Column| The “Stranger Things” finale: A shift towards passive viewers

Can you imagine writing a finale so unsatisfying that your audience practically goes into mass psychosis, theorizing that a real final episode will be released? That’s the surreal reality the Duffer brothers, creators of the insanely popular “Stranger Things,” have faced since the release of their show’s final season. Many viewers were left in disbelief over how rushed, lazy and inconsistent season five felt — especially its last half. I couldn’t agree more with the criticism the show has received. It pains me to admit that such an amazing show, one of my favorites of all time, could falter so hard at the very end. While I could talk in circles about every little complaint I have about the writing forever, there’s a bigger issue at play. The sloppy writing of the “Stranger Things” finale isn’t new and certainly isn’t a one-time problem — it’s a symptom of the grim future of entertainment.

Media today is increasingly written to be consumed in the background. Scroll through Netflix for more than a minute, and it becomes painfully obvious which shows are designed to be half-watched while doing laundry or scrolling through social media. Not every piece of media needs to be groundbreaking, but it becomes harmful when nearly all mainstream content is engineered to be safe, simple and mindless. Netflix has been exposed for telling writers to “dumb down” their scripts so viewers can still follow along while staring at their phones. 

In film studies, there’s the concept of a passive viewer and an active viewer. An active viewer is someone who watches a piece of media and engages with it by absorbing what they’re watching, analyzing what is going on and guessing what will happen next based on what they’ve seen so far. Meanwhile, a passive viewer will simply watch without critical thought. They consume media but don’t absorb it in any significant way. When I first learned of these concepts, I found the idea of anyone being a passive viewer extremely hard to believe. How could anyone watch something and not gain anything from it or form some kind of thought about it? Sadly, with the increasing use of AI, rise of second screen watching and decline of media literacy in today’s media landscape, being a passive viewer isn’t just normalized — it’s rewarded. 

The most obvious way this approach is being implemented is the excessive overexplaining and exposition dumps shoved into modern storytelling. “Stranger Things” is a prime example of how this tactic actively damages the viewing experience. In Volume 2 of the final season alone, there are multiple long, unnatural monologues dedicated solely to re-explaining concepts the audience has already seen and understood. For example, a character uses a drawn-out metaphor to explain a concept that has been present since the fourth season of the show and demonstrated plenty of times. The moment adds nothing emotionally or narratively — it exists only for viewers who weren’t paying attention in the first place. Writers should not be forced to simplify stories for audiences who aren’t actually watching. 

Netflix is only the beginning of the downfall of active viewing. While the company has been relatively open about its shift toward second-screen-friendly media, other studios are quieter about doing the same thing. It can be inferred that many other major media companies are making similar requests of writers. Streaming culture has consistently rewarded lazy storytelling and disengaged viewing, with no signs of slowing down. Today’s biggest hits prioritize autoplay and bingeability over substance or risk. 

“Stranger Things” has become the face of this creative downfall. What began as a small-town 1980s sci-fi mystery filled with heart and character-driven storytelling has morphed into a Marvel-level CGI spectacle with little emotional payoff. The show’s final season seems more concerned with appearing bigger than itself than telling a meaningful story. After a long 10-year run, “Stranger Things” offers a clear, real-time example of how media writing has shifted — and not for the better. 

Heidi likes to write about film, pop culture and all things spooky. Email her at hab291@pitt.edu.