Stranger Things returns for its fifth and final season on New Year's Day in the UK, with fans bracing themselves for an emotional farewell as the beloved series draws to a close. The finale, running just over two hours, will reveal whether Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and their friends managed to vanquish Vecna for good.
The second volume of the concluding season, comprising three episodes which sparked criticism from audiences, packed in substantial plot developments with numerous significant revelations for viewers to digest. Among these was the discovery that the Upside Down functioned as a 'wormhole' connecting two dimensions, with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) attempting to fuse the worlds together.
The group devised an ingenious strategy, though Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) appeared to have convinced Eleven to make the ultimate sacrifice for the collective benefit. In anticipation of the concluding episode, supporters launched a petition on Change.org, urging Netflix to make available any deleted scenes that were excluded from the broadcast version.
The petition stated: "This has been a long 10-year process and this is what we get. They must have cut out a lot of scenes from volume two 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."
The petition stated: "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, reports the Mirror.
One supporter of the petition wrote: "It's genuinely disappointing to see how this final season is turning out. Ever since I was 10 this show has meant so much to me, especially because of the representation that makes me feel seen. Now it just feels soulless and we deserve to see how this story was truly supposed to end, with all of our beloved characters."
The petition has already amassed 282,594 signatures since its launch, with numbers steadily climbing. Supporters have also been sharing a document which purportedly reveals "entire plot lines and character arcs which have been edited out/changed mid-filming for various reasons."
Audiences have additionally suggested that the originally planned episode durations were substantially longer than what was ultimately broadcast. Whilst numerous fans have backed the petition, others have taken to Reddit to dismiss the campaign as "nonsense".
One user, Autographz, commented: "So we have a verified list of 230,000+ delusional fans then who can't grasp that deleted scenes (confirmed or unconfirmed) are a staple of let's see... nearly every single show or movie ever made? WTF is this nonsense."
They further remarked: "I've seen the 'I invested ten years' comment a few times and it's like... you haven't. It's been what, 3/4 years since season 4? How much investing was being done then? I know I'm being pedantic here. The real issue is people developing parasocial relationships with TV characters because their life is devoid of human interaction."
The Duffer Brothers, who both write and direct the series, have discussed their journey from independent filmmakers to creators of a worldwide sensation. As Stranger Things grew in popularity, so did the scale of production challenges they faced.
Speaking to Creative Screenwriting, they described a particularly complex sequence planned for series five involving elaborate choreography, action and special effects: "When you're writing it, you don't have to think about how painful it is going to be to execute some of this stuff. And when you're starting to get to the point of prepping something, you're asking, 'What were we thinking?' Because this is kind of a nightmare.
"It's a big action sequence. It's at night. It involves an insane amount of stunts. And it has children in it."
The concluding series of Stranger Things comprises eight episodes, which were divided into three sections for release. The third volume comprises a single episode, yet it functions almost like a feature-length film, clocking in at two hours and five minutes.
With only two hours remaining to conclude the entire series, audiences are anxiously awaiting the final instalment.
In the second-to-last episode, Vecna exploited the youngsters he had abducted, among them Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), as components of his scheme to blend the two realms. At the same time, Eleven and her companions had ventured into the Upside Down as the initial stage of their operation to thwart him.
The second volume also witnessed Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) emerging from her coma following her successful escape from "Camazotz", leaving fans emotional over her touching reunion with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin).
Volume two featured Will's courageous and heartfelt moment as he revealed his sexuality to those closest to him - a narrative arc that sparked both widespread support and criticism from audiences. Producer Shawn Levy and Netflix have both been approached for comment regarding the petition.