SPOILER ALERT!
Netflix has been absolutely killing the Originals game lately. From Stranger Things to Riverdale, it seems like anything Netflix touches turns to gold. 13 Reasons Why was quite an enjoyable show for me, especially since I grew up reading the novel by Jay Asher. Although it had its faults, my main problem with it was the fact that there was a second season. For a novel with a main theme of irredeemable loss, the show completely undermines the death of its main character in order to profit off an unnecessary second season.
Shows like The Walking Dead and Pretty Little Liars are ones that viewers typically see as overextended. Both of these shows went well into seven seasons when they didn’t necessarily need to. They continue plots that don’t need whole seasons, with the main notion being “Look! The gang’s back together again to [insert thing they do multiple times every season].” By overextending a show’s lifespan, the show may become lifeless and feel like a money grab. That’s why we need to keep Stranger Things pure.
Stranger Things is arguably one of the best shows of our generation. It tells the tale of a gang of misfit pre-teens in the 1980s with a dash of sci-fi all the while being a Netflix Original. It makes for a great binge watch, has great characters and story arches, and is so well written with minimal plot holes.
The ending of the first season set up a seamless transition into season two. We saw Hop leaving out Eggos for Eleven and Will vomit up a tentacle, among other strange things. We all finished season one of Stranger Things with questions—Is Eleven alive? Why the hell isn’t Nancy dating Jonathan when they’re clearly destined for one another?—The ending of season two, on the other hand, left me with barely any.
Stranger Things 2 ends perfectly: the gate is closed, Eleven is back and with Mike, Max is with Lucas, Will isn’t possessed anymore, Nancy and Jonathan are finally together (hell yeah), everyone is happy. It seems almost as if The Duffer Brothers made the ending with the intention to end the series. The only cliffhanger we’re left with is what seems like a last ditch effort for a potential third season. Season one ends with open-ended plots, season two ends with a mild 10 second clip that doesn’t really mean much to the viewer in comparison to seeing our beloved main characters reunited.
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When I propose this somewhat controversial opinion to my friends, I’m typically met with questions about Billy and Eight. The fact of the matter is, I don’t really care to see more of these characters. Billy comes from an abusive home so it makes sense that he, in turn, becomes a human antagonist: plot-hole = filled. Max finally stood up to Billy: plot-hole = filled. Eleven decides that the best place for her may not be with her sister Eight (or Kali) but rather in Hawkins, and her sister respects this: plot-hole = filled. The only question I find myself pondering is the whereabouts of Dr. Brenner, but even still I don’t think this deserves a whole season to cover.
The Duffer Brothers themselves have stated that they don’t want to overextend the life of their series. Rumour is: the brothers aim to end the series after five seasons. Matt Duffer said in an interview that “it’s hard, like four seems too short, five seems too long.” It has also been confirmed that season three is a go, but the brothers haven’t fully written it yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Stranger Things. I would probably take a bullet for Millie Bobby Brown TBH. But that doesn’t mean the show should continue past its prime. All-in-all, great storytelling doesn’t need to be seven seasons long. But who knows, I’ll probably be a sucker for the third season too.
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