Stranger Things Is Shrinking

For nearly a decade, Stranger Things has been a major part of the cultural conversation, lasting through a pandemic and two presidential terms. However, even as the show enters its fifth season, many questions about the villain Vecna remain unanswered, as the story has only moved forward from 1983 to 1987. This creates some problems – it’s increasingly difficult to believe the actors are still portraying teenagers when they are now in their 20s and 30s, with Millie Bobby Brown, the show’s star, now a wife and mother in real life. But the issues go deeper than just aging characters. Stranger Things has moved beyond simply imitating 1980s culture; it’s now imitating itself, becoming repetitive and losing its original spark as it relies too heavily on familiar tropes.




