Documentary says monsters were cut from Stranger Things 5 to avoid repetition

Collider reports Netflix’s documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5 says the Demogorgons, dogs and bats that fans expected to appear in the Abyss were removed as a deliberate creative choice.

The film shows that early writers' room discussions assumed the Abyss would contain “some monsters,” with writer Paul Dichter saying it felt “crazy” for the new dimension to be empty. Co-creator Ross Duffer and other writers reconsidered that plan after Demogorgons already played a major role in Season 5, Episode 4, "Chapter Four: Sorcerer," and writer-producer Kate Trefry questioned whether viewers would be experiencing "Demogorgon fatigue." Matt Duffer is shown arguing the Mind Flayer was the season’s central threat and “the ultimate weapon,” and the team cut a planned midway battle and other monster ideas — including a field of eggs homage — to avoid repeating earlier action and to keep the finale focused on the “giant monster.”

The documentary undercuts online theories that the empty Abyss was meant as a hidden clue or an artificial reality, showing instead that the absence of familiar creatures was a practical, debated decision in the writers' room. One Last Adventure presents that explanation and treats the omission as a creative choice rather than a narrative hint.

Key Topics

Culture, Stranger Things, Duffer Brothers, One Last Adventure, Demogorgons, Mind Flayer