Netflix is planning to finally release Stranger Things Season 5 later this year, but the wait has been so long that some fans are losing interest. People have taken to Reddit to express their frustration over the extended gap between seasons, stating that they are tired of waiting and no longer care about the series as much as they used to. In the comments section of Reddit threads, others are in agreement, with some bemoaning lengthy production timelines for shows in the streaming era. Some commenters believe it’s normal for people to feel this way now, but the excitement will return once the hype machine for Season 5 revs up.
“I used to dream about this show, literally. And now I don’t care,” wrote one person. “The wait has made it feel more like it’s just another TV show.” Added another, “I love Stranger Things very much! Fan since Season 1, Episode 1. Since the year it came out. But the wait for [Season 5] has been way too freaking long.”
While Stranger Things Season 5 doesn’t have an official release date yet, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have said the episodes are “ahead of schedule” and on track to come out later this year. If that continues to be the case, Season 5 will premiere three years after Season 4 (which itself debuted three years after Season 3). Stranger Things Seasons 1-3 were released between 2016-2019. The past couple of seasons have encountered hurdles, be it the COVID-19 pandemic or the dual Hollywood strikes.
[RELATED – The Stranger Things Comics Are the Perfect Way to Wait for Season 5]
Stranger Things Season 5 is set to to be the last in the series, concluding a story audiences have been following for nearly a decade. Considering the various twists and turns that have transpired in previous seasons, viewers have been curious and eager to see how everything will wrap up, which makes the wait for Season 5 more unbearable.
What’s going on with Stranger Things isn’t anything new in the industry. Long gaps between seasons is a problem that plagues many TV shows — to the point that it might be time for networks and streaming services to rethink the model. A series like Stranger Things tells a serialized narrative that’s easy to get sucked into when you’re watching it. But that momentum loses steam once people are forced to wait an extended period of time for the next chapter. Stranger Things Season 5 will surely be a hit for Netflix when it does come out, but it’s telling that even self-proclaimed die-hard fans are struggling to stay invested all these years later.
The discussions amongst Stranger Things fans highlights the issues surrounding the current TV model. Not only are there a plethora of series vying for viewers’ attention (making it easier to move on to “the next big thing”), an extended absence can expedite a show’s story fading from memory. In one of the Reddit threads, a commenter remarked that rewatching Stranger Things Season 3 is like watching it for the first time again because they didn’t remember much of the plot. If shows were better about striking when the iron is hot, that wouldn’t be as big of a problem.
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