After the latest installment of Stranger Things episodes received mixed reviews, a cast speculation surfaced that important scenes may have been cut before season 5 premiered on Netflix.
Randy Havens, who plays the beloved Mr. Clarke, took to Instagram on Sunday, December 29, to address the viral posts from viewers claiming that show insiders anonymously shared that crucial moments didn’t air. “There’s no secret Snyder cut of the show. People don’t believe everything some random ass tells you on the internet,” he wrote.
Havens’ post references the famous Snyder Cut, which is director Zack Snyder‘s original version of 2017’s Justice League. The longer version of the film was ultimately released on HBO Max in 2021 after overwhelming backlash from fans.
Stranger Things has experienced a similar response after some viewers were left unhappy with how the fifth and final season has been wrapping story lines up. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things focuses on a fictional town where a series of supernatural events take place and cause mystery and mayhem.
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The hit Netflix series became a pop culture phenomenon when it premiered in 2016 but it has since become known for long gaps between filming. More recently, fans have questioned how little the show has focused on its OG characters before the series finale.
“The original plan was to release [season 4] all at once again. But as we began turning over episodes, everyone began to feel the season was too big to be released in one batch — at nearly 13 hours, it is really more two seasons than one,” Matt and Ross, both 41, told Variety in May 2022 after Volume 1 dropped the first seven episodes. “Episode 7 is as big as any season finale we’ve ever had, so it made sense to everyone involved to split the season there. Episode 7 really serves as the end of the second act — and we feel that our final act had enough meat on the bone to make up Volume 2.”
After the first part of season 5 premiered in November, Matt and Ross addressed another major concern — that the show would kill off too many characters in the battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
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“I’ve said this before: The show is not Game of Thrones,” Matt told Variety after part 1 of the finale season was released. “I’m hoping [the finale] surprises people.”
Matt specifically addressed the chances of an onscreen massacre. “There’s no Red Wedding, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said in reference to an iconic episode of Game of Thrones that resulted in a multitude of character deaths. “That would be depressing.”
The Stranger Things series finale premieres on Netflix December 31.
