Fans of Stranger Things might have noticed that a few characters were absent from the final season.
Characters like Eddie (Joseph Quinn), Billy (Dacre Montgomery), and Bob (Sean Astin) were not expected in the finale as they had died in earlier seasons. However, there were others who were presumed alive but did not appear in season five.
The Duffer Brothers had to condense a lot into an eight-episode final season, spanning approximately 10 hours. Questions lingered: Would Vecna succeed? Would the world transform into the Upside Down? Would Max emerge from her coma? With such a packed storyline, some less crucial characters were left out.
Susan Hargrove, Max’s mom, was absent from season five, even though her daughter was still in a coma and had been nearly attacked by demogorgons while unconscious.
One viewer remarked on X: “Max literally died, woke up from a coma, graduated, and her own mother was nowhere to be found, but sure Duffer Brothers will say it all happened offscreen, and we were meant to hallucinate it lmao.”
Another added: “Max died, woke from a coma, graduated… and her mom was nowhere to be found?”
A third viewer questioned: “So you’re telling me for TWO YEARS this girl’s in the hospital and not once do we see her mom visit? Where was Max’s mom the whole season? They must’ve had that good insurance? Lmao #StrangerThings.”
Jennifer Marshall, who played Max’s mom in earlier seasons, did not participate in filming season five due to her battle with cancer. She was in remission during the production of the final season.
Another missing parental figure was Eleven’s mother, Terry, portrayed by Aimee Mullins. Terry was a former test subject in the MKUltra program at Hawkins National Laboratory and was left unable to care for Eleven (Jane at birth) following electroshock therapy by Dr. Martin Brenner, who then raised her in the lab.
Terry’s last appearance was in the second season of Stranger Things.
Argyle (played by Eduardo Franco) became a fan favorite in season four but did not return for season five. He aided Mike, Jonathan, and Will across California in his pizza truck, adding much-needed humor. However, after the Byers brothers returned home, Argyle was no longer seen.
Fans on Reddit missed his presence, with one stating: “Bro went to pick some mushrooms and never came back.”
Another expressed: “I’m so incredibly sad he’s not in this season. I get that it wouldn’t have made sense, but his humor would’ve provided some much needed levity in the heavier scenes.”
Dustin’s beloved, long-distance girlfriend, Suzie, did not appear in the finale either. Suzie (played by Gabriella Pizzolo) was featured in both series three and four. Despite Dustin’s challenges at the end of season four and in the finale, Suzie remained absent.
Some Stranger Things fans speculate that Dustin and Suzie might have broken up offscreen.
A fan suggested: “I think Dustin and Suzie broke up, just from the vibe S5 Dustin was giving off he’s not singing never ending story or saying things like ‘Suzie poo’ anymore.”
Another added: “Nah its pretty likely they broke up… Dustin after Eddie is not the Dustin he was before.”
Dr. Sam Owens’ fate was left uncertain as well. Last seen in season four trying to convince Colonel Jack Sullivan that Eleven wasn’t responsible for the Upside Down events in Hawkins, Owens (played by Paul Reiser) never got the chance to prove his point. Season five opens with the military still searching for El, ignoring Owens’ warning.
Given the military’s ruthless actions in Stranger Things, it’s doubtful Owens survived after being captured, but his death was never confirmed.