'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume II has been making headlines since it was released on Christmas morning. However, amid that, a petition has gone live after claims of 'Snyder Cut' made waves online.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume II has left fans absolutely heartbroken, with many calling it the 'most disappointing' season yet. Netflix's multi-volume series has delivered seven episodes so far. However, a new controversy has ignited online after claims that Netflix may have tampered with Volume II and that viewers have found "missing files," suggesting the company has kept crucial content hidden from fans. Fans have even started a petition for Netflix to release the uncut version of the Season, and it already has over 140,000 signatures. So, as fans call out the streaming giant, here's what we know about the ongoing controversy so far.
Reports from dedicated fan pages suggest that Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 underwent several significant cuts. Since the revelation, fans have flooded social media, demanding that the makers release the show's uncut version. The 'missing files' claims state that the cuts have severely altered plotlines and character arcs. The claims stated:
"Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 has evidently been tampered with. Allegedly, there have been entire plotlines and character arcs which have been edited out, and some of this is corroborated in reasonable measure by multiple sources."
According to the claims, 'Will's' storyline with 'Vecan'/'Henry' was significantly shortened. The 'missing files' claims also state that 'El' and 'Mike' enter the 'Camazotz' to save 'Will', which plays a crucial plot in the final season, and was also heavily trimmed from the final cut. Furthermore, the reports have also claimed that the exploration of 'Will's' sexual trauma was also removed and toned down as it would have earned the show a TV-MA rating similar to earlier intense sequences.
Additionally, the claims have alleged that several 'Mike' and 'Will's' scenes were edited out of the final take. The report has claimed that sequences where music played a central role, were reportedly removed. One song, Just Like Heaven by The Cure, was mentioned in the cutscenes. The team also removed one-on-one interaction between 'Mike' and 'Will' in the basement, which was referenced multiple times on WSQK Radio.
However, that is not all. The reports are also alleging that a sequence which showed 'Will' being tortured in front of key characters 'Joyce', 'Mike', and 'Jonathan' was planned but later removed. According to another report, A planned fake-out death for 'Will', paralleling the CPR scene from Season 1, was cut, say the 'missing files'. Fans believe this contradicts earlier interviews that suggested a Season 5 parallel to Season 1's events. The team-up scene, including 'Max', 'Will', 'Robin', and 'Holly', was intended to explain 'Will' and 'Max's' sudden closeness, but did not appear in Volume II.
Some Stranger Things fans believe that key 'Byers' scenes were cut from Volume II, citing earlier comments by the Duffer Brothers suggesting the episodes could have been longer. Fans have also argued that the list makes sense narratively and have speculated that Netflix may have removed scenes, with a few claiming that political backlash over LGBTQ+ representation played a role. Fans have also been comparing the cuts to "Snyder Cut". For the unversed, Snyder Cut was the famously extended and re-edited version of Zack Snyder's Justice League, which included previously unseen scenes and plotlines not in the theatrical release.
Social media has been blowing up with these claims. Amid that, Randy Havens, aka 'Mr. Clarke' has addressed the "cut scene" situation. The actor took to his Instagram handle and shared a story denying all such claims. He was quoted as saying:
"There's no secret Snyder cut of the show. Please don't believe everything some random person tells you on the internet."
What are your thoughts on claims about Stranger Things Season 5 having alleged cut scenes?
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