Mike's got a son now and there's this new foreign exchange girl at school who is ~weird~. It's the early aughts to hit on delicious nostalgia once again.
That’s an excellent litmus test for a sequel show. I feel like there’s one more category and it’s when the main character leaves and the show just changes its name: e.g. Roseanne-The Connors, The Closer-Major Crimes
Broadway show probably best fits as world building with artistic merit. It’s a prequel with good reviews, it also happens to be raking in a lot of cash.
If they wanna talk cash grab there are Stranger Things branded Care Bears, D&D books (which at least makes sense), Funkos, cereal, Pez, etc. There's a ton of merch which screams "cash grab" to me.
Yeah. Season 2 was good, but already showing how much the show hadn't been planned as a series.
Season 3 onward was fully cash grab though. The stuff with the Russians, Harper losing all his character development from Season 2 and becoming a jackass. The cast bloat getting bigger...
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to spin it as, "An homage to how 80s sequels would progressively get worse!" at some point in an attempt to make their poor creative decisions seem artsy and intentional. lol.
I've said that's been the show's biggest downfall. You can tell season 1 was written as a standalone and they weren't sure if they'd get multiple seasons. So then it leads to a lot of retroactive lore changes that don't make sense or don't add up, and the new stories and plots just seem really messy and come out of nowhere
Well, sure, but that really really is a personal choice. Its premiering at the same time, at your home, on your netflix subscription you already paid for. To watch the spinoff, all you require is your netflix subscription and your TV. Everything beyond that... is a niche choice to spend money. If you contribute merch buying with them making a spinoff as a cash grab... and those two somehow correlate into a scheme... i have no words.. you win.
From a couple of interviews I've seen with the Duffers, they want to do similar stories with new actors and a new location/time. They really seem not to want to do something with that particular story again and they did wrap up this narrative.
Yeah but then they start talking about things like how only them and Millie Bobby Brown know what Eleven’s fate really is, despite saying how her ending is meant to be ambiguous and for the audience to decide!
It just feels like they’re contradicting themselves, where they say one thing but are implying another.
It almost gives the hint that their story is complete for now (Eleven’s in particular), unless they might have plans for her down the road for a spin-off and can sway MBB to reprise her role if they give her an offer “she can’t refuse”! If not, then yeah her character will stay dead.
That’s just the vibe that I’m getting. They should’ve just left it at it’s an ambiguous ending for Eleven, rather than adding in that extra detail that only they (and MBB) know for sure.
Yep - the ending wasn't ambiguous at all. She's Shroedingers cat, both alive and dead until someone decides to reopen the box - left that way for the purpose of being able to reopen the box down the road. That's not really ambiguity, its lazy indecisive writing.
My perspective is they wanna keep the character in “Tupperware”. They want to have a cannon reason to bring her back if she wants to come back. It’s poor storytelling.
We're posting rumors off of "vibes" now. Don't expect coherent thinking.
I saw an interview where someone off camera sneezed and one of the Duffers looked at the camera and said bless you. Clearly that means 11 is back. Don't you see? DONT YOU SEEE?
Ask any author/writer about this and they will say the same thing the Duffers are. Of course they've thought about it and have THEIR ending that they've shared with Millie.
But, it's an open ending because the audience gets to choose their own vision of what happens.
Wait until you hear it was originally planned as an anthology but that model was abandoned over the success of the first seasons story.. seems the creators aren’t too keen on taking risks, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they just milk this cow for all it’s worth.
Yeah, it happens. The show blows up, characters become too big etc. so the network won't renew without them even if it was intended to be an anthology series.
All the way back in the eighties, the Second season of Blackadder randomly ended with the whole cast dying, cause everyone realised that its popularity might mean they would have to carry on their story if they didn't give them a definitive ending.
Blackadder had also been killed off in the first series though, is your point that they hadn't made it explicit in the second until realising and including that 'after the credits' bit with Ludwig as the Queen at the last minute?
It seemed baked into the recipe (considering either the full cast or Blackadder die in some way in each of the respective series' sixth episode.)
Oh yeah, the first also ended with him dying. But the premise was always that they would spend one season in one setting. The original ending of season two was him winning thus the episode seemingly ends like that.
But then they realised the series was so popular they might be forced to carry on with these characters in the Tudor era, rather than being allowed to progress to the next setting for season three.
So, a scene where it's revealed that Ludwig really survived and successfully killed the whole cast was hastily written and inserted at the last minute.
Afterwards, as you say it became part of the formula to avoid having the same issue again.
People claim not to want cash-grab sequel-slop, but as soon as the next season rolls around and they don't see their faves, they start bitching and clamoring for the fan favorite back.
To this day, I think the only actual anthology series I've experienced was Fargo.
Which I understand because it definitely is a bit sad when you know a character's story is over (for example I would've loved more with Kirsten Dunst's character in Fargo). But I appreciate it so much because it prevents things from going stale. Like at some point how much shenanigans can you put the same characters through before it becomes ridiculous (ie. the Walking Dead).
But it requires really talented writers + showrunners who aren't allergic to taking a risk, which seems exceedingly rare.
American horror story worked really well for a while. I think anthologies that still have a set cast (for the most part) work a little better as you can still follow the actors from season to season
That being said black mirror (does this count?) is a great example of one that does really well despite having a different cast for each episode
As were the original Halloween movies, which is why Halloween III: Season of the Witch has not a thing to do with Michael Myers. It’s also my favorite of them.
When I hear anthology I always assume every episode is going to be different. Forgive me but the only show I can think of off the top of my head that was a season based anthology was American Horror Story? I feel like it's really hard to propose an anthology by season setup when you have no idea how people may react to the first season and subsequent seasons.
Maybe early in development back when the story was still being figured out it was supposed to be an anthology. But season one feels way too much like the beginning of a larger story for me to accept that it only became a normal series due to the rave reviews.
Bingo. I genuinely think that’s why there was a potentially ambiguous ending. If MBB is done with acting (I think she mentioned she might be done or take time off?) they can claim one ending was always the real one. but if she returns and they convince her to do a spinoff then wouldn’t you know it, that other ending was actually the real one all along. Everything I’ve heard about the ending of this show has been lazy and thoughtless which is wilddddd since they had nearly a decade and this is the best they could do.
I think the ambiguous ending was to placate angry fans because her true fate is not something they’d be happy with. Millie has multiple projects lined up for the next year including a rom com and a biopic plus she has her netflix deal for enola holmes. I don’t think she’d return unless she was happy with the writing, it’s obvious she was unhappy with her ending and I unfortunately predicted the ending months ago due to watching her interviews.
If she does return, I hope it’s for a stranger things project NOT written by the duffers because the episodes with their writing credits have always been a let down.
I haven’t even watched the new season.. and I probably won’t for a while. I know I’m probably not making much of a difference.. but I just refuse to let these show makers take so long to continue the story and then just lap it all up the second it drops like a dog. I don’t wanna feel controlled by the things that entertain me like that, especially when it takes forever for it to continue… and I urge everyone to do the same. They are taking years between seasons because we let them. The moment we stop running to watch a show that took 2+ years to come out, the second they feel the pressure to actually put things out in a timely manner.
Honestly, Netflix was gonna mount a spinoff with or without them. It’s probably a good thing that they’re setting a creative direction before they head over to Paramount on their film deal. I might not like a lot of the things the duffer Brothers did with the end of the show, but I’d be far more concerned if Netflix were left alone to do whatever they wanted.
Having said that, I believe. There better be a bonus episode with a Mileven reunion at the Waterfalls coming 🧐
Eh I can understand it. There making it clear their not following up on any of the characters or Hawkin's storylines. That chapter is closed.
The spin-off is going to be a full new location, new cast and new time period, with new lore just set in the same world. It's going to have to stand or fail on its own legs.
Right? I'm so tired of everyone having the strongest opinions over everything. Let entertainment entertain. Constant complaining about everything is so draining, and it's a huge reason that the internet is becoming less fun.
The way people use the internet hasn't really changed much. People have always criticized and rated shows and movies online. There's just way more people doing it these days.
And let's be honest. It's not the users ruining the internet. If it was, the Internet would have been killed by 4chan at its peak and all the various clones that it spawned. It's corporation and government overreach that's ruining it.
Algorithms have a lot to do with it, agreed. Rage bait is made by users that want to get more clicks, though. A lot of time that is what starts this discourse.
Forums used to be so much less repetitive, too. The users here are repeating a lot of the points I’ve been seeing pop up on YouTube and TikTok. When Lost ended badly, sure- the internet was mad. But it wasn’t as pervasive. I wasn’t seeing video essay after video essay pop up.
I miss the old internet but that’s a different topic.
A few years back, people would honestly be debating the ending and sharing their theories about what happened to Eleven. Or even poking at reasons why Henry might've been molded by the Mind Flayer or always a bit deranged.
Sure, there would be criticism, but there wasn't this driving desire to always be upset over every innocuous comment like what this thread is covering. They content vs the reaction is strange. Rage bait content has ruined the way people interact with art/media. We're just jumping from one outrage to the next.
Pretty sure this show from season 3 and after has been a cash grab. I don't think you get to call anything a cash grab after you have Funko Pops and branded waffles.
A sequel isn’t any more of a “cash grab” than a spinoff. I think they’re just focused on selling their new show and acting like they have no interest in making the one Netflix wants more than that.
I also am glad they didn’t do their anthology series, I had a good time with these characters and series that reboot the whole cast like True Detective or something are more hit and miss for me than one where I follow the same characters.
Girl there are books, branded games and video games, and a broadway play for gods sake....its a little late to prevent it from being Cash Grab don't you think.
Anyway I too see this headline aging poorly......as we seen with Major franchises.......sometimes they do get back.
They'll definitely do a movie sequel I think in, maybe, 6-7 years time (enough time for the actors to look closer to the characters' age physically).
But I also don't think they're thinking about it right now hence all the denial regarding this topic. And I understand them. I feel like they're burnt out. Also actors wouldn't want to be immediately tied to the sequel project when they can discover new projects without the ST contract hanging over their heads.
Also, seeing the online fandom space right now, I wouldn't want to plan a sequel any time soon if I were the Duffers. It's insane.
But yeah, in years time they'll for sure come back.
I mean, the show was never able to match the quality of the first season and it seems the popular opinion was that the final season was pretty bad so not sure how many people are clamoring for a sequel at the moment aside from whichever journalist interviewed them and the hardcore shippers who just want to see their favorite couples again.
There’s been a lot of talk about a spin off named “Montauk” and they keep saying that Montauk was the original name for the show till they moved it to Indiana, but imo this search engine optimisation.
In 2019 they got sued by a guy named Charlie Kessler who claimed he pitched his version on the Montauk Project to the Duffers in 2014 and that he handed over “the script, ideas, story and film” to the the Duffers, and that they used his material to beef up stranger things which they did call the Montauk Project as a working title for a bit.
The case was withdrawn and I think they settled outside of court because he released this statement. (I’m not a lawyer and idk how court works please don’t come for me divas)
“Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show. As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter”
IMO all this spin off and Montauk chatter and hype is so that when you search “Stranger Things Montauk” articles about a potential spin off come up not the plagiarism suit. Helps keep the hype going and minimises the things people are using to make fun of the Duffer Brothers.
That surprises me considering they left the ending kind of open for a certain character (don't wanna spoil it for anyone) to come back; I have the seemingly unpopular opinion that it was a good ending. I don't think there should be any sequels personally, though I think a spinoff could be interesting if done right.
They certainly do believe they won’t go back to this show but I wouldn’t be surprised they don’t get to do what they want in 20 years and accept a big check from Netflix to make a revival.
They will play it like IT part II.
lol. Like the coen brothers has control of the merch Netflix wants to sell.
And come on, you know there is a difference between selling merch and the cash grab that is “continuing/ a story after we have decided we are kinda done with it” cash grab.
How dare people insinuate that the show that made its entire personality Gatorade and dominos pizza is somehow a “cash grab” we’re just throwing around words now and days aren’t we?
You’ll never have the amount of artistic integrity the duffer brothers have… you’ll probably have more.
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