SPOILER WARNINGS ahead.
This morning, a lot of Stranger Things fans are waking up a little jaded.
Spoiler alert: Will Byers is gay.
Listen, fans have known that since season one, episode one, when Joyce Byers explains to Jim Hopper what people say about her son Will. That part isn’t shocking. If anything, Will having a coming-out moment was inevitable, and yes, that moment can be celebrated. But all that building up to some moment where Will and Mike would have this special embrace? Some fans longed for it and they did not get it.
But at the same time, the show deserves criticism because the larger storyline has gone completely off the rails.
Plotlines have become subplots that have subplots of their own. Characters endlessly gather in circles, drawing plans on boards, debating whether those plans will work, then seemingly not doing the plan at all. Instead, they get attacked by demogorgons anyway, only for miracles to happen where everyone escapes without injury.
Which brings us to the biggest spoiler of all: no one has died.
Everyone was bracing for a major loss. The Duffer Brothers warned us about a “very sad Christmas,” yet here we are scratching our heads. Fans will still be fans, and I’ll still be one too, but the episodes presented last night were strange and confusing. There was far too much dialogue, and characters we’ve watched develop for four seasons suddenly don’t act like themselves anymore.
We’re still hopeful the final season and the series finale will blow us away. But so far, we’ve been blown away by boredom. It has to be said. I don’t want to say it, but there is simply too much going on.
There’s that famous episode of Happy Days where Fonzie literally jumps over a shark. That moment became shorthand for when a television show loses its way. Jumping the shark happens to a lot of good shows. That’s part of why Seinfeld remains legendary. It knew when to end before that moment arrived.
So the question becomes: did Stranger Things jump the shark, or in this case, jump the demogorgon?
And if it did, when did it happen? Was it season five, episode by episode? Or did it quietly happen sometime late in season four and we just didn’t notice at the time?
We still love the show. We still can’t wait for the series finale. But the stretch getting there has been tedious, strange, and more boring than it should be.
And quite frankly, if the idea was that affirming Will’s sexuality would somehow make the show better, that’s fine. He did it. But it added nothing to a plot where we already knew exactly who Will was. Worse, it teased fans who expected an emotional payoff between Will and Mike, only to have Mike essentially ignore him in that moment.
Historically speaking, Indiana had decriminalized homosexuality in 1977. But in 1986 there was a law giving restrictions on marriage. That context seems to matter but the show didn’t explore it too much given the rapidness of how they had Will–while the world was ending–decide to come out then. It was his arc.. and it was his moment. But it seemed that it was fit in during a strange time when it was not placed correctly.
Despite season five going down a strange path, we’re still fans, and there were some genuinely cool and redeeming moments. There was an awesome reference tonight involving A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, where Holly was talking to Max and had to return to a frightening memory of being with her friends watching Nightmare 3.
That episode was directed by Frank Darabont, who was also involved with Nightmare 3. There were also some solid nods to Phantasm, along with a few moments that were genuinely unique and well-crafted. Unfortunately, those highs are paired with negative aspects that are probably too numerous to list.
It also gave us a really cool poster that was designed for the show that has a huge likeness and homage to NIGHTMARE 3:
But we go from that to then Max bringing Holly along to get out of the upside down or whatever it is… just to tell her stick around and she can’t come with her? Odd..
And speaking of botching things up? Suddenly MAX says that the song is ‘not important’? It’s not? The entire theory from season 1 is how music guided people through the darkness of the upside down..
At this point, it feels like Stranger Things has dropped the demogorgon somewhere along the way.
At this point it feels like fan theories of the show have better plots and storylines than what the Duffers gave us.. we think. That last show could still be redeeming but we have yet to see time travel…or anything besides Hopper and the kids debating whether they can fly helicopters and kill Vecna. Or whatever they are trying to do…
We just have to figure out when it happened and hold our breath for one truly incredible, climactic battle at the end.
