While “Stranger Things” has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, it hasn’t always hit the mark with its fans. By the end of Season 5, the show will have delivered a total of 42 episodes, and naturally, not all have been winners. It’s common for long-running series to have a few missteps, and this beloved Netflix show is no exception.

As the first four episodes of “Stranger Things” Season 5 have dropped on Netflix, fans eagerly hope for a satisfying conclusion to the storyline. The last thing viewers want is a poorly executed scene that diminishes the series’ emotional impact. Even with just a few episodes into the new season, certain moments have raised eyebrows due to their lack of clarity or logic.

It’s possible that these puzzling scenes will make more sense as the season progresses and more context is provided. However, at this point, several aspects of “Stranger Things” Season 5 have left us wondering about their significance.

One intriguing development in Season 5 is the increased spotlight on Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) sister, Holly (Nell Fisher). She is among the child actors who have been recast for the series’ final chapter. In the opening episode, Holly introduces viewers to her new imaginary companion, Mr. Whatsit, inspired by the book “A Wrinkle in Time” that she is reading. It quickly becomes apparent that this imaginary friend is, in reality, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), adding a sinister twist to her storyline.

Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) sister Holly (Nell Fisher) gets far more focus in Season 5. She’s one of a couple of child actors recast for the show’s final season, and the first episode shows how she has a new imaginary friend, Mr. Whatsit. This is a reference to “A Wrinkle in Time,” which Holly is reading, and it doesn’t take long for viewers to learn that her imaginary friend is all too real and is, in fact, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). 

However, before that happens though, Holly tells Mike that she knows there are monsters in Hawkins, but Mike tells her that’s not true. This is, in all honesty, a dumb thing for Mike to do, especially since he knows Holly has an imaginary friend. Even if she didn’t mention the thing about the monsters, Mike still should’ve looked twice at Mr. Whatsit. 

It’s completely normal for young kids to have imaginary friends. In any other circumstance, it wouldn’t be any cause for concern, but Mike has spent the last few years of his life contending with creatures and the Upside Down. His sister suddenly talking to someone who isn’t there should’ve instantly raised some red flags. Granted, maybe Mike has a ton on his plate and couldn’t expend the extra mental energy to worry about Holly’s made-up friend. Still, he would be aware that anything weird happening in his vicinity is worth a second look. 

There’s a common trope, especially in superhero media, where the protagonist thinks it’s good to keep their loved ones in the dark about a secret identity or something significant to the plot. In the case of “Stranger Things,” it’s the fact monsters exist and have wrecked havoc for years. With everything stranger that has occurred and Season 5 seeing Hawkins under military quarantine, why do any of the main characters think it’s a good idea to leave family and friends in the dark? 

As mentioned earlier, Holly seems to have heard a rumor about monsters existing, but Mike waves it off. It also seems like Mike’s parents still don’t know anything related to the Upside Down, and it’s really stupid for Mike and his sister Nancy (Natalia Dyer) not to say anything. At this point, they’re not doing anyone any favors by not telling them about an imminent threat lurking in the background. 

Holly eventually gets kidnapped by Vecna. We’re not sure if there’s anything Holly and Mike’s parents, Karen (Cara Buono) and Ted (Joe Chrest), could’ve done to stopped that from happening. But at the very least, they could’ve known that a Demogorgon bursting into their home was a possibility. Maybe they could’ve designed a safe house or at least stockpiled some weapons. The point is: Mike and his friends aren’t helping anyone by keeping important information to themselves. They might as well rip the Band-Aid off and let everyone know monsters are real, so they aren’t completely taken aback, which is precisely what we see happen in Season 5. 

The ending of “Stranger Things” Season 4 teased a pretty big change up to the town of Hawkins. Rifts leading to the Upside Down formed throughout Hawkins, and it seemed like Vecna was about to begin an all-out assault. It suggested a huge and immediate change to the status quo for the final chapter of “Stranger Things.” However, as it stands, the rifts aren’t really that big of a deal. 

Season 5, Episode 1 — “Chapter One: The Crawl” — opens with the rifts sealed via a metal strip that Robin (Maya Hawke) refers to as a “giant metal Band-Aid.” Instead of creatures from the Upside Down invading Hawkins, the military are conducting “crawls” within the other dimension. Vecna and his Demogorgons still pose a massive threat, but it’s not exactly what we were promised. Fans waited over three years to see how those rifts would pay off, and the answer is: They don’t. 

This allows people like Mike’s parents and much of Hawkins at large to have no idea what’s going on with literal monsters running around. The town’s under quarantine, but people are still going to school and work. It’s business as usual, which is a slight disappointment. “Stranger Things” Season 5 could’ve been downright apocalyptic by having Vecna come to our world, which appears to be what Season 4 was teeing up. To be fair, the story they chose is perfectly fine. It’s not a bad story by any means, but it feels a little unfair to keep fans on the edge of their seats for three years on a cliffhanger only to completely discard it at the start of your last season.