A Time Jump Could have Saved ‘Stranger Things’ From Its Biggest Flaw
The final season of Netflix’s cultural phenomenon, Stranger Things, didn’t quite stumble across the finish line, but it wasn’t without its issues. While not ranking among the worst series finales in television history, Season 5 was noticeably weighed down by an overlong runtime and a growing disconnect between the actors and the ages of the characters they portrayed. The core problem? A cast that visibly aged out of their teenage roles long before the final episodes aired.
The Charm of Youthful Beginnings
Rewatching the first season of Stranger Things is a striking experience. It’s a reminder of the genuine, youthful energy brought to the screen by Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, and Millie Bobby Brown. Casting director Carmen Cuba deserves immense credit for assembling this remarkably talented young ensemble. Their chemistry was undeniable,and even as the series delved deeper into complex mythology,their charisma remained a powerful force in retaining audience engagement.
The Pandemic’s Unforeseen Impact
However,the passage of time became increasingly tough to ignore,particularly after the extended production shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cast experienced meaningful growth spurts during those six months away from set. While the Duffer Brothers,the show’s creators,downplayed the impact,stating in a Variety interview that the changes weren’t “as dramatic as people think,” the visual discrepancy became increasingly apparent. They even pointed to a specific example in Season 4, Episode 4 (“Dear Billy”), where a year passed for Sadie Sink’s character between two scenes filmed at different stages of production, yet the change was barely noticeable.
The Disconnect in Season 5
Despite this attempt to mitigate the issue, Season 5 highlighted the aging problem more than ever. Television has a long history of casting actors in their twenties to play teenagers – think back to the original Beverly Hills,90210 – but this strategy works best when those actors are cast as young-looking twenty-somethings. The challenge with Stranger Things was that audiences had watched these actors visibly mature over nine years, making it harder to suspend disbelief.
A Timeline Out of Sync
The series begins on November 6, 1983, and concludes on May 27, 1989, with the characters’ high school graduation. While the show incorporated an 18-month time jump in the finale, the core narrative unfolds over just four years, with the final battle against Vecna taking place on November 6, 1987. This means that by the time Season 5 begins, roughly nine years have passed for the actors, while only four years have elapsed for their characters. This disparity created a cognitive dissonance that detracted from the viewing experience.
The Bold Solution: A More Significant Time Jump
The Duffer Brothers could have mitigated this issue with a bolder approach: a more significant time jump at the start of Season 5. Fast-forwarding several years would have aligned the actors’ ages more closely with their characters, potentially resolving the believability problem. While this would have necessitated significant changes to the storyline – likely eliminating the “Hawkins under lockdown” plotline, which many found strained – it could have opened up new creative avenues.
Addressing Plot Issues and Embracing a New Era
A larger time jump would have also neatly resolved other narrative inconsistencies,such as the retconning of Holly Wheeler’s age in Season 5 from around 7 to 10 years old. furthermore, the show’s reliance on 1980s nostalgia, while initially charming, had begun to feel repetitive by Season 4. A jump into the early 1990s could have injected fresh energy into the series, exploring the cultural landscape of the anti-government and conspiracy theory-driven decade that birthed shows like The X-Files. imagine a Season 5 steeped in that atmosphere – a truly fascinating prospect.
The Lost Potential of young Adulthood
While the emotional resonance of the characters’ high school graduation is undeniable,it ultimately wasn’t enough to overcome the issues created by the aging cast. Exploring the challenges and triumphs of young adulthood for these characters, particularly after everything they’d endured, would have been a far more compelling direction.
Learning From Other shows
The Duffer Brothers may have had a specific vision for the show’s ending, but accomplished television often requires adaptability. The creators of Breaking Bad understood the importance of evolving a story over years, as detailed in numerous books about the show’s production .Similarly, the first season of lost faced a similar issue with the rapid aging of young actor Malcolm David Kelley, who played Walt. The show’s solution – effectively writing the character out – demonstrated a willingness to address continuity problems, even if it meant deviating from original plans. Mad Men, renowned for its masterful storytelling, successfully utilized time jumps to chart its characters’ journeys from the 1960s to the 1970s, demonstrating that significant shifts in time can enhance a series rather than detract from it.
A Missed possibility
While a larger time jump wouldn’t have solved all of Stranger Things’ problems – tighter editing remains a significant area for enhancement – it would have substantially enhanced the audience’s ability to connect with and believe in the characters. Ultimately, the show’s reluctance to embrace this solution resulted in a final season that felt slightly off-key, a poignant reminder that sometimes, the boldest choices are the most rewarding.
Stranger Things is currently streaming on netflix.
