The first season of Stranger Things was one of the most beloved successes Netflix had ever seen, and, as the show is moving into its fifth and final season, there are plenty of aspects from those early days that the show should bring back. The Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have even stated that the upcoming fifth season of Stranger Things will be a lot more like season 1. They likened the final season to “season one on steroids” and said that the whole gang will be back together in Hawkins and that Eleven and the boys’ dynamic is back to how it was at the start of the show.
This back-to-basics final season of Stranger Things is just what the show needs and will remind audiences of why they fell in love with the series in the first place. However, if the creators are feeling nostalgic for the show’s early days, there are also unresolved plotlines from the first season that they should visit and provide explanations for. There are long-forgotten characters who should come back for one final moment to give viewers closure about them. The final season of Stranger Things should also leave some aspects of the first season in the past, like the sidelining of certain characters, and abandoning a no longer useful love triangle.
10Take: Stranger Things Season 5 Must Focus More On The Main Cast
Bring things back to the core cast of characters
When Stranger Things first aired the show’s tight-knit focus on its core cast made it an insanely bingeable and enjoyable eight-episode journey. With a strong ensemble cast that included the endearing friendships developing between Eleven, Mike, and the rest of the gang, Jim Hooper’s simmering father-daughter dynamic with Eleven, and Joyce Byers’s desperation to discover what happened to her son Will, these core cast members drove the story and kept viewers engaged. As Stranger Things has unfolded over the past four seasons, this core focus drifted and the final installment should take things back to where it all started and give most of its attention to the core characters.
9Take: Stranger Things 5 Must Rediscover Season 1’s Comedy
Bring back the friends’ unique sense of fun and jokey sense of humor
One of the most enjoyable things about the first season was Stranger Things was just how funny it was. As the series progressed, the light antics of the kids were slowly replaced by the darkness that had enveloped the town of Hawkins, themes of trauma and post-dramatic stress, as well as overall higher stakes and mature topics. The final season of Stranger Things should rediscover what made it so funny in the first place and find ways to utilize the nerd comedy of Dustin, the sarcastic wit of Lucas, and the endearing awkwardness of Mike’s childhood love for Eleven.
8Take: Stranger Things Season 5 Should Provide Justice For Barb Holland
Bring back Barb in some way to provide long needed closure
The death of Barbara Holland in Stranger Things season 1 was shrouded in controversy as her demise in the Upside Down was a shock to viewers. Popular with audiences, the nerdy teenager Barb felt like a symbol of innocence within the show. Barb’s death led to such an outcry from viewers that a “Justice for Barb” movement was started to highlight the way that the town of Hawkins had seemingly forgotten her. While season 4 does pay tribute to the character when Vecna reveals to Nancy his various victims, season 5 should bookend the show with a final Barb moment and finally give audiences closure for this beloved minor character.
7Take: Stranger Things Season 5 Should Pay Off Season 1’s Egg Tease
Bring back to the mysterious egg plotline and finally resolve its purpose
One unresolved mystery from Stranger Things season 1 that the show has yet to resolve is the odd yellow egg seen in the Upside Down. Making its first appearance in season 1, episode 6, when Eleven is making a telekinetic connection with the Demogorgon, it is seen feasting on a strange yellow egg. Later, Joyce and Hopper also find a hatched yellow egg in the Upside Down. This is a subplot that viewers have been theorizing about since the earliest days of the show, and for season 5 of Stranger Things to properly conclude the series the egg must come into play at some point.
6Take: Stranger’s Things Season 5 Should Rediscover Its Message Of Love and Friendship
Bring back the most central theme of the first season and end on what the show is really all about
What made Stranger Things such a beloved series in the early days of season 1 was its heartfelt message about the power of love and friendship. The childhood bonds that influenced the friends’ determination to do anything they could to save Will, Joyce’s desperation to discover a way to contact the son she believes is still alive, and the welcoming hospitality that was given to the scared and lonely young girl Eleven, were all important aspects of Stranger Things. As the show progressed, there was much more strife between the friends, and, in season 5, Stranger Things should resolve the story with its original message of love and friendship.
5Leave: Stranger Things Season 5 Can’t Sideline Will Byers Like S1 Did
Stranger Things should give Will the attention he deserves
While the first season of Stranger Things in a way revolved entirely around the character of Will Byers, he was mostly an unseen presence, and his struggles in the Upside Down were sidelined. As Will returned to Hawkins in subsequent seasons, his trauma and difficulties adjusting back to normality were explored, but in a way, Will always felt slightly outside the core group of friends in Stranger Things. As Stranger Things comes to an end in season 5, it is important that Will is not sidelined once again, and is character is given the proper exploration and closure that he deserves.
4Leave: Stranger Things Season 5 Must Drop The Nancy, Steve, Jonathan Love Triangle
Stranger Things should finally put this love triangle out of its misery
The love triangle between Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and Jonathan Byers has been simmering since the first season of Stranger Things. Even though it has been obvious since season 2 that Nancy chose Jonathan, Stranger Things left the possibility of a renewed romance between Nancy and Steve open. This implication grew stronger in season 4 as Nancy and Jonathan’s communication broke down, and it appeared as if long-lingering feelings may be reignited. This was a storyline that worked well in season 1, but after all the characters have been through, it feels like it hurts the character’s development, and Stranger Things season 5 must drop this problematic love triangle.
3Leave: Stranger Things Season 5 Must Abandon Steve Harrington’s Meaner Side
Stranger Things should demonstrate Steve’s transformation from bully to loyal friend
Steve Harrington, the unlikeable jock in season 1 of Stranger Things, is a million miles away from the courageous, thoughtful, and caring character he becomes in later seasons. As Stranger Things’ breakout character, Steve’s popularity led to countless hilarious memes, and the final season should address the elimination of his more mean-spirited side. When a show is wrapping up it is a great opportunity to highlight the character growth that has taken place, and Stranger Things season 5 would be the perfect time to demonstrate that Steve has come full circle and that the way he bullied and harassed people like Jonathan, is well and truly in the past.
2Leave: Stranger Things Season 5 Should Stop Having The Adults Treat The Gang Like Kids
Stranger Things should ensure the gang are treated like the adults they are becoming
In season 1 of Stranger Things, the pre-teen kids of the show are just that, kids. As such, throughout the series’ run, there is a lot of fear from the adult characters about what they are doing and the trouble they have found themselves in. In particular, Chief of Police Jim Hopper becomes very paternal and protective of Eleven, who eventually becomes like a daughter to him. However, as Stranger Things moves into its final season, it is time for the adults to leave their perceptions of the kids from season 1 behind, accept all they have achieved over the years, recognize that they are on the verge of adulthood, and stop treating the gang like kids.
1Leave: Stranger Things Season 5 Should Eliminate Eleven’s Self-Doubt
Stranger Things should let Eleven realize her full potential
When Eleven was first introduced Stranger Things she was a lost, lonely girl, who was unable to speak as a result of the trauma she endured. As Stranger Things progresses Eleven demonstrated that she was a strong character capable of psychokinetic and telepathic abilities. Whenever the residents of Hawkins found themselves in grave danger, it was always Eleven who would swoop in and use her powers to save the day. But, despite this, Eleven still harbored a lot of self-doubt related to her abilities. As Stranger Things concludes in season 5, this self-doubt should be eliminated, and she should overcome her past trauma entirely and realize her full potential.
