‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Never Fixed Its Biggest Character Flaw

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5.Now that Stranger Things is over, one thing about the epic sci-fi series still feels frustrating, and Season 5 makes it even more obvious. The Stranger Things series finale streamed on Netflix on Dec. 31st, 2025, closing out the year with the long-anticipated battle between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). There was also an intense and detailed look at The Mind Flayer, plenty of jokes (Erica and Murray are still the funniest), and more than a few tearjerker moments.

Even though Stranger Things wrapped everything up fairly well, and it’s cool that we learned more about the Upside Down, that doesn’t mean that the final season was flawless. Fans enjoyed the heartwarming scenes between characters they had gotten to know for almost a decade, but hoped for more action and less talking. But while many can confidently say they got everything they wanted out of the last episode, one part can’t be ignored.

‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Didn’t Give Lucas a Real Character Arc

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While Stranger Things Season 5 features several moments where the Party works together (like heading into The Abyss and facing The Mind Flayer… no big deal), not everyone is given enough of a storyline, and that’s a shame. Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) is once again mostly ignored, which has been a problem since Season 1 arrived on Netflix in July 2016.

Since Lucas is a major character, it’s too bad that in the highly anticipated final season, he’s mostly just part of the crowd. Every season, everyone else gets significant storylines, and that’s particularly true in Season 5. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) comes out, and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) finds a way to move forward after losing Eleven. Even Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) has a lot going on, from breaking up with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) to exploring his love of film.

Sure, it’s amazing seeing Lucas and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) get their happy conclusion, and it’s moving that he kept playing Max’s favorite song, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, to draw her back into the real world. And, yes, it’s hilarious when he asks if she’s tired of it yet. But couldn’t something big and exciting happen to Lucas that wasn’t about Max or his friends?

The fact that Lucas gets a bit more to do in Stranger Things Season 4 makes this feel even more unfair. He joins the Hawkins High School basketball team and explores different friendships, only to learn that his old friends are the best ones, and he was wrong to chase popularity. So, what about giving Lucas his own mission or having him come up with a smart plan like Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) does several times throughout Season 5?

Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 messes up Dustin and Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) friendship, but they make up in Part 2 and the finale (phew). Steve shows growth and vulnerability by admitting he was jealous of Dustin’s love for Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), and Dustin realizes Steve was afraid. Unfortunately, Lucas doesn’t have any compelling scenes in Part 1, and besides being focused on getting Max back, he hangs out in the background.

Even the finale’s last moments, when Mike talks about what each Party member will do in the future, don’t tell us what interests Lucas explores, what career he chooses, or what his post-Hawkins life actually looks like. Yes, he and Max are happy, but so much more could have been explained.

No one agreed with the Stranger Things release schedule, but at least the last episode has adventure, love stories, and the general feeling that everyone will be okay, despite the painful experiences they’ve had. Still, the other main characters play big parts in the final battle, and even Nancy, who can sometimes be a bit boring, is in full ’80s action hero mode. Lucas deserved a thrilling Season 5 storyline, and it’s hard not to feel sad that he didn’t get one.