10 Harsh Realities You Notice Rewatching Stranger Things Before Season 5

As Stranger Things heads towards its finale, now is a great time to revisit the series – but be prepared, you might notice things you didn’t before! Netflix offers a fantastic range of TV shows, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and Stranger Things is easily its biggest hit.

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is a show set in the 1980s. It follows a group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana, who uncover frightening secrets connected to Hawkins Lab. Their investigations reveal that the lab has opened doorways to another dimension, allowing monsters to enter our world.

Okay, so I’m a huge Stranger Things fan, and it’s hitting me hard that season five is really the end after four amazing seasons! The first part is coming out on November 26, 2025, and it’s got me wanting to rewatch everything. But going back and watching the older seasons, you start to realize how much has changed and how things are different now. It’s a little bittersweet, honestly!

Barb’s Death Was Blown Out Of Proportion

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In the first season of Stranger Things, several minor characters die, including Barb, Nancy’s close friend. While others meet their end, Barb stands out as the only one with significant screen time and a direct connection to the main group – similar to Benny, the kind owner of Benny’s Burgers who helps Eleven.

While waiting for Nancy at a party at Steve’s house, Barb was taken by the Demogorgon, and Eleven later discovered her body in the Upside Down. Barb’s death sparked a lot of online attention with the hashtag “Justice For Barb,” but in reality, the amount of focus it received was much greater than the situation warranted.

Barb, a character from Stranger Things, wasn’t developed enough for viewers to truly connect with or care about. Later seasons introduced supporting characters like Bob Newby and Eddie Munson who arguably had a greater impact and deserved the strong reactions that Barb’s death initially received.

Nancy Is Terrible To Those Closest To Her

Nancy is a popular character on Stranger Things, and she’s changed a lot since the first season. However, it’s difficult to ignore how she’s hurt the people she cares about. For example, in season 1, she wasn’t a very supportive friend to Barb when she began dating Steve, which ultimately left her feeling responsible for Barb’s death.

Okay, so Nancy’s love life has been a bit of a rollercoaster! Remember how she and Steve were drifting apart in season two and she started connecting with Jonathan? Well, season three didn’t exactly improve things with Steve. But season four completely switched things up. With Jonathan off in California, Nancy found herself spending a lot more time with Steve, and the show definitely hinted at a possible reunion. It was a smart mirroring of her season two arc, and honestly, I’m rooting for them!

Nancy can sometimes be self-centered in her relationships, but she’s a truly loyal friend – especially after the tragedy involving Barb – and consistently shows incredible bravery as part of the Hawkins group.

Season 2 Is Stranger Things’ Weakest Season, Not The Third

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Many fans consider season 3 of Stranger Things to be the show’s low point, but I think season 2 is actually the weakest. Season 2 had a difficult task following the incredibly successful first season, and it takes place a year after the events of season 1. The season largely centers on the lasting impact the Upside Down had on Will Byers.

While Will faced his own challenges, the rest of the Hawkins group battled the Demodogs that had entered their world from the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan teamed up with Murray, and Eleven began searching for answers about her past.

Season 2 of Stranger Things features many storylines, but they don’t quite flow together seamlessly. It also felt like the end of an era for the show, and the conclusion was rather sudden. This abruptness contributes to why Season 3 feels different, as it introduces a new direction for the story.

Season 2’s Weakest Spot Is Eleven’s Mom’s Story, Not Kali’s

Season 2 of Stranger Things includes what many consider to be the show’s least compelling episode, “The Lost Sister.” However, that’s not the biggest issue with the season. Before encountering Kali, Eleven locates her mother, Terry Ives, and attempts to connect with her using their shared psychic abilities, as Terry is in a catatonic state.

Eleven discovers that Terry attempted to save her from Hawkins Lab, but was harmed by shock therapy, leaving her with lasting brain damage. She also learns about another girl she connected with while at the lab, which leads her to Kali.

As we head into season 5, Eleven’s quick reunion with her mother feels unimportant, especially since the show didn’t follow up on the character of Terry. Although Kali hasn’t reappeared, discovering other people with powers had a more lasting effect on Eleven’s journey and the overall story.

Hopper Went Through A Weird Change In Stranger Things Season 3

In the third season of Stranger Things, the characters started going through the changes of puberty, and their priorities shifted. While Mike, Dustin, and Lucas became interested in girls, Will still preferred playing Dungeons & Dragons with his friends, and Eleven and Max developed a closer bond.

Throughout the season, Hopper and Joyce developed a stronger connection, though Hopper seemed different than before. He became noticeably more humorous, likely as a way to make viewers like him even more, setting the stage for a more emotional reaction when he appeared to die at the end of season three. Becoming Eleven’s legal guardian seemed to bring out this lighter side.

While the new Hopper in season 3 worked well overall, the difference from his portrayal in the first two seasons is noticeable and a little jarring.

Stranger Things’ Season 4 Biggest Mistake Was Separating Its Characters

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As a critic, I can confidently say that Stranger Things season 4 felt like a turning point for the series. We finally got some seriously impactful reveals about the Upside Down, and Jamie Campbell Bower’s performance as Henry Creel, a.k.a. Vecna, was a standout. But honestly? While the season was huge in scope, I think the writers made a key misstep by splitting up the core group for so much of the time. It diluted the dynamic that makes the show so special.

In Stranger Things, the story followed multiple groups working towards urgent goals: in Hawkins, the friends desperately tried to save Max, prove Eddie’s innocence, and stop Vecna. Meanwhile, Eleven was taken to a hidden lab to regain her abilities, and Joyce and Murray embarked on a dangerous mission to Russia to rescue Hopper.

Season 4 felt overly crowded with too much happening. Since season 3 also split the characters into groups, it would have been more effective to keep them together for most of the season instead of just a brief reunion at the very end.

Stranger Things Got Gradually Less Dark & Cohesive

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One of the things that initially made Stranger Things so popular was its dark and suspenseful atmosphere. The first season featured scary events like children being abducted by monsters, the discovery of a strange alternate dimension, teenagers facing deadly creatures, and government agents taking extreme measures. While season two kept up this intense mood, the show took a noticeably different direction in season three.

Over time, Stranger Things hasn’t been quite as consistently dark, although seasons three and four still had some very intense scenes. More significantly, the show has become less focused as the story has expanded. With so much happening throughout the series, a major hurdle for season five will be tying everything together into a satisfying conclusion.

Everyone Has Terrible Parents (Except Will & Jonathan)

The show Stranger Things clearly draws inspiration from Stephen King, and a prime example of this is the often-absent or uncaring parents in the town of Hawkins, similar to those in It. With the exception of Joyce and Hopper, most of the adults, including the parents of Lucas, Erica, Dustin, and the Wheelers, don’t seem very involved in their children’s lives or aware of what’s going on with them.

Considering all the strange events in Hawkins since the beginning of the show, it’s surprising that most adults didn’t notice anything until recently. It wasn’t until the massive earthquake at the end of Stranger Things season 4, when the Upside Down started to merge with the real world, that the adults finally realized something was seriously wrong.

As Vecna potentially sets his sights on Holly Wheeler in season 5, Karen Wheeler could finally discover the truth about everything her kids have experienced over the past few years.

The Likable New Character Will Die

One thing Stranger Things is known for is getting viewers attached to new characters, only to unexpectedly kill them off. We saw this with Bob Newby in season 2, Alexei in season 3, and most recently with Eddie in season 4 – sadly, he didn’t survive to see the show’s final season.

Most fans anticipate that any new character introduced in season 5 who quickly becomes popular will ultimately meet a tragic, and likely violent, end. While it would be unexpected if the show deviated from this pattern, it’s probable Stranger Things will conclude with one last shocking moment.

Stranger Things Has Left Too Many Plot Holes

It’s easier to spot flaws in Stranger Things when you rewatch it, particularly inconsistencies in the plot. From the very beginning, the show has introduced storylines that weren’t fully resolved, left questions unanswered, and hinted at things that never came to fruition.

The show still has many unanswered questions, like what exactly the Upside Down is, details about Eleven’s past, and why Brenner came back. While it’s probably unrealistic to expect Stranger Things season 5 to resolve every mystery, it can definitely tie up loose ends and give satisfying answers to the biggest questions.

2025-11-14 19:52