As the final season of Stranger Things wrapped up its story, fans noticed an interesting detail about one of the show’s original characters. Will Byers, whose disappearance launched the entire series in 2016, had a reduced on-screen presence in Season 5. Data from the season shows his screen time was less than that of Holly Wheeler, Mike’s younger sister, who became a central figure in the final storyline. This shift in focus for the concluding season has become a talking point among viewers.
The Original Vanishing Act
The story of Stranger Things began with the abduction of Will Byers. In November 1983, the shy, artistic boy was pursued by a creature from the Upside Down and vanished from his home, setting the entire series in motion. For much of the first season, Will was the mystery his friends and family were desperately trying to solve, often communicating through lights from the other dimension. His character, portrayed by Noah Schnapp, was promoted to the main cast from the second season onward.
Throughout the series, Will endured a continuous connection to the Upside Down. He was possessed by the Mind Flayer in Season 2 and struggled to cope as his friends moved into teenage relationships while he clung to childhood. His emotional journey culminated in Season 5, where he came out as gay to his friends and family and unlocked new psychic abilities linked to Vecna.
Holly Wheeler’s Rise in the Final Season
In contrast to Will’s established history, Holly Wheeler spent the first four seasons mostly in the background. As the youngest child of the Wheeler family, her early appearances were brief and silent, often just observing the strange events around her. This changed dramatically in Season 5. Played by Nell Fisher, Holly was elevated to a main character.
The season’s plot hinges on her kidnapping. In an intense attack on the Wheeler home, a Demogorgon crashes through the ceiling, leading to a fight with her mother, Karen, and Holly’s subsequent abduction into the Upside Down. Her disappearance, echoing Will’s in Season 1, gives the second episode its title: “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler”. Holly becomes a key target for Vecna, who appears to her as an imaginary friend named “Mr. Whatsit”. She is held in a memory world within Vecna’s mind, where she is eventually found and aided by Max Mayfield.
Fan Reactions to the Shift in Focus
The noticeable screen time difference between the long-suffering Will and the newly central Holly did not go unnoticed by the show’s audience. On social media and forums, many fans expressed that the focus on Holly and a new character, Derek, came at the expense of original cast members.
One fan commented online, “Look, no offense to Holly but why is she getting more screentime than the main kids…”. Another stated, “I think a lot of the issues with Stranger Things 5 could be solved by dropping the Holly/Derek storyline… using up valuable screen time”.
Common sentiments included frustration that core characters like Eleven, Hopper, and Joyce felt sidelined in the final season to make room for this new storyline. Some viewers found it difficult to form a quick, strong connection with Holly’s peril after her character had been peripheral for four previous seasons.
“Centering Holly… gives us a new character to explore and root for, but is also very thematic because, in many ways, this show has always been about childhood, about the vulnerability of innocence, but also the superpower of innocence,” director Shawn Levy explained about the creative choice.
Thematic Reasons Behind the Choice
According to the show’s creators, the decision to spotlight Holly was driven by story, not by external factors like setting up spin-offs. Thematically, placing a young, vulnerable child at the center of the final conflict underscored the show’s core themes about the loss of innocence and the protection of childhood.
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Furthermore, Holly’s kidnapping served a direct narrative purpose. It forced the now-older original characters, who have been fighting supernatural threats for years, into a protective role. Her vulnerability unified the group and raised the stakes for the final battle against Vecna. Will Byers, meanwhile, played a different but crucial role. His hard-earned connection to the Upside Down evolved into a powerful weapon; he learned to use Vecna’s own hive mind against him, ultimately helping to defeat the villain. His personal arc also reached its peak with his emotional coming-out scene and acceptance from his friends and family.
While Will Byers may have had less time on screen in the final season, his journey from a lost boy in the Upside Down to a young man who harnesses his pain to save his friends provided a conclusion to his character’s long arc. The complete fifth and final season of Stranger Things, including all episodes of Volume 2, is now available for streaming globally on Netflix.
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