Review by DelaneyJackson

“Stranger Things”,  deemed one of the most popular shows of all time, is nearing its close. When the final episode releases on Dec. 31, 2025, it will have been nearly a decade since the series began on July 15, 2016.

When the show was originally created by Matt and Ross Duffer, it was geared towards people who didn’t really fit in. In the first season alone, there are multiple instances where the main group of kids are bullied for being “nerds,” “freaks” and “weirdos.”

However, as the years have gone on, the show that was once for the “weird kids” turned into a No. 1 Netflix original series. Oddly enough, most of the audience latched onto the most “normal” character instead of one of the unpopular kids.

It has been repeated over and over again by the cast and crew that “Stranger Things” is not for the general public to relate to.

“Now, as we act in the continuing narrative of ‘Stranger Things,’ we 1983 midwesterners will repel bullies. We will shelter freaks and outcasts: those who have no home,” David Harbour, an actor from the series, said during the show’s award acceptance speech at the 2017 SAG Awards.

Nowadays, it’s pretty common to go to the comments section of a “Stranger Things” related video and see someone say something like, “Will Byers better die in season five.” Will, who is arguably the main character of the show, receives possibly the most hate among the general audience.

His character is relentlessly bullied in the show, especially in seasons one and two. Will is often called names—and even slurs—by numerous characters in the show. Audience members who the show was geared towards could instantly find some relatability in his character.

The hate is not only visible in the actual episodes, but among the fans, too.

Whenever a fan does a deep dive of the background into the show, going deeper into the story and exploring more than what is given at face value (costume design, decorations, parallels to other media, etc.), they are often shut down by general audience members who like to only accept the mainstream opinions and surface-level facts presented on screen.

Of course, anyone can watch “Stranger Things,” but when the original meaning of the show gets overshadowed by people who watch the show once, say their favorite character is Eddie Munson, then go to school and bully people just like him the next day, it feels as though the show has reached the wrong audience.

Being a fan of this show for years has been an amazing experience, but the change in the fan base has been very obvious and visible. When I first watched the show in 2020, the time period we were in was one where people were less afraid to be themselves.

However, when season 4 came out in 2022, there seemed to be an increase in the amount of people deeming a piece of media as “cringy.” Many audience members were determined to not be one of “those” fans— ones who actually found comfort in the series instead of just watching it when it was popular.

One of my fears for the final season is that general audience members will continue to disregard things that dedicated fans have been saying for years. If “Stranger Things” ends with a hateful fan base that doesn’t know what the show is truly about, then many of the messages in the show would have been for nothing.

As “Stranger Things” comes to an end, it is important to remember what the show started out as, what the cast and crew have been emphasizing over the years. This is a TV series made for people who are bullied and made fun of. Characters such as Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson are all examples of what outcasts have to go through during their adolescence.

Season five of “Stranger Things” will be released in three parts. Volume one will come out on Nov. 26, volume two on Christmas and the finale on New Year’s Eve. I am confident that this ending will tie back to the show’s roots of nonconformity and remind the general audience that it is okay to be weird or to be a nerd. In fact, that’s what makes the show so special.