Netflix's highly popular series, Stranger Things, continues to dominate the platform's all-time charts, with Season 5 making significant strides. The latest season has officially surpassed Bridgerton Season 1 and The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix’s Most Popular English-language shows list. Initially, the first seven episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 had placed it in ninth position, but after incorporating the streaming numbers from its highly anticipated series finale, the season garnered enough momentum to climb several ranks. It now holds the sixth position with an impressive 115 million views, placing it above other notable titles such as Bridgerton Season 1, Bridgerton Season 3, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Night Agent Season 1.

The franchise's strong performance extends beyond Season 5. Stranger Things Season 4 maintains a firm grip on the third spot on the all-time chart, boasting a total of 140.7 million views, just below Wednesday Season 1 and Adolescence. Furthermore, the show demonstrated remarkable popularity by having all five seasons simultaneously featured on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for the week of January 5–11. It's important to note that these viewership figures are not final, as Netflix tracks performance over a 91-day measurement window, meaning Stranger Things Season 5 will continue to accrue viewing hours until March, potentially leading to further shifts in its ranking.

As Stranger Things cements its legacy on Netflix's charts, the universe itself is actively expanding into new narratives. Netflix has confirmed the development of two distinct spin-off projects designed to broaden the franchise's scope. One of these is an animated series, titled “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85,” which is designed to take place within the original timeline, specifically set between Seasons 2 and 3, returning viewers to Hawkins during the winter of 1985. The creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, revealed that animation was among their earliest ideas for extending the story, with Matt Duffer explaining the intention to “evoke a feeling of an ’80s cartoon.”

The second spin-off project, a live-action series, has been in development since at least 2022 and will mark a significant departure from the established setting. Ross Duffer clarified in an interview that this new endeavor would not be set in the 1980s, stating unequivocally, “Whatever we do next, I’ll tell you this, it’s not going to be set in the ’80s. I think we’re done with the ’80s.” This indicates a conscious effort to explore new temporal and thematic territories within the Stranger Things universe.

In addition to its chart success and expansion, the franchise recently found itself at the center of a contemporary debate. Following the release of “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5,” a documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look, fans quickly observed a moment that allegedly showed Reddit and ChatGPT open on a laptop. This brief shot ignited immediate backlash online, particularly given Hollywood’s heightened sensitivity surrounding Artificial Intelligence following last year’s industry strikes.

Martina Radwan, the director of the documentary, addressed the controversy directly in a new interview. Her response was forthright, questioning the certainty of ChatGPT being open and downplaying its significance even if it were. “I mean, are we even sure they had ChatGPT open?” Radwan asked. “But to me it’s like, doesn’t everybody have it open, to just do quick research? How can you possibly write a storyline with 19 characters and use ChatGPT? I don’t even understand. Again, first of all, nobody has actually proved that it was open.”

Radwan further pushed back against the notion that the visible presence of such tools, if true, implied AI-generated writing for the show. She explained, “If it was open, that’s like having your iPhone next to your computer while you’re writing a story. We just use these tools while multitasking. There’s a lot going on all the time. What I find heartbreaking is everybody loves the show, and suddenly we need to pick it apart.” When asked specifically if she witnessed any AI use within the writers’ room during filming, Radwan was resolute, stating, “No, of course not. I witnessed creative exchanges. I witnessed conversation.”

She also took the opportunity to clarify a common misconception about the functioning of a writers’ room. “People think ‘writers room’ means people are sitting there writing. No — it’s story development,” Radwan elaborated. “You go places creatively and then you come back to the script. Being in the writers’ room is such a privilege.” As of now, neither Netflix nor the Duffer Brothers have issued public statements regarding the speculation or Radwan’s comments, leaving some fans to continue the discussion while others may find Radwan’s explanation sufficient.