The final season of Stranger Things is, perhaps, without much exaggeration, the most anticipated drop of a TV season in the 2020s, but especially the most eagerly awaited season of television from Netflix of all time. With over three years since Season 4 of Stranger Things was released, the wait has been agonizing for fans, and one that has come with a slew of questions about how this plane will land. Even before it was released, series creators The Duffer Brothers were discussing how they hoped to avoid the Game of Thrones fiasco, where its final season somewhat tarnished the show’s overall image.
All of that was before the premiere of “Volume One” of Stranger Things Season 5, now four days removed from the drop of “Volume Two” and just two days before the Series Finale, the tide is unfortunately starting to turn. Though the series is already being review bombed by some fans over the typical things that come with such actions (audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are littered with write-ups that blame “woke” and “political agenda”) there are others who found this second batch of episodes lacking not only in terms of the writing, but the presentation, prompting a bizarre petition to Netflix that has quickly gone viral.
Viral Stranger Things Petition Demands Answers
A Change.org petition titled “the unseen footage. Stranger things s5 Vol 2” (sic) has amassed, as of this writing, over 310k signatures from fans of the Netflix series. Started by a user named “Wennii J,” the petition takes major issue with the second batch of episodes from Stranger Things Season 5, believing that there is footage left on the cutting room floor in some way that would have fundamentally altered the final product. Furthermore, it adds that the pre-release interviews from the cast were teasing details that do not align with what fans have seen. The unedited petition reads as follows:
“We want the unseen footage of stranger things. I believe it was more to the episodes and we didn’t see them either due to Netflix or the team of stranger things cutting them. This has been a long 10 years process and this is what we get. They must have cut out a lot of scenes from volume 2 and from our loved characters. I believe we as fans should stand up and take the initiative to get the footage and make the decision. We should sign this petition, trend hashtag, and make videos together to get Netflix and the duffer brothers to notice us. WE WANT ANSWERS!! It’s important because we waited so long for this season. I believe the fans should have a say in how the series should go. This is why so many of us are disappointed because it didn’t live up to the expectations that was held upon. Everyone is clearly dissatisfied with this season volume. And also the amount of clues and information we got from the cast members and interviews are not matching up with the episodes provided. We want stranger things to have a legacy not be seen as some show that couldn’t pull though due to it bad writing.”
The petition has clearly struck a nerve with fans, who have not only signed it in droves but also added their own thoughts about what the final season of Stranger Things has delivered. “We want our full episodes, we want the scenes which change everything. We want our show back,” wrote one featured comment. “Please, release the director’s cut, or even the scripts. We, as fans, have all been waiting for this, waiting so many years and years… We deserve this,” added another.
It’s worth noting that even when fan petitions of this caliber go viral and take on a life of their own, they seldom gain much traction with the creatives and studios involved in the making of these shows. Though successful campaigns and petitions have been launched that saved shows from cancellation or even made it clear that an audience was there for a streamer (like Netflix) to revive a show years later, petitions that call for an extensive creative overhaul do not have a good batting average (Zack Snyder’s Justice League being the only real example of it).
The assumption that the above petition is making, that there is additional footage hidden somewhere and it is deliberately being held back, and if released, would make the episodes better, has no basis in reality. Even series star Randy Havens, who plays Mr. Clarke in the series, took to Instagram to address the demand, writing in his story, “There’s no secret Snyder Cut of the show. Please don’t believe everything some random ass tells you on the internet.”
It’s worth noting that criticism of Stranger Things Season 5 is hitting the show from all sides, ranging from emotional fans upset about the series ending to bad-faith arguments about some of the materials in the episodes, but also including the writing and structure of the latest episodes. With only one episode left, it remains to be seen how the series will conclude, or if the series finale will satisfy fans and their critiques of what was released on Christmas Day. For now, though, they’re expressing their frustration online, and their support is growing.
The post Stranger Things Petition Demanding Answers and Cut Footage Gains Over 300k Signatures (And a Cast Member Responds) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
The final season of Stranger Things is, perhaps, without much exaggeration, the most anticipated drop of a TV season in the 2020s, but especially the most eagerly awaited season of television from Netflix of all time. With over three years since Season 4 of Stranger Things was released, the wait has been agonizing for fans,
The post Stranger Things Petition Demanding Answers and Cut Footage Gains Over 300k Signatures (And a Cast Member Responds) appeared first on ComicBook.com. ComicBook.comRead More