Summary
- Stranger Things season 5 needs to tie up loose ends, including resolving the threat of Vecna and healing Max's cursed state.
- Eddie Munson's death needs to be avenged and his status as a hero established, despite the town's condemnation of him.
- Nancy should move past the love triangle and focus on her own path, while Will steps into the spotlight and showcases his leadership role in defeating Vecna.
Stranger Things is fast approaching the release of its fifth and final season, and there are a lot of loose threads that need to be tied up when the finale airs. Stranger Things has been one of Netflix's biggest successes ever with its nostalgic, horror-trip action that builds the tension between the main cast and the overarching mystery of Hawkins. From Stranger Things season 1 where the kids were helpless and awkward to now when they are experienced in fighting monsters, the series has provided advancement for a multitude of character arcs.
Mike and Eleven grew closer and then had a massive physical distance thrown between them, Will started to reveal more of his real identity and his feelings while the connection between him and the Upside Down continued to grow, and new friends appeared along the way. But there is still a lot to wrap up in season 5, considering the Stranger Things season 5.
10 Max Waking Up
Max ed the Stranger Things series later than many of the other main cast, but she has experienced a lot at the hands of Vecna that she needs to finally heal and move on from. After spending nearly a whole season trying to evade Vecna's grasp, Max found herself stuck in a strange cursed state that she may never recover from. Were she to die, everything the kids fought to accomplish in season 4 would be for nothing, hence why Max needs to wake up and take part in the final fight against Vecna.
9 Justice For Eddie Munson
Eddie Munson was the biggest breakout star to the cast in season 4 and a beloved fan favorite. As the leader of the Hellfire Club and an early suspect in the Chrissy murder, Eddie secured his position as a key character when he fought back an army of demons with an electric guitar in the Upside Down. Eddie's time on the series was far too short and at the very least, his death needs to be avenged and his status as a hero established despite the town condemning him for his love of D&D and accusing him of demonic ritualistic murders.
New Eddie Munson Prequel Foreshadows His Sad Death In Stranger Things Season 4
Eddie Munson's tragic death in Stranger Things season 4 was foreshadowed in a prequel about the Hellfire-raising metalhead and dungeon master.
8 Nancy Needs To Move Past The Love Triangle
Romance has played a big part in the series from the beginning, with Hopper and Joyce, Mike and Eleven, Dustin and Suzie, but none more so than Nancy in the middle of a love triangle with Steve and Jonathan. Nancy's love life has been a central part of the series throughout, but in seasons 3 and 4, her character saw a huge amount of development personally and without the nuisance of her relationship overshadowing things. She is strong, intelligent, and a capable investigative journalist who can fight alongside anyone else on the series against Vecna and his evil forces. Her love life might be an interesting aspect of her character development, but as she has proven, it is by no means the most interesting or important. It's time for Nancy to leave the love triangle behind and go her own way.
7 Will Stepping Into The Spotlight
It's easy to watch Stranger Things and assume the main character is Eleven, or even Mike who is often the de facto leader of the group, but the most important character in the series is actually Will Byers. Will was stuck in the Upside Down for much of season 1, but he has a deep-rooted connection to Vecna that supersedes even Eleven's despite their shared powers and history. Will is absolutely key to severing Vecna's connection to the real world, and it's time for him to step into a leadership role with the spotlight squarely directed at him. Instead of being a background character who gets very little screen time, Will needs to step up in Stranger Things season 5, and it appears he has finally developed the confidence to do so after coming out to his best friend and crush Mike, even despite the feelings not being returned.
6 Eleven Finally Realizing Her True Potential
Life for Eleven has been a wild rollercoaster, losing and regaining two surrogate fathers, being a government science experiment from a young age, and learning about her history through a series of horrific events, things haven't been easy. However, it's certain that Eleven's powers have only just been scratching the surface of what she is capable of in the series so far. Stranger Things season 4 saw Eleven struggle with her powers and undergo further experiments to try to activate them and enhance her abilities again. It was also revealed that as a child, she was capable of expelling Vecna in human form into the Upside Down and shaping that new reality around him. She is capable of more and season 5 is the last chance to show off her full potential.
5 Steve Being A Hero, Not Stuck In Unrequited Love
Steve has had arguably one of the best story arcs in the series growing from a moronic jock who bullied others, to someone with outstanding moral character and comion for those around him. He became best friends with Dustin, let go of his romantic past with Nancy to let her move on and be happy with Jonathan, developed meaningful friendships with people like Robin, and stepped up to fight against the powerful Vecna and his demons with his friends. He is unquestionably a hero, but there is something that keeps on stifling his potential - the romantic storylines with Nancy and Robin. His track record hasn't been very successful and though season 4 teased a potential rekindling of emotion between him and Nancy, this would get in the way of both of their character arcs.
8 Stranger Things Characters Season 5 Needs To Fix Before The Show Ends (& How It Can)
Stranger Things hasn’t been the most consistent with their characters, but as the series comes to a close, season 5 must fix these character flaws.
4 What Do The Russians Have To Do With The Upside Down
The Russians became a prominent antagonist in Stranger Things season 3 when they tried to open a portal to the Upside Down. Then in season 4, they had a significant role in the prison storyline for Hopper which revealed they had captured several creatures from the Upside Down. This begs the question, what do the Russians have to do with the Upside Down? The research conducted on Eleven and her peers appears to be a small experiment that was being conducted in the States, but the Russians seem to know a lot and have a great deal of interest in the Upside Down and its monsters. Season 5 should reveal more about this connection and how they are involved.
3 Dustin And Suzie's Happily Ever After
Suzie was introduced in season 3 as Dustin's long-distance girlfriend and the kids didn't hold out much hope that Dustin was genuine. That is until they had their iconic duet of "A Never-Ending Story" in the season 3 finale. Stranger Things season 4 did see Suzie physically come to help the team, but Dustin wasn't there at the time which means the pair still haven't had their moment together on screen. Dustin is one of the best characters in the series and is always focused on tackling the bigger issues while the rest of the gang is distracted by their other interests. It's time for Dustin to finally get his happy ending with Suzie and the pair get to enjoy some fun without the disturbing backdrop of Vecna and the Upside Down.
2 Joyce And Hopper Need To Make It Official
It's fair to say that both Joyce and Hopper are carrying some baggage. From the loss of loved ones to the fear of losing the people they love most now, the pair haven't had the opportunity to properly explore their relationship because other things always get in the way. Now with Hopper rescued and Joyce proving her feelings for him by leaving her kids behind and going to save him, it's time for them to finally go on that date and make their romantic relationship official.
1 What Is The Upside Down?
The Upside Down has been absolutely pivotal to Stranger Things from the very start. The world seems to be an eerie and twisted version of reality, stuck in time and full of disturbing creatures. Some things were revealed about its origins in Stranger Things season 4 when Vecna's true identity was revealed, but how exactly it came to be and why it is the way it is needs to be explained in season 5. The Duffer brothers have the opportunity to neatly conclude the series by giving the kids an opportunity to live out the rest of their young lives in Hawkins without the evil influence of Vecna and monsters, but there is a lot of ground to cover before that happens. Hopefully, Stranger Things season 5 can resolve the story and give everyone the ending they deserve.