An actor from the second and fourth seasons of Stranger Things has voiced her feelings after not being included in the fifth and final season due to a cancer diagnosis.
Jennifer Marshall, who played Max’s mom Susan Hargrove in the popular Netflix series, was absent from the much-awaited conclusion.
Stranger Things began nearly a decade ago, with its long-running narratives finally reaching a climax in the dramatic final episode released on New Year’s Eve.
While storylines for key characters like Eleven were concluded, some characters did not appear in the fifth season at all.
With Max undergoing significant challenges in the final episodes, viewers found it strange that her mom was missing, with a fan commenting: “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?”
Marshall had previously addressed her exclusion from season five on Instagram.
Replying to a fan who asked: “Lady WHERE THE HELL are you WHILE MAX IS IN A COMA?!”, she commented: “If I only knew…”
Marshall has now shared more about her challenging health situation during that period.
She revealed on Instagram: “I had cancer, I get it. But I was in remission during the shooting of season five.
“Shooting would have helped me obtain my health insurance through the union. Maybe they had too many characters, idk but obv Susan Hargrove is THE WORST MOTHER EVER LMAO.”
The Instagram post included a video where she discussed how often she contemplated Susan’s potential storyline in season five, to which she responded: “Every day. Not all day, every day but every day.”
Numerous fans commented on the Instagram post, questioning why Marshall was not part of the final season of Stranger Things.
“I was wondering about that. Figured there would be a hospital scene with you at some point,” one person remarked, while another added: “F**ksake. Justice for Susan Hargrove.”
LADbible Group has previously contacted Netflix and representatives for Jennifer Marshall for their comments.
Although Marshall did not participate in the Stranger Things finale, another actor involved seemed to express it all with the now well-known ending.
In November 2025, just before the fifth season of Stranger Things was released on Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown was questioned by the YouTube channel Hugo Gloss about her satisfaction with her character’s conclusion.
Seated next to co-star Noah Schnapp, the 21-year-old made a slightly awkward expression before nodding and simply stating: “Mm-hm.”
Is that a face that speaks volumes?