The ‘Stranger Things’ Star Asserts That the Fifth Season “Has To Bring It Home”
Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas on the Netflix supernatural drama, wants Stranger Things season five to go even deeper into the darkness.
In an interview with Indiewire, McLaughlin talked about where he thinks the narrative should go after season four and what kind of reaction he wants people to have.
“I want people’s hearts to be broken — again. I feel like a good story ends. Not sad, but just a real ending. Happily ever after — that’s like, like back in the day, that’s Disney Channel, that’s Nickelodeon. We’re Stranger Things. We’re raw. This is not PG-13 anymore, this is rated R. We gotta bring it home. I know Season 5 is going to be darker, if anything — if that’s possible.”
Season four of Stranger Things went to a new level of maturity, with the kids maturing and the stakes getting higher as the Duffer brothers pushed heavier themes and body horror on the show for the first time. McLaughlin was one of the most devastating season four moments, and he had no idea he would be in it until he arrived on set.
The series’ main antagonists, including Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), was also a more psychological adversary, preying on sadness and tormenting them mentally until they died a horrible death. The danger felt more real at the end of volume two, when the group of heroes had given up so much of themselves in order to save others.
With their fourth key, Vecna succeeded in opening the fourth gate, which destroyed parts of Hawkins and added to the body count, putting the core crew at a disadvantage. They’ve already lost a lot; there’s no doubt about that, but with them back together for the last installment, they’ll stop at nothing to destroy Vecna and rid themselves of the Upside Down once and for all.
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