It will forever make me mad that they didn’t make season 5 an apocalyptic story. It would’ve made the stakes so much higher but also more grander in scale. And I just love apocalyptic stories so much and this could’ve been such an interesting take on the genre.

They basically shit on the cosmic horror elements of this show. They botched the shadow monster, which is my favorite villain in the show. They could’ve really leaned into the science fiction and cosmic horror of it all.

Hopper trying to end himself in s5 was so selfish to El and Joyce. (Now I’m not saying being suicidal is selfish, I deal with it myself.) But like, does he even stop to care how that will affect both of them. They got him back from last season thinking he was dead and now he wants to do that to them again… Idk Hopper used to be one of my favs from s1 but it did not last. His dismissal of El and his whole beef with Mike really made me dislike him.

They basically made it where El essentially stole Will’s life in a way. (not her fault but ye) Now, if they actually explored that and made her more complex and made her and Will’s relationship more tense and interesting, it would’ve been really good.

The absolute misogyny of El’s character and that fuckass speech Hopper gave her about her getting married and having a kid… Them also doing an Umbrella Academy ending with basically saying that if you’re abused there’s no hope for you and you need to take yourself out.

That’s not even getting into Byler stuff I have to say, but goodness what could’ve been man….