It's time to admit Stranger Things fails to explore its supporting characters adequately

No one could argue that Netflix's science fiction/horror series Stranger Things is one of the most influential television shows of all time. What started as a group of friends discovering a girl in the woods, led to bigger revelations of a secret lab and another dark and dangerous world waiting to emerge.

The show channeled practically every aspect of the 1980s, from music to clothing, food, and everything pop culture. It equally channeled themes from horror and science fiction films, which really pulled the entire story together.

The supporting character problem with Stranger Things

With the fifth and final season likely to air next year, we wanted to take a look at one glaring problem Stranger Things consistently had season after season; supporting characters. As powerful as the main cast is, which includes the acting talents of David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, and Finn Wolfhard, the supporting cast often felt wasted and underutilized.

The supporting cast included the likes of Shannon Purser (Barbara), Alec Utgoff (Dr. Alexei), and Sean Astin (Bob). Much like the extras of any The Walking Dead show, these characters and others felt like throwaways or plot devices before they were killed off in often tragic ways.

Oh no, Joyce is dating Bob even though she obviously still has feelings for Jim Hopper. Bob is the perfect match for her, but Joyce is destined to be with Hopper.

So let's give him the heart of gold and kill him off unnecessarily, and brutally, might I add, so that Joyce is single and can now be available for Hopper... Alexei can help our heroes, he's sweet and awkward, and the dynamic between him and Hopper is hilarious.

I wonder how beneficial he can be—and, oh wait, he's dead too... Need I say more?

Even when a supporting character isn't killed off, they appear more so as a way to fill up space than to actually contribute anything. Season 4's Argyle, played by Eduardo Franco, while often the comic relief and excellent getaway driver for our heroes, really didn't do much else.

He wasn't killed off but if his character wasn't pivotal to the story, even though he knows everything about 11, the Upside Down and so forth, why is he not returning to the show? Why have his character go through such lengths if he's not sticking around?

But for all its glory and spectacle, Stranger Things remains a consistently fantastic show that many will remember long after the final episode airs. Who knows, perhaps season 5 will change the pattern and we'll see a supporting character rise up and simultaneously survive the finale.