Stranger Things Season 5 has become one of the biggest TV flops in recent history. The Duffer Brothers lost all the support they had garnered over the previous four seasons, due to various problems with the final season leading up to the disaster of a finale. What many assumed would be a secret final episode turned out to be a documentary surrounding the making of the final season. Unfortunately, the documentary has only caused more problems than it could have ever repaired.
The Stranger Things documentary called into question several somewhat disappointing aspects of the final season. Many of fans' biggest controversies were addressed within the project, but not in the way they might've expected. If anything, the documentary only makes the Duffer Brothers and their production team look worse than they already did. The biggest controversy, by far, comes from clips of a laptop with an AI tab open. These moments have led many fans to assume AI generation was used to create the script for Stranger Things Season 5.
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The Stranger Things Documentary Could Have Exposed the Duffer Brothers, Again
The Documentary Has Provided Nothing But Bad Publicity For the Showrunners
After the train wreck that was Stranger Things Season 5, Netflix announced there would be a documentary about the season's production. What was meant to be a victory lap from the Duffer Brothers, brilliantly describing their greatest success, turned into a monument of their greatest failure. The documentary has highlighted several glaring issues with the season, including proof that there was a different ending originally planned for the show.
The documentary flat out proves that many of fans' largest criticisms were nearly avoided. To find out several key misgivings, like the lack of Demogorgons or Eleven's alternate fate, feels like a punch in the gut. It's far more upsetting to know that the Duffer Brothers once considered these ideas, than knowing that they never even gave them a second thought.
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Unfortunately, several missed aspects of the finale were far from the only controversy the documentary levied at the Duffer Brothers. One of the biggest allegations could be extremely detrimental to the director's already tumultuous reputation. In fact, many fans now consider the documentary undeniable proof that the Duffer Brothers, and other writers, might have used ChatGPT to write the final season of the once beloved show.
There Are Several Scenes Featuring a Laptop With a Generative AI Tab Open
Did Stranger Things Season 5 Use AI?
During several scenes in the documentary, a laptop can be seen with a specific tab open. The icon on said tab is extremely close to the logo for ChatGPT, causing many to assume that the writers were using the software. ChatGPT, and several similar artificial monstrosities, are capable of generating large amounts of text in very little time. Yet, the quality of this text is usually far worse than one would expect, given the lack of a human component.
From a single tab, it is somewhat difficult to say that AI was used on the entire project. However, the fact that the showrunners would allow for an AI tab to be open at all during production, indicates some less than professional practices. Using AI to write is definitely quicker, but if these allegations are correct, the ratings of Season 5 prove quicker is by no means better.
At this point, it's relatively unclear whether a generative Ai was actually used for the project. Those that believe AI was used on the project are usually among the group that was disappointed with the finale. On the other hand, the people quick to believe AI was never taken advantage of, were typically already in support of the Duffer Brothers. That said, the allegations alone are enough to somewhat discredit the previously popular directing duo.
The Documentary Director Quickly Denied Any AI Claims
That Hasn't Stopped Fans From Believing the Allegation
Martina Radwan, the director of the documentary, was quick to dispel any of the AI allegations. That said, many feel this might have been in an effort to save face, rather than anything else. Radwan has released several statements since, that heavily discredit the claims that AI was used. Yet, many fans are still not convinced.
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Despite the steadfast claims that Radwan has made to dispel the AI rumors, many fans are calling for a full investigation into the once popular show's final season. If generative AI was actually used on the project, it could spark the beginning of a dangerous trend among TV shows. It's entirely possible that the Duffers simply lost their touch before the final season, but it's just as likely that they influenced their downfall.
Either way, the Duffer brothers will likely take a large hiatus before their next project. The fact that they had such a dedicated fanbase turn on them within weeks is jarring to say the least. That said, there are many former fans convinced that the issues within the finale are now due to AI.
Many Fans Cite the Use of AI For the Many Oversights Within the Finale
Disheartened Fans Excited By Conformity Gate Have Quickly Rallied Behind This Rumor
When the finale of Stranger Things released, many were so disappointed that a rumor got started called "Conformity Gate." The fan-theory simply stated that there would be a secret final episode that would clear up all the issues with the actual finale. Fans hoped and waited, to no avail. Sadly, there would be no secret episode, and the only thing fans would have to latch onto was the documentary, which exposed the Duffer brothers more.
Now that the documentary has aired, these fans are convinced that many of the episodes' oversights are due to the use of generative AI. These fans believe that the Duffer Brothers couldn't be as attentive as usual because they had an extremely hands-off approach to the seasons' writing. As of now, these theories are unlikely, but they would explain the massive discrepancies between the styles of the fifth and previous seasons.
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Only time will tell whether the Duffer Brothers will be exposed for using AI. It stands to reason that a professional production company likely wouldn't stoop to such practices. Given the modern prevalence of generative AI, there is really no telling what could have happened. Ultimately, fans might never know if the criticisms levied against the directors were their own fault, or because they used generative AI to write the finale for their extremely popular show.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Cast
-
Millie Bobby BrownJane 'Eleven' Hopper -
Finn WolfhardMike Wheeler
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
- Writers
- Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
- Creator(s)
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
