As with any good thing that arises, as soon asStranger Thingshit Netflix and became a massive hit, folks responded with “More please!” Fans understandably want as muchStranger Thingsas possible, but television is a diverse medium. You have sitcoms likeThe Big Bang Theorythat are running for 10 seasons and counting and shows likeThe Walking Deadwhich seemingly have no endgame in sight, but you also have shows likeGame of ThronesandBreaking Bad, where the creators are supremely confident in the finite nature of their stories.
So where doesStranger Thingslie? Could we be spending a decade (or more) with Will Byers and Co.? It’s doubtful. Speaking withEW, creators/showrunnersRossandMatt Dufferrevealed that right now they’re envisioning the show will last for just four or five seasons, but they admit those plans could change:
“Everything changes as we move forward so we’ll see,” says Ross Duffer. Adds Matt Duffer, “I want it to have a really finite ending. I don’t want it to be one of those shows that runs out of gas and they lose it because they’re losing interest. You wanna end when you’re on top.”
And while some fans may be having palpitations at the thought of only getting two more seasons ofStranger Things, I think we can all agree that it’s better to leave early and on a high note (see:Breaking Bad,The Wire,The Sopranos) rather than to overstay your welcome to the point of irrelevancy (see:Dexter,How I Met Your Mother). Wouldn’t you rather look back onStranger Thingsas this great event as opposed to a show described as, “Oh yeah, the first few seasons were great but I stopped watching after X”?
Moreover,Stranger Thingshas never really felt like a traditional TV series. It’s more like watching aStephen Kingnovel unfold, or watching a really long movie. Indeed, the Duffer Brothers often referred to their Season 1 approach as writing and directing one long film, and in factStranger ThingsSeason 2 isn’t called “Season 2”, it’s called “Stranger Things 2”—it’s a sequel, not a second season.
So if the Duffers are approaching this show like a film each year, it’s understandable that they’d want to cap it at a neat quadrilogy or so. They no doubt have other ideas of things they’d like to work on, and perhaps a feature-length film is one of them. There’s also the issue of the kids—they’re gonna start hitting growth spurts at different times, which will pose another issue.
As the showrunners caution nothing is set in stone yet, and producerShawn Levyrevealed last year that while developingStranger Things 2they had already started thinking aboutStranger Things 3, so these guys aren’t going to be caught off guard. They have a plan, and it’s rolling out nicely. Just don’t expectStranger Thingsto follow a meanderingWalking Deadmodel or enterStranger Things: The College Years.
For more on the future ofStranger Things, peruse our recent articles below:
