. The inclusion of a certain character linked to this storyline may undermine the positive reception garnered by season 4 and potentially mar the show's conclusion.

Season 5 of Stranger Things will mark the conclusion of the beloved series, putting added pressure on the creators to provide a satisfying ending for the Hawkins gang. There is, however, one problematic storyline from season 2 that may resurface, further complicating matters. Despite its immense popularity and record-breaking success, Stranger Things is not without flaws, and the potential return of this storyline in season 5 could pose a significant challenge.

The Duffer brothers and the talented team of writers behind Stranger Things are determined to deliver a finale that is met with acclaim, solidifying the show's position as one of the most remarkable and beloved in television history. However, the immense pressure associated with this task has the potential to cause the show to stumble, as evidenced by past instances.

Stranger Things Season 5 Must Handle Massive Audience Expectations

Throughout its tenure, Stranger Things has achieved remarkable success on Netflix. Initially starting as a captivating mystery with narrower boundaries, Stranger Things has transformed into an unprecedented powerhouse for the platform. In 2022, Stranger Things claimed the title of Netflix's most popular show for the year, accumulating over a billion hours of viewership and securing a spot in the platform's top 10 shows in 93 countries. Nevertheless, the show's journey has not been without obstacles. Stranger Things has struggled to fully satisfy audience expectations in the past.

Following the unexpected triumph of its first season in 2016, Stranger Things arguably stumbled under the weight of anticipation. Even now, Stranger Things season 1 holds the highest ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a remarkable 97% Tomatometer score and a 96% audience score. While generally well-received, subsequent seasons of Stranger Things have experienced a decline in both critical consensus and audience approval, with a majority of criticisms targeting the season 2 episode "The Lost Sister."

Stranger Things Season 5 Has Another "Lost Sister" Problem

The show's latest season has been widely acclaimed as a comeback, successfully rectifying the flaws of season 2. However, due to the overwhelming success of season 4, season 5 now faces the added challenge of maintaining the same level of quality while providing a satisfying conclusion for all its characters. This task could prove to be quite demanding, considering the show's history of struggling with the high expectations of its enormous audience, particularly if a specific storyline is revisited.

If the writers of Stranger Things decide to revisit the heavily criticized "Lost Sister" storyline in season 5, delivering a satisfying conclusion for all of the show's characters may prove to be even more challenging. The bottle episode "The Lost Sister" from season 2 takes Eleven on a self-discovery journey to Chicago where she reunites with Kali, another former test subject at Hawkins Lab. However, this particular episode received scathing reviews from fans for its drastic change of setting, tonal shift, and the out-of-character behavior displayed by Eleven. Although Stranger Things has managed to avoid similar missteps in subsequent seasons, a recent tweet hints at the possibility of this particular faux pas being revisited.

In July 2023, the official Twitter account of the Stranger Things writers teased a connection between season 2 and season 5. Responding to a fan mentioning season 2, the account mentioned that season 2 is often overlooked and recommended rewatching it before season 5. This led to speculation about how Stranger Things season 5 could tie back to season 2, particularly involving the return of Kali and her gang.

Bringing back Kali at this point in Stranger Things could pose a problem. Fan opinion of "The Lost Sister" has not improved over time and it is still considered the weakest storyline and even a subpar TV episode that almost ruined the entire show. Despite her connection, it is likely that Kali will appear in Stranger Things season 5. However, this may diminish some of the positive reception from season 4 and jeopardize the show's ending. While the writers may view Kali's return as crucial to wrapping up Eleven's story, fans may prefer to leave the "Lost Sister" chapter behind.