'Stranger Things' Finale Had No Finished Script – And Surprisingly, That's Not Why It Flopped
The fact that the final episode had no finished script isn't the main problem of the cult series.
The Netflix documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, which premiered on January 12, revealed the secrets behind the production of the final season of the cult series.
For many fans, the most shocking revelation was that filming began without a final draft of the final episode's script. This sparked an immediate wave of criticism against the Duffer brothers, who were accused of being disorganized and rushing the production.
However, before joining the chorus of indignation, it's worth examining how abnormal this situation truly is and whether it is the root of the finale's problems.
'One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5' Reveals Final Episode Was Filmed Without Finished Script
One Last Adventure openly depicts the tense daily routine of the final season. In the footage, a production assistant announces that filming has begun for the eighth episode, even though the script is not yet complete.
Matt Duffer confirmed this in an interview, admitting that he had never worked under such conditions before and that he felt extremely uncomfortable filming an episode without having read the entire script.
He said that the pressure from the studio was greater than ever and that time was short, despite the fact that the Season 5 script took a record amount of time for the project.
Disappointed Fans Criticize 'Stranger Things' Creators After Watching 'One Last Adventure'
For many dissatisfied viewers, this revelation became a convenient explanation for all the saga's shortcomings and abrupt conclusion. An online debate erupted about how the poorly written script led to logical inconsistencies and an underwhelming final battle.
Reddit user Significant_Sign9893 wrote:
“If you've had 5 years to work on it, it should have been pretty polished by the time production started.”
Some even used this as justification for their theories about a "secret episode" that would resolve all issues.
There are loud accusations against the Duffers – they allegedly let down a long-running story due to unprofessional organization.
Is the Unfinished Script Really the Main Problem With 'Stranger Things' Season 5?
In fact, starting production before finalizing the script is almost the rule rather than the exception in the modern premium series industry, especially for large-scale productions.
More than three years passed between Seasons 4 and 5. To maintain its audience and satisfy its shareholders, Netflix couldn't afford any further delays.
The enormous production machine, including set construction, location booking, and star scheduling, was in full swing long before the script was finalized. Stopping it to polish the script would have meant postponing the premiere by years and incurring enormous financial losses.
Furthermore, this approach often benefits creativity – many of the greatest series were created under similar conditions.
For example, in Breaking Bad, the writers didn't know why Walter White needed an M60 machine gun when they filmed the scene. In Better Call Saul, Lalo Salamanca's role and Kim Wexler's entire arc were reimagined during filming after working with the actors.
The creators of Succession and The Crown constantly rewrote scenes on set to achieve maximum verisimilitude.
The problem with Stranger Things' ending likely lies not in the production method but in the creative choices themselves. Perhaps, tired of their own creation, the creators failed to strike the right balance between the epic scale and the intimate character arc.
Chaos during production isn't a sign of failure but part of the magic of television, allowing the story to remain vibrant and flexible.
In the case of Stranger Things, however, this magic didn't work perfectly, leaving behind not only nostalgia, but also legitimate questions about whether things could have turned out differently.
