10 things nobody wants to admit about Stranger Things

2. We’ll never get anything as good as the premiere

I know, this one might sting. But honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever see an episode of Stranger Things that’s as great as the series premiere. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, because the very first episode is just that amazing.

The series has evolved so much over the years, and we’ve gotten to know new characters, new threats, and new storylines to obsess over. And while I wouldn’t change a thing about the path Stranger Things has taken, I do think we all have to admit no episode can compare to the premiere. It sets the tone perfectly, includes just the right amount of suspense and heartfelt moments, and it really hooks you right from the start. Truly, it’s one of the best series premieres ever.

And while it might feel sad that we’ll never see the show be as good, I think that fact just comes with the territory of having such an outstanding first episode.

1. Stranger Things would be better if they killed off central characters

Ah, one of the biggest debates when it comes to Stranger Things. While it feels good that the main characters on the show don’t get killed off, it also negatively affects the quality of the storytelling. Like, do I want these characters killed? Not necessarily, but it would finally bring some unpredictability to the show. I want to feel emotions! I want to be caught off guard! And let’s be honest, there’s no way the full group could survive the things they do in the real world.

At its heart, Stranger Things really is a wholesome show that’s fit for younger audiences, so that’s likely why the writers have a no-killing-off-main-characters rule. But the story would feel so much richer and more complex if they didn’t follow that. And because we know they’ll never kill off central characters, fake-out deaths simply don’t work. Why would I really care if Eleven is in danger when I know she’s obviously going to survive? The stakes, sometimes, are quite low.

We’ll see if this tune changes in the fifth season, but considering it’s the end of the show, it would be pretty cheap for the writers to finally kill off someone super important when the storyline is ending anyway.

While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to premiere, you can watch all four seasons right now on Netflix.