10 things nobody wants to admit about Stranger Things

4. The show gets a little predictable

Hear me out. I absolutely adore this show and think it’s the best thing on TV right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s without fault. There’s definitely a formula in each season that the show follows, including a new threat from the Upside Down, a new character introduced who gets killed off, a final showdown, and El swooping in to save the day. That’s pretty much the high-level synopsis of each season. And hey, honestly, I’m not complaining! That formula works. But does it get predictable? Totally.

Going into Stranger Things season 4, it was so obvious that Eddie would die. He’s a new character with charisma that fans fall in love with, but he’s not a central character. He’s going to have to go. And of course, that’s what happens. While this is no doubt a great show, it doesn’t take many risks.

3. We don’t need movie-length episodes

What’s the point? The action-packed episodes are undeniably great, but they’d still be just as great if they were broken up a bit more. The Stranger Things season 4 finale is two hours and 19 minutes long, which is longer than a lot of movies! Unless Netflix released the episode in a movie theater, there’s really no reason for it to be that long. And while it’s a fantastic episode, there’s no time to take a bathroom or snack break. The season could still be the same length if they just split it into more episodes.

I’m sure the writers could find a natural time to split the finale without hurting the narrative. I mean, most of the episodes of the fourth season are non-stop action, and they find a moment to take a breath at some points. We just need more of that!