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Credit: NetflixThe Stranger Things Season 5 finale, which premiered on both Netflix and in over 500 theaters across the US and Canada on December 31, has proven quite divisive among fans.
In fact, many are even comparing it to the infamous Game of Thrones finale — which aired in 2019 — an ending so controversial it left fans grieving for reasons they didn’t expect.
Now, Stranger Things‘ “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up”, though not quite as impactful in terms of dividing opinion, is still disappointing enough for many fans that some are now even calling for Netflix and the Duffer brothers to release rumored unseen Season 5 footage.
Watch the official trailer for the finale below:
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Executive Producer and Showrunner Hints at More Seasons Beyond Finale
Why Stranger Things Season 5 Has Been Mixed From the Start
The fifth and final season of the hit series, which started in 2016 and spawned a multimedia franchise that includes tie-in novels, comics, mobile games, tabletop games, VR titles, walk-through experiences, and a stage production, has been divisive from the beginning.
Volume 1, which consisted of four episodes that premiered on November 26, left some viewers feeling underwhelmed. And Volume 2, whose three episodes arrived on December 25, saw many criticize Will Byers’ “coming out” scene, calling it “too long” or even “woke”.
Why Fans Aren’t Happy With the Season 5 Finale
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Season 5 Episode 8, “The Rightside Up”
Now, Volume 3, the two-hour finale, has finally premiered on the streamer. While it delivers action in spades, pitting our Hawkins heroes against Henry Creel, AKA Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and a gigantic Mind Flayer in an alien world, many have taken aim at the script, the lack of character deaths, the easy dispatching of Vecna, and the lengthy epilogue.
However, even those satisfied with the quality of the episode have also been left devastated by the death of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) — although her fate is ultimately ambiguous.
The Season 5 Unseen Footage: Are the Rumors True?
Now, critics from both sides want more. Per UniLad, hundreds of thousands of fans are backing a petition calling for Netflix to release unseen footage of Season 5 and the finale.
(The below has been edited for clarity and accuracy)
“We want the unseen footage of Stranger Things,” the petition says. “I believe [there] was more to the episodes and we didn’t see them either due to Netflix or the team of Stranger Things cutting them. This has been a long [ten-year] process and this is what we get. They must have cut out a lot of scenes from Volume 2 and from our [be]loved characters. I believe we as fans should stand up and take the initiative to get the footage and make the decision.”
It adds: “We should sign this petition, trend hashtag, and make videos together to get Netflix and the Duffer brothers to notice us. WE WANT ANSWERS!! It’s important because we waited so long for this season. I believe the fans should have a say in how the series should go. This is why so many of us are disappointed because it didn’t live up to the expectations that was held upon. Everyone is clearly dissatisfied with this season.”
“And also the amount of clues and information we got from the cast members and interviews are not matching up with the episodes provided. We want Stranger Things to have a legacy, not be seen as some show that couldn’t pull [through] due to bad writing.”
“We have been waiting since 2022 to see this last season,” one fan writes in the comments. “To be robbed of scenes by Netflix which really could have gelled the show all together is absolutely unacceptable, and I speak on behalf of all fans that we have been betrayed for the show we love. We don’t sit down and do nothing, we need to show the Duffer Brothers, Netflix, and especially Shawn Levy. We want our full episodes, we want the scenes which change everything. We want our show back.”
“Release the footage,” another demands, adding, “I’ve loved this show ever since I was 10 years old. I related to the experience of the characters, being an outcast, and especially Will, as a queer person myself. It all made me fall in love with the story immediately. To not have a decent closure, after such a good and promising development, to be robbed, is extremely upsetting. Please, release the director’s cut, or even the scripts. We, as fans, have all been waiting for this, waiting so many years and years… We deserve this.”
Whether or not rumors of unseen footage have triggered the petition, or whether the petition itself is responsible for those rumors, is unclear (although we’re inclined to go with the latter). Either way, the streaming giant has responded to these claims and demands.
Related: Netflix Removed and Replaced ‘Stranger Things’ 5 Episode
Apparently There Is No “Snyder Cut” of Stranger Things
Of course, it’s not unusual for there to be unused footage for any project — most of it just gets left on the cutting room floor. The trouble nowadays is that Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), a recut of the 2017 film that was made in response to the huge online campaign #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, proved that fan-led campaigns can have real positive outcomes.
It’s also understandable why many fans would be upset after a finale fails to give them what they expected. Unfortunately, in this instance, it sounds like there is no uncut version of Stranger Things Season 5 — at least not one that will be put together and put on Netflix.
Randy Havens, however, who plays Hawkins high school teacher Scott Clarke in the series, has shut those rumours down, saying on his Instagram: “There is no secret ‘Snyder Cut’ of the show, please don’t believe everything some random a** tells you on the internet.”
Eleven Was Never Going To Get a Definitive Ending
The Duffer brothers have also put to rest any rumors of an alternate ending specifically — at least where Eleven is concerned.
In an interview with Netflix’s official companion site Tudum, Ross Duffer explained, “There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end. For us and our writers, we didn’t want to take her powers away. She represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood.” These comments have been echoed in other interviews.
He continued: “For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away. We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not.”
Matt Duffer added: “And the reality is, if Eleven is out there, the most that they could hope for is a belief that it’s true because they can’t be in contact with her. Everything falls apart if that were the case. So if that’s the narrative, this is really the best way to keep her alive. And it’s about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what’s happened.”
Unfortunately, it sounds like many fans will just have to do the same.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re one of the fans who’s only upset by Eleven’s death yet quite content with the rest of the finale and the overall season, the superpowered teen will return in the upcoming 3D animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.
Stranger Things Season 5 Is Streaming Now
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are now streaming on Netflix.
Stranger Things Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Are you satisfied with how Season 5 ended? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!