Debunking The 'Timeline/Continuity Errors' In 'Stranger Things 5'

WARNING! Possible SPOILERS for Stranger Things 5.

After five smash hit seasons, the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things has come to an end. Being set in the 80s, the show has had to keep an eye on it's various popculture references to ensure historical accuracy, and for the most part, has done a good job at this.

At various points hroughout the final season, a number of fans believed they had caught the series out on continuity errors regarding references and characters. However, for the most part, there were valid explanations.

Let's debunk some of the supposed continuity errors in Stranger Things 5.

Lucas's 'Mission Imposible' Reference

Most of episode 5x01, 'The Crawl', involves our heroes planning Hopper's latest trek into the Upside-Down as part of their ongoing efforts to locate and defeat Vecna. Lucas compares the plan to something out of Mission Impossible.

Some fans seized upon this as a continuity error, as the first Mission Impossible movie didn't come out until 1996. But..

DEBUNKED

Yes, it is true that the first entry in the popular Mission Impossible film franchise, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, hit theatres in 1996. What the above theorisers have not realised is that the Mission Impossible films are a reboot/sequel to a Mission Impossible TV series, which aired for seven seasons between 1966 and 1973.

Reruns were common at the time, particularly during the TV off season, so the chance that Lucas saw the show at some point is high. He may even have seen early advertising for the show's reboot, which began airing in 1988.

'Godzilla Type Thing'

Having successfully made it into the Abyss in the finale, and survived their first encounter with the Mind Flayer thanks to Eleven's intervention, Mike forms a plan for the group to attack and weaken the Flayer, which will aid Eleven as she battles Vecna inside it's body, and ultimately rescue Holly and the other captive kids. During this discussion, Robin refers to the Mind Flayer as Godzilla.

"But Godzilla came out in 1998!"

DEBUNKED

Godzilla is the core character of a long-running Kaiju franchise originating in Japan, with the first film, Godzilla, released in 1954. The American dub version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was released in 1956.

The 1998 film is the first Western-produced Godzilla movie, and widely considered the worst adaptation of the character put to film.

The 1998 version, dubbed 'Zilla' was included in the Japanese anniversary film Godzilla: Final Wars, simply so the real Godzilla could wipe the floor with him.

'Big Brother is Watching'

Also during the finale, during the epilogue, Robin comments on the removal of the 'Big Brother' cameras. Some fans jumped on this as another timeline goof, assuming this was a reference to the reality TV series Big Brother.

The show, described as a social experiment placing regular people in a house together under the constant surveillance of the omniscient Big Brother, has aired in various versions around the world, beginning in 1999.

However..

DEBUNKED

Robin is not referring to the reality show, but to Big Brother the character in George Orwell's classic 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and it's 1984 film adaptation. It was from this Big Brother, the totalitarian leader of Oceania who keeps his people under constant visual surveillance, that the show got it's name.

Mike's Watch

On a few occasions throughout the season, the digital screen of Mike Wheeler's watch is visible. A few viewers believed it was a smartwatch, lamenting Stranger Things loss of attention to historic accuracy. Some even likened the situation to Game of Thrones' 'cup-gate', in which a Starbucks coffee cup was accidentally visible during an episode in the final season.

DEBUNKED

While Mike's watch may have been higher tech for it's time, it is not a smartwatch. Mike wears a Casio B210 calculator watch, which he was also seen wearing back in season three. In Japan, the Casio company partnered with Netflix for the release of some limited edition Stranger Things themed watches.

Where's Suzie?

Dustin's long-distance girlfriend, Susie, is involved in some major plot points in both seasons three and four. However, the character is entirely absent from the final season. Many fans were upset by the lack of Susie, even calling her absence a plothole.

DEBUNKED

Suzie's parents are deeply religious. When Jonathan, Will, Mike, and Argyle visit her house for help in season four, they learn that her Father was upset to discover that she was dating Dustin because he was Agnostic. He took Susie's computer away, which was her main form of communication with Dustin at the time.

Add this to the fact that the 18-month military occupation of Hawkins likely blocked other means of communication, and we can assume the relationship fizzled out.

Milkshake-gate

During Will Byers' big coming out scene in 5x07, 'The Bridge', he mentions getting milkshakes and Melvald's as one of his favourite activities with his friends. However, during the time Stranger Things takes place, Melvald's (where Joyce Byers works in seasons 1-3) is a General Store.

In the prequel stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a younger Henry Creel visits Melvald's, then a Diner, for a milkshake. A large section of the fandom leapt upon this as not just a timeline error, but a sign that Will was under Vecna's control, and the milkshakes were Henry's memory, not Will's.

DEBUNKED

Just because Melvald's primary function has changed, doesn't mean that Will and the gang did not get milkshakes there. In the 80s, a lot of general stores, or Five-and-Dimes, included a Milkshake Bar. Some have even pointed out that said Milkshake Bar is briefly visible when Hopper visits Joyce at work for parenting advice in season three.

The lesson, it seems, is to check your facts before crying error. For now, Stranger Things remains one of the most successfully executed 80s period pieces of all time.