Stranger Things made an emotional impact on those of us who grew up in the 1980s greater than the story it tells. The set dressing, for example, is meticulously accurate to the time. Simple props like dishware, toys or even a space heater that I remember from my own childhood can send shockwaves of nostalgia at me like a psychic blast from Eleven. Of course, the characters and the elaborate mythology of the series are what makes Stranger Things one of 2025’s most-anticipated shows.
After the previous season, Netflix’s biggest streaming series success story feels less and less like a TV show. In trying to deliver the most epic final season they can, the Duffer Brothers risk getting caught up in cinema envy. Saying that a show is more like a multi-part “movie” might sound good, it rarely works the way filmmakers hope it does. Like many 1980s kids, I grew up loving television, and I’ve never seen it as a “lesser” medium for visual storytelling. I don’t want Stranger Things to be a big movie, because it worked so perfectly as a TV show.
The Duffer Brothers Called the Final Season a Series of ‘Movies’
Stranger Things Season 5 Runs the Risk of Being ‘Too Big’
The series finale of Stranger Things will not be the last story told in the Duffer Brothers’ universe. The “franchise” already expanded with a prequel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow. It’s also not a TV show but, rather, a stage play currently in London and coming to Broadway later in 2025. In fact, it was during this discussion of the future that the Duffer Brothers revealed their approach to the final season.
“We…captured over 650 hours of footage. So…this is our biggest and most ambitious season yet. It’s like eight blockbuster movies.” — Matt Duffer in an interview.
Netflix revealed the episode titles recently, which means a trailer and release date are coming. Given the freedom streaming provides — and the streamer’s obvious desire to keep the party going — it’s almost confusing Stranger Things Season 5 is limited to just eight episodes. While not all 650 hours of footage will make the final cut, it’s enough to make more than a dozen traditional-length episodes.
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The Stranger Things audience has seen its characters — and the actors and actresses who portray them — grow up together in the series.
The long runtimes for Stranger Things Season 5 were confirmed by actor Finn Wolfhard, saying it’s “definitely a long season.” This news is likely greeted warmly by fans, who want to spend as much time as possible with these characters before it’s all over. Yet, I can’t help but worry the show will lose some of what makes it special by avoiding the traditional story structure of episodes of TV.
Turning Television Series Into ‘Multi-Hour Movies’ Hurts the Show
TV Episodes Have a Specific Story Structure That Shouldn’t Be Abandoned
Cinema has existed for only a few decades more than television, however, the evolution of each medium is markedly different. The idea that TV is a lesser form of visual art stems from both the cheap production values in the early years and the integration of advertising. The earliest TV shows often featured their corporate sponsors’ names in the title. Stars would appear in scenes advertising the products. Eventually, pioneers like Lucille Ball changed television for the better.
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Stranger Things’ extended universe doesn’t often get acknowledged in the series itself, but one prequel story is set to play a big part in Season 5.
In the late 20th Century and early 21st Century, television evolved with the “prestige TV’ era. The structure of these episodes were defined by the need for commercial breaks on network and most cable channels. This meant that stories told on the small screen had different pacing and tones than those on the big screen. The problem with the approach taken by Stranger Things is their stories end up not fitting into the three or four-to-five-act structures. Thus, as good as they are, something feels “off.”
Given the realities of the business behind entertainment, TV pushes boundaries like cinema used to because it has more freedom to experiment. While the odd feature-length episode can be great, building an entire season in contravention of these established structures is risky at best. While I enjoyed the previous Stranger Things season like many fans, the episodes themselves suffered from questionable pacing and narrative division.
Stranger Things Season 4 Proved This Approach Can Be a Problem
It’s Part of a Larger Trend of Streaming Series Trying to Be ‘Movies’
The penultimate Stranger Things season was mostly a success, from debuting the terrifying Vecna to making Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” a hit once again. Yet, I don’t think I was alone in feeling like the episodes themselves were burdened by their structure. The story set in Hawkins could feel too short, while the journey of other characters back from the West Coast felt as though it went on for too long.
Some decisions that were ultimately unsatisfying were made intentionally, such as delaying Eleven and Hopper’s reunion. The final episodes of the season ran for over two hours. Despite the satisfying and even triumphant moments, they lacked the cohesion of either a feature film or an episode of TV. The Duffer Brothers seem poised to repeat that mistake in Season 5.
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Stranger Things Is Recasting a Forgotten Season 1 Character
Netflix’s Stranger Things is looking to recast an important, yet forgotten character from Season 1 for its fifth and final season.
The last big project from the late David Lynch, Twin Peaks: The Return, was a masterpiece by the visionary director. Yet, there is no denying the series feels neither like a season of TV nor an 18-part movie. How a larger story is divided is important. For example, no matter how well-written or engaging, a book not divided into chapters or paragraphs would be all but unreadable. The structure of a television episode helps audiences connect to the story in more profound ways.
The Best Prestige Dramas Use This Basic Structure, Even With No Commercials
Even Without Obvious Act Breaks, the Episode Story Structure Stays the Same
One reason The Sopranos remains a definitive Prestige TV series is that it never abandoned its story structure. Each scene built the tension and emotion in the story, feeding into the next one. The subtle act breaks served a similar purpose. Despite being a part of a larger narrative, viewers felt like they experienced a complete story each time the credits rolled.
Network and cable channels have commercial breaks which force the typical structure, but premium channels like HBO do not.
As time went on, Prestige TV dramas began to feel too similar, but it was not because these shows adhered to the traditional structure. Streaming series that avoid this, like The Mandalorian or Marvel shows on Disney+, don’t deliver that same feeling. While the larger season typically works, viewers watching week-to-week will feel disappointed or, even worse, disconnected from the story because they fail to hit the notes a TV episode should.
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Stranger Things is one of the best streaming shows in history. Even when all episodes are dumped online at once and streamed in a day or two, it still captures the zeitgeist. Yet, the first seasons adhere to the classic TV structure and are better for it. Complete, satisfying mini-stories serve to make the entire season more satisfying. I’m sure I will be thrilled, moved and, ultimately, satisfied by Stranger Things Season 5. Yet, by eschewing the proven, traditional structure of TV episodes, getting to that final moment may not be as fun or rewarding as it could be.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are streaming on Netflix, and Season 5 is expected to debut sometime in 2025.
Stranger Things
- Release Date
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April 5, 2013
- Runtime
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77 minutes
- Director
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Eleanor Burke
