Stranger Things documentary reveals why that epic final battle didn't include the Demogorgons
The creepy creatures were notably absent from season 5 episode 8.

Netflix’s new documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 has detailed why the Demogorgons were missing from the finale of the show.
The final battle in season 5 episode 8, which aired on New Year’s Day, saw our heroes go up against Vecna and the Mind Flayer, but the creepy creatures were notably absent from our screens.
Speaking in the writers' room about what will happen in the Abyss in the new behind-the-scenes documentary, Matt says "the thing that’s cool is the giant monster – that’s what’s new".
Matt continues: "In the MAC-Z, it is insane… insane, and so climactic. And it is climactic because we have six Demos attacking simultaneously."
Writer and co-executive producer Kate Trefry then responds: “I guess I maybe feel… wonder about Demo fatigue.”
Ross says “that’s fair,” before adding “like how exhausting, right? It’s a lot".

Speaking about the writers’ room scene, One Last Adventure director Martina Radwan recently told Variety: “I like that moment, and I like the conversation, because it obviously changed, right? And so having them sit there and really explore that – to me, the writers’ room is so fascinating, because you see them thinking.
She continued: “I love that they were so sure about the Demogorgons in the final Abyss – except Ross was like, ‘Mmm, maybe there’s some fatigue, Demogorgon fatigue.’ And Kate agreed. And you’re like, ‘Oh, OK – so this is not the last conversation. They disagree, and they will resolve it on some point.’ We, in the doc, left it open because at the time the doc comes out, everybody knows there are no Demos in the Pain Tree.”
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As well as backstage footage from the writers’ room, One Last Adventure also features insights from the Duffer Brothers, interviews with the cast and crew, on set discussions and the cast’s final goodbye as filming wrapped.
“That was hard," Radwan also told the publication, before continuing “because there were so many, and it was so emotional. For all of them, either half their life is ending, a quarter of their life.
"For the Duffers, they will never have a ‘Stranger Things’ again. It was important to me to really unify the endings. Matt and Ross had to have the last word. I wanted it to be one goodbye. I didn’t want to separate all the goodbyes, because it’s a shared experience for all of them, including the crew."
Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.





