Stranger Things doc shows writers debated cutting Demogorgons from finale

Movieweb reports that Netflix's One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 documentary includes a writers' room exchange about why the Demogorgon does not appear in the Season 5 finale, a revelation that has drawn angry reactions from fans.

The film shows writer Paul Dichter arguing, "There have to be some monsters in the Abyss," with Matt Duffer replying, "I agree." Dichter adds, "There has to be [a] Demogorgon, bat, dog, something. It's crazy if there's nothing there." Matt raises concerns about repeating Volume One's climax, and co-executive producer Kate Trefry says, "I guess I maybe feel… wonder about Demo fatigue." Ross Duffer calls that a "fair" point, saying, "How exhausting, right? It's a lot." Some viewers took to social media in response; one person called the decision to exclude Demogorgons from the finale "the biggest screw-up of the series."

Documentary director Martina Radwan told Variety she appreciated seeing the writers think through the choice, saying, "I like that moment, and I like the conversation, because it obviously changed, right?" She noted the scene was left open in the film, and the documentary acknowledges that "at the time the doc comes out, everybody knows there are no Demos in the Pain Tree."

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Culture, Stranger Things, Demogorgon, Netflix, Duffer Brothers, One Last Adventure