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Netflix’s most-streamed English-language series, Stranger Things, returned on Thursday with its fifth and final season — but the real question is whether fans will tune in at all. The show’s long-awaited finale arrives under a cloud of controversy, after several cast members’ pro-Zionist comments since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza left many viewers vowing to boycott the series altogether.

The Matt and Ross Duffer-directed sci-fi blockbuster — set in 1983 and initially expected to return in 2024 — left its fans at a major cliffhanger at the end of Season 4. The Hawkins gang reunited, but not in peace; Vecna’s plan to merge the Upside Down with the town had already taken hold, setting the stage for one final battle. But for a growing number of fans, the plot may no longer be the main concern.

The backlash began shortly after October 7, when Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, posted an impassioned plea on Instagram, calling out his social media followers for commenting on his account in celebration of the Hamas attacks, according to Variety.

“As a Jewish American, I am afraid,” Schnapp wrote in the since-deleted post. “Afraid for my brothers and sisters in Israel, who have been senselessly attacked by Hamas. I am truly heartbroken to see the brutal murders of innocent children, women and soldiers fighting to defend themselves. I, like others, want peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. Let’s stop the rhetoric and choosing sides. Instead we must recognize that we are all on the side of the fight against terrorism. Choose humanity over violence.”

The situation escalated after users alleged that he had liked a video mocking Palestinian victims in Gaza. Around the same time, Schnapp shared a video on his Instagram story of him laughing and filming people holding stickers reading “Zionism is Sexy” and “Hamas is ISIS”.

By January 2024 — just as talk of the final season ramped up — Schnapp attempted to walk back his stance, claiming in a TikTok video (also deleted) that his “thoughts and beliefs have been misconstrued,” according to Arab News.

The controversy didn’t stop there. On January 17 last year, co-star Brett Gelman, who plays Murray on the show, publicly supported Israel and backed Schnapp saying that “he too thinks ‘Zionism is sexy’ as well as the fact ‘Hamas is ISIS’”, further fuelling outrage online.

Fast-forward to today: while Netflix drops the final chapter of a cultural phenomenon, timelines are filled with calls to boycott the show altogether.

Viewers are furious, making sure no one forgets the past or the fact that the genocide of Palestinians continues to this day.

Some aren’t limiting their criticism to Schnapp and Gelman — they’re also calling out several members of the cast and crew for being Zionists.

They don’t think any reason is good enough to keep watching the show — yes, not even the fact that it is the last season.

The excitement once tied to Stranger Things is now entangled with a wave of political criticism — leaving the show’s farewell overshadowed by a deeply divided audience.