Final seasons of successful shows are always scary (especially after the mess that wasGame of Thronesseason 8), so there is a lot of pressure onStranger Thingsto ensure it gets its last set of episodes right. Some of the most iconic TV series failed to stick the landing with their endings. FromGame of Thrones' controversial finaletoHow I Met Your Mother’s botched conclusion,it’s easy to be disappointed by endings that don’t live up to a show’s reputation(especially when they make no sense and/or kill off beloved characters for no reason other than shock value).
Netflix hasn’t announced a specific release date yet, butStranger Thingsseason 5 is expected to premiere in 2025.
It certainly doesn’t help that the audience has been waiting in anticipation for the final season ofStranger Thingsfor three years. Because it has taken so long to make, one would think that the Duffer Brothers and co. have given season 5 the love, care, and attention it needs to be great. They have had more than enough time to guarantee thatStranger Things' endingis a satisfying conclusion to the cultural phenomenon that began almost a decade ago. Thankfully,the Netflix sci-fi horror series has an advantage heading into its last season thatGame of Thronesdidn’t have.
Stranger Things Not Being Based On A Book Gives It A Huge Advantage Over Game Of Thrones
The Duffer Brothers Aren’t Weighed Down By Source Material
One of the main reasons attributed toGame of Thrones' messy finale is that showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss didn’t have source material for the ending. As many know, the HBO fantasy drama is an adaptation ofGeorge R. R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebook series. However, Martin hadn’t finished writing the series whenGame of Thronespremiered. Many assumed the remaining novels would be published by the show’s finale, but that wasn’t the case. So,Benioff and Weiss started to go rogue and move away from the books towardsGame of Thrones' ending.
Stranger Things' ending will be its only ending, unlikeGame of Thrones, which should have two once Martin releases his last two novels.
Althoughthe hatedGame of Thronesseries finalewas unique to the show, fans could still compare its poor quality to Martin’s renowned novels. Meanwhile,Stranger Thingsisn’t based on a book series.Stranger Things' ending will be its only ending, unlikeGame of Thrones, which should have two once Martin releases his last two novels. Consequently,the Duffer Brothers have free rein over their show’s finale,giving it an advantage overGame of Thrones.
If It Isn’t Very Good, Stranger Things Will Still Become The New Game Of Thrones, Book Or Not
Stranger Things Is On The Same Level As Game Of Thrones
Even thoughStranger Thingsisn’t weighed down by source material, if its finale is bad, the ending will be just as controversial asGame of Thrones. Both TV series are held to high standards.When they’re good, they’re really good, as evidenced by their popularity and awards, meaning audiences have high expectations for the two shows. So,theGame of Thronesseries finale disappointed audiencesbecause they knew it could have been so much better than it was, andStranger Thingscould easily suffer the same fate.
Bret Gelman
Murray Bauman
Stranger Things 5must avoidGame of Thrones' finale troublesat all costs.Hopefully, the Duffer Brothers learned from the HBO fantasy drama’s mistakesand created an ending that pleases viewers (without falling into fan service territory), but also makes sense for the characters and their fictional world. Only time will tell ifStranger Thingssuccumbs to the same mistakes thatGame of Thronesmade, though.
