Duffer Brothers Toast? Stranger Things Finale Sparks Game of Thrones-Level Backlash

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Did the Duffer Brothers just kill their career before it even started? Sound familiar?

People are reacting strongly to the ending of Stranger Things, and the negative response is being compared to the criticism surrounding the Game of Thrones finale – a comparison that isn’t positive.

Initial annoyance with overly long and poorly written episodes has grown into widespread criticism.

Viewers are frustrated, fewer people are watching, and online opinions have quickly turned negative. Similar to what happened with Game of Thrones, a show that was once very popular is now finishing to criticism rather than praise.

The Game of Thrones Cautionary Tale

Everyone remembers what happened next.

Following the negative reaction to the final season of Game of Thrones, creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss left HBO amid criticism.

A Star Wars film was planned with Disney, but the project was secretly cancelled. While Disney never publicly explained why, it’s widely believed that negative reactions played a role.

Netflix launched 3 Body Problem with a lot of anticipation and a big budget. However, despite all the promotion, the show only narrowly received a renewal for a second season – a less-than-triumphant outcome for the streaming giant.

The Duffer Bros Exit Netflix

Now history may be repeating itself.

After the success of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers are moving from Netflix to Paramount Pictures with a new four-year contract beginning in April. While this seems positive on the surface, it’s actually a bit surprising.

For a long time, Stranger Things was Netflix’s biggest hit. If the final season had been a complete success, the creators, the Duffer brothers, would have been widely celebrated.

Instead, they’re leaving just when criticism is at its highest, as fans are openly criticizing the stories’ writing, speed, and focus on delivering a message rather than a good narrative.

A Woke Finale Meets a Changing Hollywood

The timing couldn’t be worse for the Duffer Brothers.

The final season of Stranger Things is proving to be one of its most controversial, with a noticeable focus on certain themes, and this comes at a time when power structures in Hollywood are changing.

Recently, there have been reports that Paramount is shifting towards content that appeals more to supporters of Donald Trump, moving away from the themes seen in the later episodes of Stranger Things.

Movie and TV studios are businesses, and their main goal is to profit. Currently, they’re avoiding projects that cause controversy and are instead focusing on content they believe will generate positive attention and excitement.

Netflix even just canceled its woke military coming-of-age comedy-drama, Boots.

Will the Duffers Follow Weiss and Benioff?

That’s the uncomfortable comparison nobody wants to make, but everyone is making anyway.

Just a short time ago, Weiss and Benioff were highly respected creators. Now, the Duffer Brothers seem to be facing a similar situation. Their latest finale has been heavily criticized, with fans expressing anger, reviewers being cautious, and social media users harshly critiquing their choices.

Paramount is hoping the negative impact from issues with Stranger Things will continue to affect Netflix. That’s a risky strategy for them.

Hollywood Has a Short Memory for Failure

Hollywood forgives a lot. What it doesn’t forgive is ending a cash cow badly.

The final season of Stranger Things was a major disappointment, and unfortunately, creators rarely recover from such critical failures. We’ve seen this happen before with showrunners like Weiss and Benioff, and Taika Waititi – the list of those who haven’t bounced back is long.

The Duffers are about to find out whether Stranger Things was a fluke… or their peak. Likely both.

And certainly the fans won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

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2025-12-28 05:32