Hello! I, like many others, was preparing for the latest season and realized just how much fluff and inconsistencies there has been throughout this show. The Duffers truly did not think in the long term for so much of this series. I was intrigued by the cuts you described for your edit of the series. I love the idea of more solidly making the story about Will and El and allowing that “kids on bikes” horror theme to really shine with the added context from the recent seasons.
Hi there!
While I enjoy finding ways to present the series with tighter, faster-paced storytelling, I also appreciate the extensive fluff throughout the series. While they may not contribute significantly to the overall narrative, they are well-suited to the original episodic format. However, when adapted for a film, many of these elements unfortunately have to be removed.
I am curious to know what you plan to do with s5 and how that will recontextualize the first season especially. They have already (kinda) retconned quite a bit and have added a lot to the Will story in connection with the Upside Down. I hope you will give us updates once this season is done in regards to what steps you are taking. Also I disagree with another poster, I think Lucas and Max have the potential to be a deeply compelling part of the story and inhabit a lot of the heart that the 1st season had.
Hope to eventually watch through all of your edits and see the whole series as a more cohesive whole! Thank you for your work!
Oh, I have lots of thoughts and ideas about Season 5! In fact, I have already started working on my current vision for the season, although I don’t know if that’s wise not knowing how the series will conclude. However, I’ll have to wait before sharing any details of my process. Rest assured, though, that I’ll be posting regular updates whenever everything is on track. I quite enjoy it, actually — I see this thread as my personal journal for this project.