Not all Netflix shows are created equal, and this is especially true of the platform's sci-fi offerings. Some had huge promise but turned out to be massive disappointments, like Space Force and the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. Meanwhile, other Netflix sci-fi shows, such as The OA and The Boroughs​​​​​, were revered by critics and audiences alike, only to be prematurely canceled. That's what makes Stranger Things such a fascinating outlier. Not just the streamer's most successful sci-fi series, but Netflix's biggest show ever, Stranger Things ran for five wildly popular seasons over almost a decade. While it's common for viewership numbers to fall off the longer a show runs, especially if there's a long wait in between seasons, Stranger Things season 5 broke a Netflix record in its premiere week, amassing 59.6 million views in its first five days — a number no series has yet to top. With Stranger Things' epic series finale still fresh in fans' minds, it's hard to imagine a time when Eleven, the Party, and the Upside Down weren't permanent fixtures in pop culture. However, when an '80s-set show from the then-unknown Duffer Brothers about a group of kids discovering a freaky alternate dimension in their Indiana hometown premiered on Netflix in 2016, it truly took the world by storm. Nostalgia played a huge role in Stranger Things' appeal, right from its iconic opening scene, with Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin in the midst of an epic D&D campaign, and nary a screen in sight. When it's time to call it a night, the boys bike home in the dark completely unsupervised. Though this doesn't bode well for Will, it's still a romantic throwback to the freedom of the latchkey kid era. Stranger Things season 1 wasn't just nostalgic because it was set in the 1980s; rather, it actually felt like a TV show that could have come out in that decade. The series wore its influences on its sleeve, with Stranger Things borrowing the small-town horror vibes of a Stephen King novel with the blockbuster sci-fi spectacle and heartfelt coming-of-age story of some of Steven Spielberg's best movies. The result was a note-perfect genre mashup. However, even with all these trappings, Stranger Things wouldn't have been nearly as beloved as it was without characters that leapt off the screen. From the Party's outsider status to the teenage drama between Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan, to Joyce Byers, a single mom who will do anything to find her missing son, no matter how crazy the town of Hawkins thinks she is, every character was wholly relatable yet unique. We cheered when Eleven saved Mike and Dustin from the bullies, and we sobbed when Will's fake body was discovered. The love for these characters buoyed us through five Stranger Things seasons, even if the result was diminishing returns. Alas, when it comes to quality, Stranger Things became the ultimate victim of its own popularity. Season 1's '80s setting resonated so strongly because it was right for the story, not because audiences were obsessed with the decade, yet every subsequent Stranger Things season seemed to be in competition for which could stamp more squares on its 1980s nostalgia Bingo card. Eggos, which played a fun little role as Eleven's comfort food in season 1, practically became its own character; the neon costumes and big hair grew to be cartoonish; the pop culture references were pervasive; and an entire season was centered around a shopping mall. Even major moments for fan-favorites like Max or Eddie were less about the characters and more about the needle drops that accompanied them. As the show's budget grew, so did its scope, and this was also to the detriment of the original Stranger Things main characters. Though some new additions gelled nicely with the story and provided fresh and diverse perspectives, by the time the series reached its final season, the cast was so large that beloved OG characters like Mike and Joyce were inevitably sidelined.