6 Worst Hair & Wig Moments in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5

by

Details are incredibly important to the Netflix hit, Stranger Things. The show’s 1980s setting isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a core part of what makes it special. Fans love noticing everything from the fashion to the music, and how perfectly the characters capture the look and feel of the 1980s.

Fans have been paying close attention to hairstyles on the show since the very beginning, from Will’s early bowl cut to Eleven’s shaved head. By Season 5, the focus on hair and wigs was intense, and unfortunately, the results are inconsistent. Some characters have believable, period-accurate looks, while others are unintentionally creating viral memes. While viewers are enjoying the acting, distracting hair choices are immediately noticeable.

The conversation around the latest season has been intense, and some of the biggest discussions haven’t been about the plot – they’ve been about the hair! Let’s take a look at six of the most talked-about hair and wig choices from Stranger Things Season 5.

6
Millie Bobby Brown / Eleven’s Wedding Wig Woes


Netflix

Okay, let me tell you, there are moments in The Crawl that really pull you in, like when Eleven is pushing herself to the absolute limit in training. You feel her exertion – the sweat, the heavy breathing – but then your eye gets caught by her hair. It’s…immobile. It just sits there, perfectly styled, and honestly, it’s distracting. Instead of making the scene feel more real, the wig creates this weird, artificial vibe. We see it again in “Sorcerer” during the base infiltration fight – same issue. It pulls you out of the intensity of the moment, and that’s a shame.

Despite visible injuries on her character, some viewers have noticed her hair looks unusually flawless, disrupting the realism. Millie Bobby Brown shared that the hair stylists faced challenges this season because she was planning her wedding during filming. They had to cleverly conceal her wedding hair extensions with wigs during crucial scenes. While this explains the difficulty, fans online have pointed out the noticeable wig seams and described the hair’s appearance as looking unnaturally shiny, almost like plastic.

5
Will’s (Attempted) Bowl Cut Redemption


Netflix

Will Byers’ distinctive bowl cut has been a long-running joke on Stranger Things since the very beginning. In the show’s fifth season, the creators attempt to give his look an update, but the haircut stubbornly remains recognizable. While it’s longer and a bit more layered than the famously unflattering style we’ve seen for years, a scene in the first volume reveals that even during intense moments – when Will is experiencing painful psychic visions – the hair doesn’t behave realistically, playfully acknowledging the many memes it inspired as the “worst haircut in Hawkins.”

The true challenge arrives in the episode “Sorcerer,” where Will finally embraces his abilities. After being a victim of the Upside Down for so long, he harnesses the power of Vecna’s influence and commands the Demogorgons. It’s a powerful and satisfying scene, showing Will confidently in control as the monsters submit to him – but even in this moment, his wig is noticeable. Noah Schnapp has previously addressed the online discussion about his haircut, saying he asked the creators to change it. The attempt in Season 5 is an improvement, looking more mature, but it still feels like a partial solution.

4
Mike Wheeler’s Flat Hair and the Hospital Horror


Netflix

In the second episode, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” the Wheeler home is thrown into chaos. Karen is injured, and Holly goes missing, leading to a frantic rush through a hospital as the family deals with the emergency. Mike and Nancy attempt to find Karen for information, trying to remain unnoticed while searching for her and avoiding a suspicious doctor. The episode takes an unexpected turn when a seemingly minor detail – hair – becomes surprisingly important.

The harsh fluorescent lights seem to flatten Mike’s normally messy 80s hairstyle. Both in the elevator with Nancy and while walking quickly in the hallways, his hair looks styled and unnatural. It lacks the natural movement and texture of real hair. Viewers have noticed this too, pointing out that Finn Wolfhard’s hair appears natural when he’s outside, but clearly like a wig when he’s indoors, particularly in the hospital.

3
Nancy Wheeler’s Distracting Lace Line


Netflix

Nancy plays a big role in Stranger Things Season 5, and her hair gets a lot of attention too. After the attack on the Wheeler house in “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” she’s prominently featured, but viewers quickly spotted a visible wig line in some close-up shots. Later, when she’s in scenes with Mike at the hospital, her hairstyle looks surprisingly contemporary for the 1980s setting, which felt out of place.

In the episode “The Turnbow Trap,” Nancy teams up with Dustin and Lucas to set traps, but her wig caused some noticeable problems. While it looked good in wider shots, close-ups revealed that it lost volume and didn’t quite match from scene to scene – fans quickly pointed this out. The issue became particularly apparent in “Sorcerer,” when Nancy was in the Upside Down with Steve, Jonathan, and Dustin. Actress Natalia Dyer has discussed how difficult it is to keep her hair consistent with a wig, especially during action sequences.

2
Robin Buckley’s Shaggy Shift


Netflix

Fans often see Robin as the most relatable character because she’s energetic, imperfect, smart, and genuinely emotional. Throughout Season 5, she remains true to the personality we’ve come to love since her introduction in Scoops Ahoy, and her hair looks much more natural than some of the other characters’. Whether it’s during the initial rush at the Squawk or the later, more frantic scenes, Robin appears like someone who’s actively running, debating, and always thinking ahead.

There are some noticeable changes in Robin’s wig throughout the season. In close-up shots, the hair appears flatter and coarser, particularly the bob style. This change in her hair actually reflects her character development. As Robin becomes more secure in her relationship with Vickie and embraces her true self, her hairstyle supports that newfound confidence, even while she’s dealing with serious new challenges.

1
Lucas Sinclair’s Cartoon Hair Controversy


Netflix

Many fans consider Lucas’s hairstyle in Season 5 to be a major misstep for the show’s costume and makeup team. Instead of reflecting his character’s growth into a confident and mature young leader, the wig often looks unnatural, overly large, and fake. In scenes like visiting Maxine in the hospital or assisting Dustin with traps, the hairstyle appears exaggerated and cartoonish, resembling something from an 80s cartoon.

Fans on social media have been critical of the character’s new look, questioning why it resembles styles from shows like Recess or old G.I. Joe figures. This is important because the character is meant to be maturing in Season 5, appearing older and more stable as he prepares to face Vecna. However, many feel the wig makes him look strangely awkward. The issue isn’t with the hairstyle itself, but with how it was done.

Read More

2025-12-03 15:47