The creative team speaks up about their experiences and teases what will happen in the dramatic climax as fans recuperate after an intense Season 4.
After Season 4 of Stranger Things concluded, many are already anticipating the show’s end. Felicia Day speaks with the showrunners, cast, and crew of Netflix’s Stranger Things Unlocked, the official aftershow for the series, in the most recent episode. They discuss Season 4, Vol. 2 and give hints about what will happen in the fifth and final season.
The cliffhanger finale that prepares the series for an exciting final season was possibly the most startling of all the dramatic incidents in Season 4. The creative team offered a variety of intriguing viewpoints on the most recent season, and there were many tantalizing indications about what may happen next. Although the start date for Season 5’s production is unknown, the Duffer Brothers have shown that the wait will be well worth it.
The Production Benefited from the Shutdown
The Duffer Brothers went into great detail about how the postponed filming schedule aided in plot creation. They assert that in prior seasons, they would begin filming only after having written a small number of episodes, and they would continue writing as the season was being shot. However, Covid permitted them to finish all the scripts prior to the commencement of filming.
Through this procedure, they were able to review the entire season at once and correct any character gaps and inconsistencies. The finest illustration was how Eddie’s character was rewritten to include that incredible guitar solo. The usage of a similar writing method for Season 5 will intrigue fans.
Stranger Things fan favorite Dustin saw Eddie’s demise in Episode 8, cradling his buddy and mentor in his arms as he went away. Season 4 was not kind to many of the characters. Actor Gaten Matarazzo responds to this by expressing concern for his Season 5 role.
He implied that the confident yet naive Dustin, who frequently contributes much to the show’s comedic relief, would be too traumatized to act in a realistically normal manner. This is later confirmed by The Duffer Brothers, who state that Dustin’s other side would be explored in the upcoming season. Hopefully Dustin will eventually regain his previous zest for life.
Season 5 will move quickly.
In homage to Episode V of Star Wars, in which the heroes infamously lose, the Duffer Brothers refer to Season 4 as their Empire Strikes Back season. The characters experience severe losses in Season 4, and although the previous seasons of Stranger Things gradually developed their plots, this was not essential for 4.
The showrunners indicated Episode 5 will go right into action, with no explanation or build-up required. They stated that this implies that Season 5 would probably be shorter than Season 4, even though they acknowledged that there are still a lot of unresolved stories, such as the romance between Jonathan and Nancy and Max’s fate, who had one of the strongest character arcs in Season 4.
An Overview Of Season 1’s Origins
The Duffer Brothers expressed a desire for Season 5 to bring back the original cast members, including Jonathan and Nancy, the boys and Eleven, Joyce and Hopper, and others. The relationships of the gang were considerably different in Season 4 with Will spending his spring vacation in California, Joyce and Murray attempting to save Hopper in Russia, El in the desert with Brenner, and the remainder banding together in Hawkins.
Given that the original Avengers were brought back together at the end of Infinity War, the Duffer Brothers’ remarks have major Endgame overtones. It’s time to focus on all the loose ends and give the core cast the resolutions they deserve. Their remarks about there being no new characters in 5 were probably not made in jest.
Vecna/One/Henry, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, was one of the top television villains of 2022, according to fans. Even though Vecna’s previous existence as a human was extensively explored, there is still a sizable hole in his history as a result of Eleven forcing him into the Upside Down.
Season 5 will close the gap, according to The Duffer Brothers, and provide the viewer with much-needed explanations regarding Vecna, how he was able to control the particles, and what he did in the Upside Down all those years. The function of the Mind Flayer and the hierarchy of power between Vecna and the Demogorgons are other unanswered concerns.
When asked why the characters always plunge into danger, actress Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) had an Actress Maya Hawke, who plays Robin Buckley, had an excellent response when asked why the characters are constantly in peril. She asserts that the writers of the program made a blatant artistic decision that gives the characters a “bounciness”; their bravery gives them a new life, enabling them to recover from everything and to find comedy in dire circumstances.
She is supplemented by actor Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson), who says that it is challenging for filmmakers to achieve such a distinct tone that mixes peril and tragedy with humor and brightness. This masterfully executed feat by the series’ creative team contributes to the popularity of Stranger Things.
Stranger Things has a reputation for being unable to kill off its core actors, instead opting to do it with fresher characters, such Billy Hargrove from Seasons 2 and 3 played by Dacre Montgomery and Sean Astin, and Bob Newby from Season 2. Since they “killed off” Hopper, this practice has become predictable and a little deceptive.
But it is simple to understand the showrunners’ situation; their characters have such a strong bond that if one of them passes away, the story would have to stop and deal with their loss. Therefore, Eddie sadly never had favorable odds. He at least left a lasting impression by challenging preconceptions along the way.
While Millie Bobby Brown was more surprised by what she saw as Eleven’s coldness, especially when she refused to forgive Dr. Brenner as he lay dying on the desert floor, pleading with her to say she understood why he did what he did, Matthew Modine expressed amazement at how harsh his character was.
Many people on YouTube commented in response to her belief that Dr. Brenner is a child abuser who didn’t deserve Eleven’s pardon. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Brown felt more sympathetic toward the father who raised Eleven, though, as it is the actor’s responsibility to show sympathy in situations when others would not.
The Duffer Brothers declined when asked whether they approached Robert Englund about appearing in Season 4 since they didn’t think he’d accept and were surprised by his audition tape. It was a simple casting decision given the numerous references to A Nightmare on Elm Street in Season 4 and Englund’s famous horror notoriety.
It also turned out to be among the smartest. Nancy and Robin’s visit to Victor Creel is reminiscent of a scene from The Silence of the Lambs. One of the finest moments of Stranger Things Season 4 is this sequence, which features one of Englund’s most tragic performances as Henry’s tormented father.
The team pledges to completely explain what the Upside Down is in addition to illuminating Vecna’s history. The Upside Down was originally referred to as “The Nether” in the early drafts, but this was modified once the lads came up with their own term, according to producer Shawn Levy.
The Duffer Brothers imply that the discovery that the shadow world is trapped in the past, at the time when Will was initially abducted in Season 1, is the largest indication in Season 4 concerning the true nature of the Upside Down. It’s very much a given that Stranger Things will give viewers a stunning and intriguing backstory at this point, whether time travel will be involved or something totally different.
