WAIT… Did the Duffer Brothers just RUIN Will Byers forever?! 😱 Fans are absolutely LOSING IT over massive continuity errors in Stranger Things Season 5 that completely contradict everything we know from earlier seasons. One flashback just shattered a heartbreaking moment from Season 2… and that’s not even the worst one! Is this the beginning of a total meltdown for the final season, or just sloppy mistakes that break the show’s lore? You won’t believe what Joyce just said about Will’s age – it’s UNFORGIVABLE. Drop a 🔥 if you’re raging too, and tag a friend who needs to see this before Volume 2 drops

Netflix’s blockbuster series Stranger Things returned with the first volume of its fifth and final season on November 26, 2025, delivering high-stakes action, emotional reunions, and the long-awaited escalation of the battle against Vecna. Set in the fall of 1987, the season picks up after the massive rifts torn open in Hawkins at the end of Season 4, with the core group—Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Will, and the rest—facing an all-out war against the Upside Down. But amid the excitement, eagle-eyed fans have zeroed in on several apparent continuity errors, particularly surrounding Noah Schnapp’s character Will Byers, reigniting debates about the show’s attention to detail in its swan song.

The backlash began almost immediately after viewers binged the first four episodes of Volume 1. One of the most discussed issues comes in Episode 4, titled “Sorcerer,” where Will reflects on pivotal childhood memories to unlock his emerging supernatural powers. Among these flashbacks is a sunny, cheerful scene of young Will and his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) building Castle Byers, the backyard fort that served as Will’s safe haven in earlier seasons.

Fans quickly pointed out that this depiction clashes sharply with a key moment from Season 2’s “The Mind Flayer.” In that episode, an emotional Jonathan recounts building the fort with Will on the night their abusive father, Lonnie, abandoned the family. He describes them hammering away through pouring rain, staying up all night, getting drenched, and both falling ill for a week—but refusing to stop until it was finished. “We just had to finish it, didn’t we?” Jonathan says tearfully.

In the Season 5 flashback, however, the weather is bright and dry, the brothers appear happy and relaxed, and there’s no mention of rain, hammering mishaps, or sickness. Social media erupted with complaints, with one X user writing, “Has no one else realised the error in Will’s flashback when he and Jon are building Castle Byers and it’s sunny and all pretty? But in season two he literally said they stayed up all NIGHT and it was pouring rain… plothole.” Others defended it mildly, suggesting the Season 5 scene might show an earlier stage of construction before the storm hit, or that Castle Byers appeared unfinished in the memory. But for many, the cheerful tone undermined the original story’s emphasis on the brothers’ bond forged in adversity.

That’s not the only Will-related slip drawing ire. In Episode 3, “The Turnbow Trap,” Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) refers to Will as being 11 years old when he was first abducted into the Upside Down in Season 1. Canon established early on—complete with “missing” posters shown prominently—places Will’s disappearance on November 6, 1983, when he was 12, with a birthday on March 22, 1971. Joyce’s line implies a timeline shift that would make her forget her own son’s age or birthday, something fans called “too mean” and outright implausible.

These errors have revived memories of “Birthdaygate” from Season 4, where Episode 2 takes place on Will’s birthday (March 22), yet no one acknowledges it—leading fans to joke that his friends and family simply forgot. The Duffer Brothers later admitted that was an oversight, and writers quietly adjusted Will’s birth year online to smooth it over. Now, with Season 5 repeating mistakes centered on the same character, some viewers worry it signals deeper issues in wrapping up the sprawling mythology.

Co-creator Ross Duffer addressed one of the new errors shortly after release, telling Variety regarding Joyce’s age comment: “That would mean his mom forgot his birthday! It’s too mean. It was obviously a mistake, and we’re sorry. We apologize to the fans.” He echoed similar sentiments about juggling the show’s dense lore, noting the challenges of tracking details across nine years and multiple seasons.

Not all reactions have been purely negative. Some fans argue these are minor hiccups in an otherwise ambitious finale. “The Duffers have so many plates spinning—Vecna’s expanded backstory, new powers, military involvement—that a couple timeline slips are forgivable,” one Reddit user posted. Others speculate intentional misremembering could tie into themes of trauma and distorted memories, especially with Will’s deep connection to the Upside Down. The sunny Castle Byers scene, for instance, might represent Will’s idealized recollection rather than literal events.

Still, the outcry has fueled broader concerns about the season’s pacing and fidelity to established canon. Volume 1 has been praised for intense set pieces, including Will’s power awakening and teases of larger threats, but critics note the split release schedule—Volume 2 on December 25 and the feature-length finale on December 31—heightens scrutiny. Some fear these errors foreshadow rushed storytelling, drawing unfavorable comparisons to other beloved shows that stumbled in their endings.

Adding fuel to the fire are smaller nitpicks, like inconsistencies with Holly Wheeler’s age and subtle shifts in Vecna/Henry Creel’s backstory. Retro gaming enthusiasts even spotted a Nintendo-related blunder: a character plays Ghosts ‘n Goblins on NES, but the footage shown is from the arcade version, complete with visual borders not present in the home port.

The Duffer Brothers have a history of retroactively fixing minor issues—adjusting online lore or clarifying in interviews—and they’ve emphasized that Season 5 aims to tie up loose ends while delivering spectacle. Production wrapped in late 2024 after delays from strikes, with the team describing it as their most challenging yet due to scale and emotional weight.

As Volume 2 approaches on Christmas Day, followed by the New Year’s Eve finale (screening in select theaters alongside streaming), fans remain divided. Diehards are dissecting every frame for more clues, while casual viewers focus on the epic showdown ahead. Whether these continuity slips prove damaging or fade into trivia remains to be seen, but they’ve undeniably amplified buzz around the show’s conclusion.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix, with Volume 2 dropping December 25 and the finale on December 31. The series stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, and newcomer Linda Hamilton.