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Stranger Things Season 5 has left viewers divided for different reasons.
What was supposed to be a satisfying conclusion to one of Netflix's biggest shows has instead sparked countless debates across social media platforms. Fans are pointing out some plot holes, incomplete character arcs, and evident issues in writing quality.
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The criticism has been so intense that fans have started digging for answers beyond just blaming the writers. That is when a conspiracy came to light, gaining a lot of attention. After further digging into the world of Stranger Things, fans began to suspect that Leigh Janiak, Ross Duffer's ex-wife, may have been the hidden creative writer or advisor behind the show's initial popularity.
According to this theory, her divorce from Ross might explain why season 5 feels so different to some fans. However, at the moment, these are unsubstantiated claims as neither the Duffers nor Netflix has confirmed them. Yet, the timing of the divorce has certainly sparked speculation among the Stranger Things fanbase.
The potential hidden creative force behind Stranger Things
Leigh Janiak is no stranger to creating captivating stories, and she is best known for directing the Fear Street trilogy on the streaming giant, which earned her acclaim for its new take on horror and thoughtful representation of queer storylines. Her marriage to Ross Duffer lasted nearly a decade, just as Stranger Things Season 5 was about to be released.
Janiak and Ross met long before the Duffer Brothers became household names. Their professional and personal lives ran parallel during Stranger Things's popularity. Now that the marriage is over, viewers are wondering if her impact was more crucial than anyone realized.
Why do fans think she was involved in the making of the show
The conspiracy theory, which has come to the surface after the release of season 5, received mixed reviews. Fans noticed that the series's handling of character development and relationships felt off compared to previous seasons.
Some pointed out that the last season seemed to be deviating from issues of inclusivity, which stood in stark contrast to how Robin's coming-out story was executed in the third season.
The timing is what really adds more fuel to the burning questions. Leigh Janiak and Ross Duffer made their divorce official two years back, right around when the last season's scripts were being locked in during the writer's strike.
Viewers argue that the quality drop is not just a coincidence. They believe she may have worked on the story as an unofficial advisor or even a ghostwriter during the peak years of Stranger Things.
One piece of evidence that is discussed the most is a photo from the Writers Guild strike. Someone is spotted holding a sign that reads:
"BYLER WON'T WRITE ITSELF,"referring to the ongoing ship between Mike Wheeler and Will Byers.
Viewers speculate that this might have been a hint about Leigh Janiak's involvement in creating that storyline, especially given her track record with queer representation in her solo projects.
What went wrong with Stranger Things Season 5
The last season has been subject to a lot of criticism for several reasons, but Eleven's ending sparked the biggest shock. After four seasons of witnessing her evolution, fans expected her to continue a story free from the Upside Down. However, they received an unexpected ending that seemed to contradict everything the story had built up to.
The Duffer Brothers defended their choice, saying they wanted to leave room for hope without making it predictable. Ross explained that Mike's Marge POV was intended to guide fans on how to interpret Eleven's fate. Many audiences were not buying it, arguing that the ending felt more like a cop out than a meaningful artistic decision.
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