With Netflix megafranchise Stranger Things ending in the upcoming fifth season, the show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers, have opened up about their process and plans to conclude the series.
In a recent, wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, the duo discussed various topics, including the spin-off play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, but many fans will be more interested in their comments about the upcoming fifth season and the ending. Most notably, they emphasized that they are approaching production with a specific vision to avoid one of the biggest pitfalls that grand finales face.
“I think one very particular way to fail is to attempt to appease everybody,” said Matt Duffer. “We have a huge variety of fans that span a huge age range and I’m sure they have all their own ideas of how they want the show to end. But we’re not consulting social media on this. Then you just hope and pray that it resonates. But it was funny: once we got there, it just felt right and we’re going to go for it!”
Of course, they’re not willing to give anything away just yet, but they confirmed that the season will be relatively contained compared to recent outings, with all of the main characters once again back in Hawking. Because of that set-up, the final season should feel relatively similar to the first, with “the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season one,” according to Matt.
The big difference is in the scale, with Matt referring to it as “season one on steroids. It’s the biggest it’s ever been in terms of scale.”
He also added that it will be a comprehensive ending for characters like Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, and Hopper, but also teased the spin-offs that are currently in the works. Earlier this year, we learned that an animated spin-off is in the works in addition to a live-action spin-off.
