The Duffer Brothers, creators of the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things," recently reflected on the controversial Season 2 episode "The Lost Sister," admitting they would handle it differently if given the chance. However, they also shut down long-standing rumors, emphasizing that the episode was never designed as a "backdoor pilot" for a spinoff series.
During a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz's "Happy, Sad, Confused" show, the Duffer Brothers were asked which parts of "Stranger Things" they would want to revisit.
Both Matt and Ross Duffer pointed to the seventh episode of Season 2, "The Lost Sister." The episode, which first aired in October 2017, sparked considerable controversy by taking Eleven out of Hawkins and sending her to Chicago, where she meets Kali, another super-powered individual linked to her past.
Matt Duffer explained that the issue stemmed from their use of a "bottle episode" format. He believes the story would have been more effective if Kali and her related plotline had been woven more naturally throughout the entire season. He stressed that it wasn't anyone's fault but their own for the flawed integration. Ross Duffer added that because he and Matt were so focused on writing and preparing to direct the final two episodes of Season 2, the storyline "kind of got shoved to the side."
"Matt and I were so deep in writing the last two episodes of Season 2 and in prep, because we were directing those, that it kind of got shoved to the side," Ross Duffer said.
The Duffer Brothers also admitted they anticipated that audiences might find the transition jarring even before the episode aired, but the actual negative feedback was heavier than they expected. Matt stated that the fan reaction was so intense that it was depressing heading into the production of Season 3, as many people were still focused on their disappointment with the episode.
As for the years-long internet rumor claiming "The Lost Sister" was originally a pilot for a spinoff, Matt Duffer flatly denied it, calling the theory "bullshit" and stressing they would never handle "Stranger Things" in that manner.
"First off, let me just clear up some bullshit on the internet," the Duffer Brothers said. "There's so much bullshit on the internet, you could talk about it all day, but that was never, ever designed as a spinoff or anything. That's bullshit. It's not true. That's gross. We would not do that."
With the main story set to conclude in its upcoming fifth season, this reflection brings renewed attention to the creative controversies the hit series has faced beyond its peak moments.