Over the course of its four existing seasons, Stranger Things has proven to be a remarkable, and record-breaking, success for Netflix, and its increasing audience share means that the streamer would be well-advised to consider creating some spinoffs to capitalize on its popularity. Though Netflix has become notorious for its willingness to cancel even series with a devoted following, the ongoing ratings success of Stranger Things has kept it from meeting the fate of so many other beloved series. As such, it is an example of what the steamer gets right when it comes to providing consistently strong stories.
Each season of Stranger Things has managed to flesh out the complex relationships among its main cast. At the same time, Stranger Things has brought the Upside Down and other environments. Its genius lies in its ability to tap into both nostalgia for the pop culture of the 1980s as the current fascination with all things horror and sci-fi. What’s more, it also manages to imbue its lead characters with remarkable depth, creating young heroes who are both incredibly brave and yet remarkably complex.
Stranger Things' Streaming Record Proves It Needs Spinoffs
Stranger Things is arguably one of Netflix’s few bona fide hits, generating not just high viewership numbers but also a devoted fandom. Thus, it would make sense for them to continue mining this particular property for more spinoffs, in order to sate audience hunger for more content and to help their own bottom line. The Duffer Brothers have managed to create a series that not only taps into nostalgia for the 1980s but also has a rich internal mythology, one which could be explored with Stranger Things spinoffs.
It would be fascinating to see just which new directions Netflix could take this lucrative property. There’s much about the Upside Down that remains to be explored and explained. To take just one example, a spinoff could elaborate on how Henry turned into Vecna after being banished to the Upside Down by Eleven. Potential spinoffs could also explore other parts of the United States that will also be impacted by the incursion of the sinister realm into the one real people inhabit, showing how the literal earth-shattering events of season 4 are not simply limited to the town of Hawkins.
Why Stranger Things' Spinoffs Wouldn't Sabotage The Main Show's Ending
Stranger Things season 4 saw the Upside Down into the real world of Hawkins, by the powerful creature known as Vecna. Any spinoffs that might emerge will have to tread a fine line to make sure that they don’t trespass too much on the main storyline. Eleven and her companions are the heart and soul of Stranger Things, and it would be narratively unwise to distract from the importance of what they are doing in Hawkins as they engage in the final battle against Vecna.
Fortunately, the mythology of Stranger Things is rich enough to support any number of stories that have no connection to the main cast and their narrative. Focusing on characters and locations that have no immediate connection to the main Stranger Things story would allow a spinoff (or spinoffs) to not sabotage the ending of the parent series. At the same time, it would give such a series a chance to start out fresh and to establish its own identity independent of, but still at least somewhat connected to, the parent series and its enduring appeal. It would be a fine needle to thread, but if anyone can do it, it would be the Duffer Brothers.