Netflix’s Stranger Things has been a persistent presence within pop culture for over a decade, and with its final season concluded, spinoffs are on their way. It was an announcement that was unsurprising for many. With how popular the franchise had become, it would be surprising if Netflix didn’t greenlight spinoff shows to keep the excitement going. Unfortunately, whatever excitement the showrunners were expecting for these upcoming projects didn’t come in the way that they wanted.
The reputation of Stranger Things has changed drastically from when it was first released. Production delays and questionable compounding writing choices soured the favorability a large amount of its original audience had for it. For many fans, the series overstayed its welcome and failed to live up to the stakes set in past seasons of the story. These criticisms only worsened after the final season was released alongside a documentary following the series creators during the finale’s production.
The documentary revealed how fraught the production of Stranger Things was and how deteriorated the relationships were between the series creators, the cast, and the frustration with Netflix executives had with the numerous delays. It compounded the lack of faith fans have in the Duffer Brothers in completing their story. So when the Stranger Things spinoffs were revealed, online speculation spread, accusing the Duffer Brothers of using these projects as a way to retcon past events, rather than telling new stories.
For a series like Stranger Things, a clear and firm ending would have been the best send-off for the franchise.
