- A documentary about the making of Stranger Things season 5 is out now on Netflix
- Fan reception to its release hasn’t been kind
- Viewers are frustrated with what it reveals about the show’s divisive ending
Frustrated Stranger Things fans have hit out at the show’s creators after new light was shed on the final season’s seemingly troubled development.
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is a newly-released, two-hour documentary that does what its title implies. That being, it offers a behind-the-scenes (BTS) glimpse at production on Stranger Things season 5.
If Netflix was hoping that the hugely popular series’ fanbase would enjoy a peek behind the curtain of the main show’s final season, though, they were sorely mistaken. In the hours since the documentary launched, vexed viewers have taken to social media in their droves after One Last Adventure seemingly highlighted some major creative differences and other issues with season 5.
Full spoilers follow for the aforementioned docufilm and Stranger Things‘ season 5 finale, so turn back now if you haven’t watched them yet.
“We went into production without having a finished script for the finale” 3:27s from r/StrangerThings
Fan frustration was initially sparked by an excerpt just three-and-a-half minutes into One Last Adventure‘s runtime. Speaking to filmmaker Martina Radwan, one of the show’s creators – Ross Duffer – admits “we went into production without having a finished script for the finale”.
Considering how polarizing the final-ever episode – ‘The Rightside Up’ – of the franchise’s main show has proven to be since it first aired, that’s a wild thing to confirm. Unsurprisingly, fans were quick to pick up on the statement, with one thread on r/StrangerThings turning into a debate about the intricacies of filmmaking and script-writing.
Meanwhile, on other social media platforms including X/Twitter, viewer reactions ranged from stunned to exasperation.
THEY FILMED THE FIRST EPISODE WITHOUT WRITING THE ENDING BRO WHAT?????January 12, 2026
And that’s not the only thing that’s riled up one of the best Netflix shows‘ devout following.
Around the 45-minute mark, a conversation the Duffers and their fellow writers reveals that a discussion took place about the finale’s ‘boss battle’ sequence, which saw our heroes fighting – and defeating – Vecna and The Mind Flayer.
Fans have questioned why other creatures, including the demogorgons, weren’t present during the final confrontation. Speaking to The Wrap post-finale, the Duffers cited audiences having “demo-fatigue” as the main reason why.
the way they just ignored him😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/R3ly9FqlhFJanuary 12, 2026
One Last Adventure, though, shows that the writers’ room was divided over their inclusion. “It’s crazy if there’s nothing [else] there, I think,” one writer points out as Matt Duffer agrees with him, before Ross Duffer and another writer counter with the view that viewers have had their fill of demogorgons, demobats, and demodogs.
Again, some have expressed their displeasure over this development, with one r/StrangerThings thread and other online reactions indicating that sections of the fanbase aren’t enamored over the decision-making process.
Not even 3 minutes in and I’m annoyed. from r/StrangerThings
There are other examples of fan ire emerging in the wake of One Last Adventure‘s release – and this Stranger Things Reddit thread rounds up other telling observations fans have made. However, perhaps the biggest source of consternation is fans accusing the Duffer brothers of using Reddit and ChatGPT to help them write the show’s final season.
Now, context is important here. There’s no evidence that they used the latter artificial intelligence (AI) tool to pen Stranger Things 5‘s screenplays. Meanwhile, the Duffers have previously indicated that they have retconned story elements from previous seasons (per Variety), but never explicitly said that Reddit fan theories were the root cause of this.
I see two chatgpt tabs, their career is over. RIP 🙏 https://t.co/Km07cX9qEiJanuary 12, 2026
Once more, though, that hasn’t stopped audience members from jumping to conclusions. A quick X/Twitter scan of those discussing One Last Adventure shows people calling out the Duffers for using ChatGPT full stop. Others have done likewise in yet another r/StrangerThings thread, while another topic of discussion on the same Reddit page has fans querying why they’ve got the social media platform open while penning season 5’s scripts.
There are, of course, as many fans defending the Duffers and/or saying they’re happy that Netflix, aka one of the world’s best streaming services, has given them a BTS look at the making of one of their favorite TV shows. As anyone who regularly uses the internet will know, though, negative reactions and fan ire tend to get more attention than more positive responses.
Expect more of the same cynicism and pessimism in the days to come as more people tune in to the docufilm and express irritation about the content within.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
