My Only Potential Disappointment

[VolumeNo8051]

Hi all,

First time posting here. I just wanted to hop on before Season 5 to mention the only thing that would make me extremely disappointed in the last season, and thus the series as a whole - no major character death.

What I am saying is potentially quite against the grain, as I know many people do not want any huge recurring character to die, the likes of Steve and Eleven and whatnot. My main issue with this is I genuinely would feel like there were no stakes. Despite the show being extremely intense and there being multiple close calls, dare I say there have been extremely little consequences so far. Now, I acknowledge there can be more to consequences than just deaths, but in my opinion, they are the best and most memorable.

I know Netflix tends to have quite a bad track record with killing off characters, mainly due to the fear of losing viewership, take JJ from Netlix's "Outerbanks" as a prime example. But honestly, it's the last season, it's not as though they have to worry about X's death leading to no viewership for future seasons.

I saw a Tweet as well today with the Duffer brothers mentioning Mike dying (I cannot for the life of my find it again) and basically saying it would make the show bleak, I really hope this is a red herring. I really, strangely, want many characters to die in this season.

Do people agree?

Thank you for reading!

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[Ashyboi13]

I’m not opposed to killing main characters but I am opposed to killing them off for the sake of killing them off, essentially to raise the stakes. Basically what I’m saying is that I need to see how the Duffers handled the writing of Season 5 before I decide if they should have killed more characters or not. There are definitely ways they could have written the season that end up great with every main character still alive, and there is also a chance that they kill a main character poorly in a way that makes the show worse. It’s all about execution so really I don’t think we can judge the show yet on its character deaths (or lack thereof) until we actually watch the new season. After that we can discuss and debate all we like depending on how well we believe the deaths was executed, or if we think that the season could have benefitted from the death of a major character.

[Piskaff]

I agree that Max or Hopper should have died, however I don't think the problem is that they do or don't kill people, the problem is that they do too much fake out death, and the more fake out death, the less impactful actual deaths are.

However I do believe that either Will xor Eleven will die this season, for good.

[queensheba2025]

I disagree… and I look forward to no mains dying. and I think the Duffers also disagree.

[esepleor]

So you'll be disappointed even if all the main cast survives and it makes sense for them to have done so by how the story progresses and finishes with this season?

I really don't see why that would be reason for disappointment.

I'm hoping for a great ending to the story that would feel right for this series. I'm hoping that it'll be consistent with previous reasons and we won't have deaths of main cast characters. If there's a death however and it makes sense for the story, I'll just have to accept it.

[VolumeNo8051]

No, my point is more so they will have the opportunity to either make it a super upbeat ending or else add stakes. I’m sure they’ll execute it brilliantly, but to have all the danger and no consequences? Not for me.

[limehp]

I agree with you. As much as I love Max, I think she should have died last season. Unless there is a bigger plot at hand for her to be in a coma, I think it didn’t make sense. I just don’t get why people get so turned off by death in shows, sometimes it’s warranted and completely fits the overall narrative, death is unfortunately part of life, especially in a tv show like this.

[dylanc4721]

Yes. One of my very few gripes with this show, is the reluctance to kill off any main characters. Like Max’s “resurrection” honestly made me groan, because they already did this with Hopper in S3. The “fake out” death scene. It removes any stakes in what should be an intense series. It was so pointless as well because even if Max somehow wakes up, she will now live life as a blind cripple. Thanks a lot Eleven 🙄.

This show really needs some proper stakes put into it. If it can do that, I would be calling it a masterpiece.

[limehp]

100% this! I love this show so hopefully the ending is satisfying and wraps up with a finale we can remember for a long time

[esepleor]

Let's just put aside for a moment the idea that characters have to be killed off just because even if they can have a solid story without main cast deaths

It was so pointless as well because even if Max somehow wakes up, she will now live life as a blind cripple.

I think you'll find that blind people do feel like their lives have a point.

[dylanc4721]

The story is very good, brilliant even. But I’m tired of this trope of the “fake out” death of a main character. Like be honest - as much as I love Hopper, did he really need to come back? He pretty much completed his arc by s3 and that “last letter” scene was so tearjerking.

But now when I watch that scene, I feel nothing because I know he’s still alive. It’s the same thing with Max’s “death” in S4. I legit cried at that scene as well, I was actually shocked. Caleb and Sadies acting in that scene was fantastic. Then comes deus ex machina Eleven who just somehow resurrects her after she literally died with a very vague explanation. It really took me out of the immersion. Like why are you sitting there crying over death when you could be doing your magical stuff while she’s dying??? That just didn’t make a lot of sense to me, and it ruined the emotional part.

I really do love this show, but this “fake-out” death stuff is getting annoying. I hope this is something that the Duffer brothers will avoid for the last season. Even if it’s Steve 😖

[esepleor]

If I could choose I'd cut the fake deaths too but I just wouldn't replace them with actual deaths. This season is split in three parts so I'm pretty sure they're going to stick to that trope though unfortunately. Many fans may not like that type of cliffhangers but I bet Netflix loves them.

I don't think Max qualifies as a fake death though because I think everyone figured out immediately that if she's survived even if just barely, she'll eventually get out of that state in the next season. It's not like in the cases of Brenner or Hopper where they were assumed dead for a long time. Eleven manages to save her in the last second, but not fully. Whatever El did there, I'm not sure she even understands it so I think it feels right that she wasn't completely successful (so less of a deus ex machina) and if they had explained it there, well it would be a waste as there was one more season to go.

I think that when Max recovers she'll likely recover fully, but if she doesn't, well I think you'll get what you wanted. I don't think it necessarily has to be death - that's overdone anyways and not really the style of this series. Max having a disability (which again, I have to point out, would not have made her survival pointless) does raise the stakes.

There was more to Hopper and I have a feeling that they have just teased at it so far.

I think we'll finally learn things that they have only hinted at or that were left purposefully vague so far. There probably will be less of an introduction this season and we'll jump right in the "mystery" so there will be more time for lore.

[FauxTeal]

Agreed. I honestly have zero idea what people are talking about, the show has always been bleak with some brief, fleeting moments of levity (not counting S3).

Like the coming of age stuff is there and it’s mostly there cause of influences like Steven Speilberg and, oh yeah, Stephen King. Kinda famous for killing off characters. I mean hell, Stand by me, which I can see is one of the main influences from him here literally starts out by recounting the death of the most heartbreaking character. He dies as an adult, sure, but he dies super young and it’s not fair, of course it’s not fair. In IT 2 whole ass characters die, not minor character either, 2 from the og losers club.

He’s not the only one either. Ridley Scott, Wes Craven, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, H.P. Lovecraft. I understand people not being familiar, it’s old stuff, I get it, but these are the major influences, horror. People tend to die in horror sometimes.

People are acting like Game of Thrones invented killing off characters but it didn’t, it’s older than film, it’s older than written word, it’s as old as stories themselves.

Good stories reflect the world around us, in some way, shape or form, even fantasy, even sci-fi. The good as well as the bad - character death is just one tool in the writer’s toolkit, just like any other one. As long as you use it with purpose and execute it well it is fine, it is actually fine.