By Chris Snellgrove | Updated
Season 5 of Stranger Things It’s not quite dead yet, but fans have already begun an autopsy in an attempt to answer a simple question: where, exactly, did the show go wrong? There are several possible answers.
Season 5 featured dodgy special effects, poor writing, and uneven pacing. However, it seems that the real hacker is acting, as evidenced by Millie Bobbie Brown and Noah Schnapp acting so poorly that they disappointed even the biggest fans of the show.
From Waffles to Botox?
For most of the season, Millie Bobbie Brown has received plenty of criticism online. Many fans have noticed that her Eleven character seems to have only one facial expression, which may have more to do with her rumored use of Botox than her actual acting skills. Regardless of the reason behind his stubbornness and constant brows, seeing this Stranger Things the character’s complete lack of any real emotion beyond “a little panic” has proven to be very disturbing to fans.
What makes matters worse is that Millie Bobby Brown’s character is a major part Stranger Things. Because of his mental strength and his past with Dr. Brenner, you are one of the few characters worth taking Vecna for real.
The audience is meant to be invested in whether Eleven will make things right with Father Hopper or end up sacrificing herself to finally stop a shady government experiment. Of course, it’s impossible for us to pay attention to all that when Brown has only one speech: that of a person trapped in a toilet and constantly second-guessing each decision that led to this moment.
Coming off as a Bad Actor
Another older child actor to play this season is Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers. His own Stranger Things the character has undergone a strange transformation: because her kidnapping was the show’s driving event, she was almost completely absent from Season 1. She didn’t have much to do in later seasons other than mope about not liking girls and then mope that some guy who looked like Mike didn’t like her.
Now, Season 5 has put Schnapp’s character in the spotlight by giving him the power needed to stop Vecna once and for all. Unfortunately, the sudden promotion to the lead actor’s status means more screen time for Will, and the audience has noticed that the actor delivers a wooden line at the worst possible time. This reached a climax where the actor walked out, making it difficult for the actor to deliver a line that should have been one of the most touching moments. Stranger Things‘ last season.
Bad Actors Stand Out in the Role of Talented Scholars
It would be bad enough if this was happening with other characters, but it’s not: Sadie Sink, for example, kills it so much as Max that it’s easy to see why she’s going to be the MCU’s next big star. Gaten Matarazzo did a solid job with his most emotional character this season, and Caleb McLaughlin brought tears to his eyes when Max woke up from his coma. Heck, even a little one Stranger Things newcomer Nell Fisher (now playing Holly) stars alongside some of the show’s veterans.
Millie Bobbie Brown and Noah Schnapp, by comparison, give strong and wooden performances, and this makes it even more apparent that they are both important protagonists in defeating Vecna. Like other young artists in the Stranger Thingsthe two are looking forward to taking on new acting challenges once the show wraps up. Sadly, these two seem destined to learn a harsh truth once the series is in their rear-view mirror: it’s hard to play big roles where the only emotions you can convey are (respectively) nausea and depression.
