There’s an annoyingly stupid reason the dialogues in Stranger Things 5 feel so awkward

If you’ve been watching Stranger Things 5 and found yourself cringing at the dialogue, there’s actually a surprisingly annoying reason behind it.

Stranger Things 5, part one, released a couple of weeks ago on Netflix after a three-year wait, and while people have been busy dissecting wild theories and the characters’ new powers, one thing has dominated every conversation: The awkward, often painfully bad dialogue.

People have been quick to call out the writing. Clips of Noah Schnapp and Finn Wolfhard delivering lines that feel more like instructions than real conversations have gone viral on TikTok and Reddit. Viewers have described the dialogue as “painfully simple,” “like reading a plot summary aloud,” and “basically TikTok cringe.” Memes have flooded in, mocking characters for over-explaining the obvious and attempting jokes that fall flat.

One Reddit user wrote, “Maybe I just had higher expectations after season 4, but the characters over explain everything. And the dialogue seems like it’s just trying way too hard to sound epic.” Another added, “The acting and dialogue are so bad I cringed throughout the whole first episode.”

Anybody think the season 5 dialogue/acting is super corny?
byu/Embarrassed_Ad_6098 inStrangerThings

So why does it feel so awkward? Why does it often come across as the show talking down to its audience?

There’s actually a frustratingly stupid reason the dialogue is so bad

@maestermel82

Do Not Pass GO! #strangerthings5 #strangerthings

♬ original sound – MaesterMel82

According to a report from N+1 earlier this year, Netflix has been quietly instructing writers to simplify dialogue for viewers watching on their phones. The mandate encourages clear, repetitive lines and very little subtlety. This is so audiences can follow along even if they’re scrolling through social media while watching. In other words, the show has to make sense even if your attention isn’t fully on it.

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It’s a shame that Stranger Things might be falling into this trap in its final season, especially after people have waited nearly a decade for the story to wrap up. Hopefully, the remaining episodes, dropping on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, can redeem the story despite the awkward dialogue.

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