Season 5 of Stranger Things continues to see surprisingly mixed reactions, with the latest outcry coming from fans who believe Volume 2, which includes episodes 5-7, was massively edited down and has prompted thousands of dedicated viewers to sign a petition for the supposed "unseen footage" to be released to the public. Stranger Things Season 5 was one of the most highly-anticipated television premieres prior to its debut in November, but audiences have been split on the overall storytelling of the final season of the smash-hit sci-fi Netflix series, leaving many to wonder if a better version of the show was left on the cutting room floor.
Since Episode 7 aired, Stranger Things has been getting review bombed, resulting in some of the lowest audience ratings in the show's history. Many accuse the episode of mishandling a delicate moment with one of the main characters, though others have defended the scene as one of the more meaningfully emotional moments from Stranger Things. The final season as a whole has been hit with both overwhelmingly positive responses and drastically negative ratings, and it would seem those who have been disappointed with the finale run of one of the most popular franchises in modern pop culture are now hoping a petition will help to write perceived wrongs in the broadcast episodes.
Stranger Things Season 5 Lost Me at 50 Seconds In
The highly-anticipated fifth season of Netflix's Stranger Things definitely gets off on the wrong foot and sets a bad first impression.
What is the Stranger Things Season 5 Petition?
A petition for Netflix to release unseen footage of the second volume from Season 5 of Stranger Things has already amassed 315,314 unique signatures, at the time of writing. The belief that major cuts had removed crucial scenes from Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 started when prominent fan accounts shared alleged insider leaks that claimed entire story arcs and character interactions had been removed from the final edited versions of various episodes in Volume 2. According to the alleged leaks, multiple scenes featuring lead character Will Byers' were cut, including a 1-on-1 moment between Will and Mike, a team-up sequence with Will, Max, Robin, and Holly, and an entire subplot focusing on Will's story arc with the Vecna. Despite a lack of solid evidence or official confirmation of any legitimacy of the claims, the petition remains highly popular and is continuing to gain more signatures.
While some have pointed to snippets of behind-the-scenes footage and even brief moments in promotional trailers as evidence of cut content, it is important to remember that film and television studios often edit down movies and shows, which sometimes includes redacting clips that may have already been shared with the public. This does not necessarily mean that an entire alternate version of a project exists, such as the infamous "Snyder cut" of 2021's Justice League. Contrary to online belief surrounding the latest episodes of Stranger Things, cut content in Hollywood is, more often than not, simply raw footage that was unusable rather than completed "ready for air" content. As such, audiences should not get their hopes up that the petition will result in any new scenes being released.
It is by no means uncommon for fans to be disappointed in the final season of a beloved television series. Game of Thrones fans are all too familiar with the feeling of character arcs falling flat, intricate storylines having rushed endings, and a pillar of the cultural zeitgeist slowly disappearing into obscurity. That said, there are just as many fans celebrating the upcoming finale of Stranger Things as there are those dissatisfied with the direction the show has taken. As it stands, there is no known "better version" of Stranger Things hiding out anywhere, leaving audiences mixed on whether the final episode, dropping December 31, will be able to reunite the fandom.
- 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
