It is a must for Shawn Levy, The Duffer Brothers, and other showrunners to bestow a fitting and satisfying conclusion of Stranger Things Season 5 to the show’s fanbase. The final season has a lot to cover, and it will be interesting to see how the showrunners manage to balance all the key elements, especially the main characters. The makers know about this situation and have taken steps to address it.
While Stranger Things has delivered four seasons packed with plenty of action, drama, emotion, and shocking reveals, it has also received criticism for not giving proper closure to many fan-favourite characters. It all started with Barb’s shocking and unexpected death in Season 1. Many, to this day, believe that her death was not necessary in the first season. She was seen as a symbol of innocence. Viewers became so upset with her death that they launched an online “Justice for Barb” movement in an attempt to force the showrunners to bring her back into the series.
In a recent interview with People Magazine, one of the showrunners, Shawn Levy, revealed that the show’s characters are its heart and soul, and they are “intact and are as central as spectacle.” It means that Stranger Things Season 5 will focus primarily on its main cast, which is great as this strategy enables the showrunners to give a satisfying closure to the arcs of all key characters.
However, the recent addition of Linda Hamilton and Amybeth McNulty (who played Vickie in Season 4, Robin’s crush) does raise some doubts. It all depends upon what type of characters they will play in Season 5. McNulty will get more screen time in the final season as Maya Hawke’s Robin likes her very much. The final entry could commence Vickie and Robin’s relationship. On the other hand, details about Hamilton’s character are under wraps.
Stranger Things showrunners must deal with the characters of Linda Hamilton and Amybeth McNulty with great care, as they cannot risk offering fans underdeveloped characters. But, it is also important for them to give proper screen time to the main characters.
Levy’s words indicate that the producers know that the most crucial thing in Stranger Things Season 5 is to give a satisfying and emotionally rich closure to all the main characters’ stories. Stay tuned for more updates.