Reflection from the Duffer brothers

The Duffer brothers, the creators of Netflix hit series Stranger Things, have recently shared their thoughts on the controversial season 2 episode 7, titled 'The Lost Sister'. In an interview on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Matt and Ross Duffer said they would like to take another crack at the episode, but that rumors claiming it was a backdoor pilot for a spin-off are 'bulls**t'.

Season 2 and episode 7

Stranger Things season 2 consists of nine episodes. Episode 7, which first aired in October 2017, takes Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, out of Hawkins and into the streets of Chicago. There she meets a group of outsiders, including Kali, a girl who not only has a connection to her past, but also possesses supernatural powers.

The Duffer brothers have admitted that the episode was not well received and that they handled the idea of a 'bottle episode' the wrong way. Matt Duffer noted that the story should have been woven through the season so it would fit more naturally with the rest of the storyline. "I think the mistake was the idea of a bottle episode," Matt said. "It would have worked better if we had threaded it through organically. That was nobody's fault but ours."

The impact on the show

The reception to 'The Lost Sister' was so negative that the Duffer Brothers went into the third season feeling disappointed. They were aware of the mixed reactions before the episode even aired, and the final feedback was harsh. Ross Duffer added that it hit them 'harder than they expected.' This led to a general sense of frustration among fans over the episode, which remains one of the least loved in the series.

Clearing up misunderstandings

Following speculation around episode 7, fueled by the idea that it was meant to introduce a spin-off, the Duffer brothers want to put the malicious rumors to rest. Matt Duffer said: "Let me clear that up; that was never meant to be a spin-off. That's just nonsense."

With the series set to wrap up in the season 5 finale, the Duffer brothers have said they hope to share more stories from Hawkins in the future. In the meantime, speculation about hidden episodes has emerged, as some fans voiced frustration with how the series ended. However, the main Stranger Things storyline now appears to be definitively complete.