The original post: /r/television by /u/Tight-Instruction705 on 2026-01-12 16:40:46+00:00.
Just finished the making-of doc on Netflix and it honestly makes the Season 5 finale harder to stomach.
Seeing the time-lapse footage of the cast aging over 10 years has more emotional weight than the actual script we got. The doc highlights the ‘Kaiju’ budget and the logistical nightmare of the pandemic, but it also confirms that the Duffers were essentially ‘narrative admin’ at this point.
And turns out: I’m as tired as the cast clearly was.
They focused so much on the spectacle that they completely sidelined OGs like Joyce and Hopper. Respect to the actors for giving a decade of their lives, but when you see Sadie Sink literally falling asleep in the behind-the-scenes footage, it feels like a metaphor for how the writers handled the characters. They prioritized the ‘brand’ over the arc.
Also, pour one out for #ConformityGate (if you still don’t know what it is, look it up and get ready to laugh and roll your eyes)—the theories were wild, but at least they felt like they had more heart than the safe, corporate ending we actually got. 🥂