Stranger Things Season 5 Should Avoid 1 Time Jump Theory That Would Hurt Its Ending

Summary

• Overcomplicating the timeline in
  Stranger Things
  season 5 could risk confusing viewers and detracting from the final season’s impact.
• The series must focus on resolving character arcs and storylines without introducing multiple time jumps that could derail the narrative.
• Implementing a single forward jump combined with flashbacks could be the only way to include multiple time jumps effectively in the final season.

Much of the speculation surrounding Stranger Things season 5 assumes there will be a time jump at some point during its run — but the Netflix series should avoid the one-time-skip theory that could hurt its ending. Stranger Things season 5 will bring the beloved show to a close nearly a decade after season 1’s premiere. The last batch of episodes has a lot of ground cover before the series takes its final bow. With Stranger Things season 4 ending on a bleak note — and the cast rapidly growing up — many believe the final season will feature a time jump.

The fifth season could pick up with the characters months or even years older, or it could see Stranger Things’ cast jumping forward in time halfway through the final episodes. If the next chapter does include a time jump, it could make the narrative more compelling. However, Stranger Things must avoid making one mistake when it comes to season 5’s timeline.

Stranger Things Season 5’s Multiple Time Jump Theory Would Overcomplicate Its Ending

Skipping Around Too Much Could Make The Final Season Too Confusing

There are numerous theories about how Stranger Things season 5 might implement a time jump, and one of them posits that the show could use this trick multiple times over its final run. While a time jump could add intrigue to the story, the Netflix series should avoid skipping around too much. Otherwise, it risks overcomplicating its final outing and crafting a timeline that’s too confusing for viewers to follow. When shows’ timelines are more confusing than they need to be, fans can get fed up with the narrative.

This isn’t something Stranger Things should risk, especially during its final stretch. The series must cement its positive legacy by sticking the landing with its ending, and making things too convoluted is a surefire way to fail at this. Stranger Things season 5 has enough questions to answer and storylines to wrap up without adding multiple timelines to the mix. That’ll require further explanation, and things will inevitably get lost in the shuffle.

Stranger Things’ Final Season Has Enough Going On Without A Confusing Timeline

There Are Many Character Arcs & Storylines To Conclude In Season 5

Stranger Things season 5 really can’t have a confusing timeline, as there are too many character arcs and storylines to conclude before the show ends. It’s no secret that Stranger Things has a large cast of characters, and many of them have become more important with each passing season. Because of this, the Netflix series already faces a massive challenge when it comes to its ending. It must give all the characters fitting send-offs, and that’ll be difficult to do in a single season. Still, fans will definitely want closure for most of the main group.

Stranger Things
season 5 really can’t have a confusing timeline, as there are too many character arcs and storylines to conclude before the show ends.

In addition to dealing with its massive character lineup, Stranger Things must also stick the landing story-wise. There are many questions the final season needs to answer, from queries about Eleven’s past to mysteries about the Upside Down. It also needs to see the gang taking down Vecna — and any other villains the fifth season throws at them. This is a lot to juggle, and skipping around in time could make it harder to do all of these storylines justice. There’s only one way multiple time jumps could make sense, and even that could get too confusing.

There’s Only 1 Way Multiple Time Jumps Can Work In Season 5

Flashbacks & A Single Forward Jump Could Work

The only way Stranger Things season 5 can get away with multiple time jumps is if one of them goes forward in time and the other goes backwards. This would avoid any potential confusion about when things are taking place, as flashbacks would make their past settings obvious. And it would make sense to revisit the past in Stranger Things’ final season, especially if there’s more to learn about Henry Creel or Will Byers’ time in the Upside Down. This wouldn’t feel jarring in the same way that multiple jumps into the future undoubtedly would.

The only way
Stranger Things
season 5 can get away with multiple time jumps is if one of them goes forward in time and the other goes backwards.

While future time jumps can explain the cast’s aging, too many of them will be hard to follow. They could also make Stranger Things’ ending feel disjointed or rushed, skipping over parts of the characters’ stories that viewers might want to see. So, while a jump to the past could easily be combined with a single leap into the future, Stranger Things season 5 must avoid moving forward multiple times. It’s an interesting theory, but it’s one that would be hard to execute — and there’s no reason to risk doing it poorly.