When it comes to wrapping up a hugely popular TV series, things are never that simple.
Think of the last season of Game of Thrones, or even Lost – viewers don’t want to see their favourite shows come to an end and, because of that, tempers can often flare up.
Following the second part of season five of Stranger Things releasing on Boxing Day ahead of the finale on New Year’s Day, it appears Netflix viewers are similarly starting to voice their anger.
Over the past two days, close to 300,000 Stranger Things fans have demanded to see the ‘unseen footage’ from the latest volume.
This comes after viewers claimed that the the sci-fi drama has been ‘tampered with’ in what has already been dubbed ‘Cutgate’ on social media.
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But to find out why people are actually complaining and whether there really are any deleted scenes, Metro has taken a closer look at the final season of the beloved sci-fi drama.
What is the Stranger Things petition?
Whether viewers are just sad to see Stranger Things finally finish after five seasons, or they are actually unhappy with the latest volume of episodes, currently 286,848 people have signed a petition to get the alleged ‘unseen footage’ released.
Writing on Change.org, the petition organiser, known as Wennii J, said: ‘I believe [there] was more to the episodes, and we didn’t see [the deleted scenes] either due to Netflix or the team of Stranger Things cutting them.
‘This has been a long, 10 year-process, and this is what we get. They must have cut out a lot of scenes from Volume 2 and from our loved characters.’
Do Stranger Things fans have a point with their petition?
Our TV reporter Milo Pope shares his thoughts…
Like all Stranger Things fans, I am desperately sad to see this series come to an end.
For nearly 10 years now, the sci-fi drama has felt like a major part of my life. As an audience, we have grown up with this cast and seen each child actor flourish in front of our eyes.
That is why for all fans of the show, it feels extremely difficult letting go, especially before the final episode looms on New Year’s Day.
But just because this fantastic series is coming to an end, that shouldn’t be a reason to criticise the show’s creators, especially when this fifth season has been as fantastic as it has.
The recent release of volume two has certainly introduced some shocking revelations, but much like the criticisms that were levelled against the last season of Game of Thrones, we as a fanbase need to realise that, unfortunately, TV shows do need to come to an end at some point.
I’m not in any way saying that the final season of Game of Thrones is comparable to Stranger Things (I, too, was hugely disappointed by HBO’s finale), but this recent petition by Netflix fans feels especially uncalled for.
The organiser went on to say: ‘We waited so long for this season. I believe the fans should have a say in how the series should go. This is why so many of us are disappointed because it didn’t live up to the expectations that was held upon.’
Other complaints from fans have ranged from some saying there is a lack of major development across the episodes.
Meanwhile, the Duffer brothers have been forced to clarify that Jonathan and Nancy did actually breakup during their proposal scene.
Are there really any deleted scenes?
The second volume of season five has certainly been divisive after it was revealed what the Upside Down actually is.
But the major theory behind the Stranger Things fans’ petition is that key moments have been cut from the show’s final season.
Fans have been circulating a Google document that is purported to contain details of ‘entire plot lines and character arcs which have been edited out/changed mid-filming for various reasons’.
What did Metro think of Stranger Things season 5?
Our TV editor Sabrina Barr gave her verdict…
Stranger Things had a lot to live up to when it returned for season 5 volume 2.
Does it match the same level of magnificence that the sci-fi achieved in its previous four episodes? Not quite. Will the new instalment still leave fans in a state of awe? Absolutely.
However, the mind-blowing twist that’s revealed in these new episodes has the potential to split the fandom, almost as severely as Vecna causing the ground in Hawkins to rip open.
To read more, click below:
So far, the alleged claims about major storyline cuts have not been substantiated by Netflix.
But fans of the show claim there are multiple pieces of evidence – from inconsistent cast interviews to drastically different run times from those that were originally reported – that point towards this being the case.
What have the Duffer brothers said?
The Duffer brothers have previously been open about how difficult it has been editing down Stranger Things and cutting scenes.
But, the creators of one of Netflix’s biggest ever series have not yet commented on ‘Cutgate’.
Leaping to their defense, however, has been Randy Havens, who plays Hawkins Middle School teacher Scott Clarke.
Addressing the rumours in a post on Instagram, he said: ‘There is no Snyder Cut of the show, please don’t believe everything some random a** tells you on the internet.’
The Stanger Things finale airs on New Year’s Day.
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